Messages

Best of luck with the crossing Tony!

Hi tony glad to hear you are making progress. we met in camarinas and had a few beers, i tuned up your ssb receiver. we had an uneventfull trip to the canaries, bobs boat is in porto mogan he is out there with friends at the moment. lesley and i are working hard selling her shawles in shopping centres hoping to make enough money to carry on with our renovation in france. Good luck with the crossing dont forget to listen to trudys mm net on 21400 mhz at 13.00 zulu she gives ot the weather for the north atlantic Best regards Geoff & Lesley

Matt
Porto da Palmeira 16 45.3' N    22 59' W
Porto Tarrafal    16 34'  N    24 21.5'W
Mindelo          -----          -----

Keith
I can´t see any real problem so see you in Tobago.
Tony.

Steve Williams sorry I cannot ring you blame Don. If it´s car insurance I don´t need it. If it´s the chimbney the price has to be less than 1300 pounds stirling if more they will have to get another electric fire as I have all ready provided one convector. Will be in touch about 20/12/04 if all goes to plan. Sorry I can´t ring.
Tony

Glad you got some money, we picked Tobago because flights are a lot cheaper, the cost of the ferry is $50 TT, = £5 return so there's no problem getting to Trinidad. Hopefully we'll all meet up at the same place at the same time, and maybe we can spend a few days with you on the wobbly & have a sail.

Matt
Could you sort out my spelling on the last report as I submited before checking. Could you remove any old messages you think can go.
Tony

Went to the Capital (Riba Brava) and the bank there let me have about 40 Euros so I can manage thanks for the offer. I did say to arrange to go to Trinidad and not Tobago, I will try to get there on the dates you have given but if the wind is strong from the north you will have to come over by ferry. You were texted with a no to Tobago as I anticipate being there for Christmass then moving to Trinidad to have the frame made to carry the solar panels and provide shade before doing the islands off Venuswala.

Is there anything I can do to help? Like wire you some money? Let me know the details

Keith Nicholls
You realy are getting about in Oz
good luck hope to see you next winter and keep in touch.

Matt and Wendy
I will only be in the Cape Verde Islands for a week or 10 days so I will wait until Christmass to phone from the Carribean as I have no address to send to and the post here is very slow.

Steve Williams
Very sorry but I cannot phone due to cost and problems with banks which may even force me to leave here early if I cant get through to my bank and arrange a transfer of money.

Phillipa May
Use the information in the progress report and photos sections and contact Jamie Knight on (01432) 260000 if you need I.T. help. Sorry I cannot do more but things are very difficult here and even the sub-marine phone cable carrying the internet has been damaged,
I will be doing an up to date report later to day or early to-morrow.
Tony 

Keith Nicholls
You realy are getting about in Oz
good luck hope to see you next winter and keep in touch.

Matt and Wendy
I will only be in the Cape Verde Islands for a week or 10 days so I will wait until Christmass to phone from the Carribean as I have no address to send to and the post here is very slow.

Steve Williams
Very sorry but I cannot phone due to cost and problems with banks which may even force me to leave here early if I cant get through to my bank and arrange a transfer of money.

Phillipa May
Use the information in the progress report and photos sections and contact Jamie Knight on (01432) 260000 if you need I.T. help. Sorry I cannot do more but things are very difficult here and even the sub-marine phone cable carrying the internet has been damaged,
I will be doing an up to date report later to day or early to-morrow.
Tony 

Hi Tony
Keith here – Jayne doing the typing as she can do more than one finger at a time.

We’re over here in Australia – we have checked out your mooring in Cairns, we have booked you a place next to the mooring of the beaver float plane which of course I had to have a flight in. The flight took me low level (500 feet) over the barrier reef out to Green Island  - we almost collided with a turtle as we took off. There were six small japenese tourists in the back of the plane and I got the seat next to the pilot, he flys barefoot and his other tasks include getting the deckchairs ready on green island for the japenese tourists and also typing the plane to the jetty whilst it is still moving!!

I spent my 50^th birthday in Port Douglas – just down the coast from Cairns, I was diving on the barrier reef on the day after my birthday, that’s always been my ambition. I also snorkled amongst green turtles – the turtle came right up to me and swam alongside me before diving, it was a thrilling experience.

After being in Perth for 3 weeks we traveled to Sydney on the Indian Pacific train, I woke 7am in the morning pulled the window blind up and was watching kangaroos hopping around on the Nullabor desert. In Sydney I climbed to the top of the Sydney harbour bridge and have the t-shirt to prove it, also took in the opera house and a ferry ride to Manly.

We keep a close eye on your progress, great reports always full of things you have seen, it sounds very exciting.

I hope you are eating some proper food because as I remember I was always the cook on our shared sailing trips.

Wishing you a continued safe trip and good weather

Regards
Keith

I'd like to write a progress report so that readers of the Hereford Times can catch up with what you've been doing since July. When you've got a minute can you let me know what has been the highlight for you so far - and the worst. Cheers.

Flights booked to Tobago arrive 17^th Jan until 31^st Jan just in time for Keith's birthday, so he'll wear his special suit.Sailed to Cardiff this weekend (Pam's maiden voyage!) VERY cold, arrived back in Bristol in the dark.Gates off AGAIN!16 weeks (if only) to completion. Bought a life raft, 8 man, do you know 7 men who might want to sail with me? I am finding the DSC radio has a range almost 50% better than the old radio, it being digital. Engine is going well.

Tony
We're watching your progress with interest. At our Annual Dinner dance Newport Uskmouth Sailing Club club awarded you the Baldwin Challenge Shield for the determination and courage with which you prepared the boat and started your voyage. Congratulations and best wishes for the future

Tony,
It is NOT a problem with your mobile you just will not get coverage in the Cape Verde Islands with Virgin. If you choose to have any other network you WILL HAVE TO PAY A MONTHLY LINE RENTAL. With Virgin you don't. I would advise not changing. I have checked with Virgin about this! They cover most countries you will be visiting and by being with them you save yourself all the line rental costs for when you are at sea. They also are very reasonable price wise when it comes to making and receiving calls abroad unless you pay very high monthly line rental costs!

Dear Tony, Re your letter to Peter regarding mobile phone problems,Peter contacted Don and he is able to get a Vodaphone Sim card to fit into your existing phone.Also contacted Steve to sort out the financial side. Please can you let us have an address to enable us to send the new Vodaphone Sim card to you. Hope all goes well and Cariad is behaving herself. Peter and Gill send their best wishes. Good sailing. Bruce & Wendy.

Keith,
You are going to be cramped with 2 and I only have 1 dinghy (is there a boat taxi at Charlots Town??). The fore cabin will be clear but there is little other space only the cockpit. I am not promissing being at any place until I get there. The weather here has been stormy and the anchorage is crowded so I will move to-morrow propably to Porto Tarrafal on St. Niclolo. Will not be in contact until early naxt week.

Gil
I use Gnomex charts for Rhombline big picture and Mercator for the detail (we don´t have Lambert conical). Give Rachel my very best wishes.

Ann
Work with the local members who you know. Get the job evaluation done sensibly without the conditions set by Pringal which make it bound to fail.

Matt
Will try to gat you the co-ords but its all hassels at the moment.

Hurray up and pick your messages up. We've got regaeitus and look good for a flight around 17^th January for 2 weeks, the down side is you'll have to take Keith out for a meal on 26^th Jan, remember 56 years ago? when you enrolled into the cubs (or was it the brownies?) when Keith popped into the world. Anyway I need to buy some bikinis and rub on some suntan lotion

Have got 5 rolls of dynema rope 568 mil going cheap got it at Malvern ideal for tying old wobblies together would make ideal temporary repair if you bump the keel make me an offer & I'll double it. (I paid £20 per reel average 80 Metres if you need some I could ship it to the Caribean it would only cost 2 air fares! & if you pay for the fares we'll throw the rope in free (K & P) PS if you need any corporate gear like t shirts let me know & I will get Ivor to embroider some & bring them over. They may be useful for bargaining/bribing.

Wotcher Tone! You look to be making some pretty fine progress,25euros a bit b.. steep! almost equates to permit insp!!. Cape Verde..Fantastic!Randolph & Rachael (improving) both charting your progress too. R U still using Mercators chart & sextant? I"m stll having probs with Gps, so skills not finely honed yet! Fair winds/bst rgrds