Email at last

Written by David Townsend

4, November 2007

Position 53o18’803S 174o07’245E

At anchor, Opua, New Zealand, South Pacific Ocean.

Hi dear friends, thank you for following my journey. Here is this week’s update.

Email at last. The H.F. antenna has a problem and therefore I am unable to email from onboard.

Life Onboard:

The sail from Fiji to New Zealand was some of the best sailing I have done since entering the Pacific, good 23 – 35kn of wind with an burst of 60.02kn from somewhere!

Eight days later I arrived in New Zealand, and to honest I have met up with so many old friends I have not had the time to write this weeks update. Stories from friends new and old about their adventures across the Pacific.

I spent nearly two days down below during the passage for it was far too wet topside’s with waves rolling over and all the way along Pinta. A truly memorable experience, which will stay with me for ever.

Disasters happen at sea, so it did to my friends onboard SV Ta-haa, dis-masted 700Nm from New Zealand they motored as far as they could, realising they were getting low on diesel. A luck would have it there mobile phone just got a signal. They contact a fellow sailor in Auckland who arranged for the coast-guard to go to their aid brining more diesel.

The Boat:
The only adjustment / work needed onboard will be to the port, inner, lower shroud. I need to tensions it a little more as it continues to stretch.

I hope to fit a new feeder cable to the H.F. antenna this week.

My apologise once more form the lack of contact during the past six weeks or so.

Fair winds, calm seas.
David.