Berrimilla Down Under Mars Status Report 4 June 2008
WEDNESDAY, 4 JUNE 2008
Update from the radio room 21:50 Z
Just received call from Alex. They are hooning along (running before 20kts) on direct course for Dutch. Expect to arrive @ noon local time today (that’s yesterday for most of us). Confusing, it will be. Their local is 14:50 now. So add 10 hours to zulu and that will be their noon time. Of course if you’re in the USA, you may well be asleep at the time of arrival. On the other hand, if your in Oz, you’ll be settling down to Neighbours at 18:00. Carla, the Oracle, has supplied us with ground zero webcam links (see gustbook). And I’m aware that at least 7000 people are sitting out there like a tree full of Owls awaiting the arrival in real time fogvision. So set your alarms and don’t miss it. Should any of this not make sense, please resist the temptation to point it out. I’ve had enough advice for one lifetime, thank you. Speedy.
PS: What he actually said was noon tomorrow – so that could be the day after. Mind you; all above calculations still apply by adding 24 hours. Going for a lie down before breakfast……….
POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 22:49
More or less north of Amukta 5251.30 17310.37
About 50 hours to go iff it all continues to hang together. 50 hours during which you all will go to work, read the papers (what is happening out there? We’ve been 51 days with no news whatsoever) sit in traffic jams, polish the baby’s bottom or whatever you normally fill your days doing. I’ll be either dozing in my tiny, slightly angled bunk or in the cockpit in full party gear watching the water go by and wishing time was not so elastic. We have been promised 20 kts up the clacker (never thought about it before, but that must be Oz slang for cloaca)from here to Dutch so appendages once more in the supplicant position and onwards, ever onwards.
Huge to-do list for dutch. Mostly seems under control, but will be very expensive and perhaps tricky. Talking of expense, diesel in Adak was $4.10/gall and parking alongside the delicately named Refuse Barge was $80 + 3% per night. Even more expensive than Bucklers Hard! But not a real incentive to hang around.
Thanks to everyone for your messages and good wishes – lovely to pull them in this afternoon and can’t wait to get to dutch and catch up with the world again.
Carla – was not aware of Discovery mission – no real comparison, but I like your idea of symmetry. What is the program? Anyone we know out there?
Doug M – have you seen the map?
El – dvd would be noice – ta. pse send email to speed with your plans – he will forward to us. will try to call from dutch.
POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 09:31
McQ: barnacles
Imagine being a barnacle on Berri’s bot!! Imagine just cruising along one day and clinging on to her, then suddenly 114 days later, everything’s upside down, the sun shines, all the fish that come and hang out look a bit strange- you keep meeting sharks called ‘Bruce’ and so on… after getting used to this lifestyle, basking in the delightfully warm Sydney Harbour- getting a cooling once a year on the way south, you find yourself off again… hotter and hotter, you realise you are going north, then it starts to cool off- you have a vague recollection of what ‘cold’ feels like, hanging out with your buddies in Falmouth in the winter, but then it gets really cold…by this time there’s loads of you, and you’ve made masses of new friends, so many that wee Berri is definitely feeling sluggish, everyone’s talking in American accents but the cold water is starting to remind you of home, and you start wondering if you’ll ever get back to Falmouth again??
I hope those little barnacles make it back to Falmouth one day, despite them slowing us down in the mean time (so maybe on someone elses bot)!!!
love McQ
xxx
ps: Carie, did you see FF’s gust re our new neighbours??? Gust 213 i think!! hilarious!! see if you can get the lowdown?? Awesome re JH!! miss you, lots of love Bol xxx
POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 09:30
McQ: 3rd June
Phosphorescence was out last night in full iridescent glory, would have been great big white streaks everywhere if we had been going a bit quicker but instead bubbly squiggly worms leaping about in the water we churn up- different dynamic to great big white streaks but equaloloy mesmerising and, well, nice really to have a bit of a change!!
Only 267 miles to go to our Cape Cheerful wapoint-I can’t wait for C.Cheerful… and what it may bring!!!
Shower remained tantalisingly close yesterday, don’t suppose another 3 days make much difference after 53!!
Congrats to Big A, Pete and Berri on the anniversary of their arrival in Falmouth in 05- It must have felt pretty special!! and this makes Berri’s 2nd huge adventure in 3 years!!
The deck peanut tub has been relegated to the mists of time- even the permanent marker pen has rubbed off- no more a single trace that once it was filled with peanuts. Now replaced by the super colourful and altogether more pleasing Deck M&M’s Tub…
Love McQueen xxx
POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 09:30
5243.37 17342.08 conceptual space
Time expands and contracts to fill the conceptual space available. I must do a minimum of 2 more of these morning watches before Dutch and it seems like a century yet I have already done 54 or so of them. That finishing straight in the Melbourne marathon again, but with the pain of longing and anticipation rather than lactic acid convulsions and cramps. How on earth do I fill in that cavern of time? Can’t read, can’t listen to music, can’t do much of this cos the vis is too bad and have to be on deck watching the water go by and looking at the few seabirds that break the monotony.
The satphone has spoken – there must be incoming from all y’all – exciting and wow does it help…
POSTED BY BERRIMILLA DOWNUNDERMARS AT 09:28
