ORCV Melbourne to Vanuatu (M2V)

Tired Secretary.

They've been going at for nine days now and have the battle wounds to prove it, but they have not rolled over and are still sailing hard. True, they've done it all before and the M2O as well. So it's 'Never say die' for Robyn and George, aboard 'Da Sec' (The Secretary).

"The conditions are the same as yesterday, 20+ knots, occasionally dropping down to mid teens, beam-on seas, so a bit uncomfortable. Still in wet weather gear, particularly so because the auto-helm is playing up (you can use it when racing two-up - [which is a note for 'Rocket Man', Addy!!!]) and we are now hand steering. Without a moon, you can't steer to the seas, especially messy ones like we have now and some of them make their way into the cockpit."

"That's not all that made its way into the cockpit last night. Had I been able to leave the wheel, I would have collected the flying fish and presented them to Geo, as a suggestion for breakfast (he hates them), but by the time I got off the wheel, they were so smelly, I even found them repugnant, so just gave them a quick sea burial. That would have scored some points in the Master Seachef cookoff." Robyn, I had a lot of them for breakfast in Barbados, where they are a delicacy and they were, quite literally, yummy!

Robyn and George have big hearts and big smiles - pic © Teri Dodds.

"Here's yesterday's culinary effort instead. The bread flour came out of the 'pantry' and I managed a loaf, pizza and cheesymite scrolls. The bread was so good, we just had corned beef sandwiches for breakfast, having devoured the pizza last night and the scrolls overnight!" Lorna will be pleased, as to will David and Rosie...

"I'm pretty convinced the power is under control, as we are now at minus 752 amps and all systems are go, go, go, except the aforementioned radar. That means the wind generator has given us about 700 amps of power, since we left Portsea, about 30% of our use or maybe 25% if we had been making water all the way up." Handy feature that windmill....

"Tonight we plan to sail through the Passe de la Sarcelle at the Sou'east end of Nouvelle Calédonie. This is 18nm less than the long way around Ile des Pins and just needs a bit of careful navigation. So today we'll be getting as much rest as possible, in preparation. George has more bruises, but is soldiering on. He is practising his Bislama, but can only come up with Tankyu Tumas (Thank you very much), so far. I guess it's a start."

"I'll stick to the french. A bientot"

Parfait, Rob. Parfait... (and won't my Sister, Fiona, be happy with my French, too!)

Please remember, that if you want to find out where everyone is in the chase for the container that APC Logistics sent to Vanuatu, then please go HERE. Sked times are 4.30am and pm EST.

By John Curnow