Sunday 21st August 2016
This week I took delivery of 210 Admiralty charts covering our planned circumnavigation from the Caribbean, through Panama to Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga to Australia and then on across the Indian Ocean, with A few extra to cover Madagascar and even the Comoros and Mayotte, in case we visit Elodie! From there to South Africa, up to Ascension Island and St Helena before reaching Brazil and the Caribbean again. At £24.99 apiece it's a big investment!
Then today I went down to TinTin, on the hard at Saxon Wharf, and stripped out all the pilot books and charts we had used round Britain and lugged them home. Will we ever sail that way again or should I put them on eBay? I really hope that I will be able to explore more of Great Britain when I get back. There was so much that we missed, and some beautiful places that I should love to revisit.
I have been endlessly making lists on outstanding jobs, trying to schedule all the things that need to be achieved before we set sail, conscious that it will get harder in other countries.
I have recontacted Martin Kramp at Ifremer with my offer of carrying ocean monitoring buoys to release in the Pacific but, sadly, it seems that they don't have any at present, despite being keen. I hope we will still be able to contribute to marine knowledge as a Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS). With the huge El Niño last year now fading away, and the evidence of unseasonal gales in UK this week, and exceptional heat and floods in the USA, I wonder what sort of turbulent weather systems we will have to contend with on our trip.
Meanwhile at home I am trying to get everything in order so that I can leave Anne without too much chaos to handle.
1 comment:
Time is flying! I've taken delivery of a 12v fan to test out on the way to the Canaries, if it is any good I'll order some more to keep the tropical air moving on those sweltering hot nights anchored in tropical paradise! ;-)
Post a Comment