Zane, a New Zealand friend, sent me links to some of the most beautiful photos of Opua and the Bay of Islands I have seen. I thank him for the links.
I’ve wandered around the site. Julie is a talented photographer. She even has some fine images of gannets.
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Joost from the Netherlands, who sails a 22’ light weight Danish built Marsvin in the North Sea, sent me a link to an easily lowered spray hood he made for his companionway. I have been thinking of something similar. The amount of water coming into GANNET on the recent passage was intolerable and endured only because I had no choice. Joost has given me the nudge I need, and I will make some calls tomorrow to see if I can get something similar made here. Thanks, Joost.
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I received several emails about the 76 push-ups.
Not having done any for so long, I did not expect to do that many. I would have been satisfied with 50 and build up from there. I was surprised to find how easy they were. Not even any soreness the next day.
Sailing GANNET does not often take great strength. I usually don’t even use the winch handles, except for the last few feet to get tension on the luff while raising the mainsail or while reefing.
Upon reflection I think the push-ups were easy because of the residual effect of the long rows in Darwin two months earlier, combined with the constant, day and night, isometrics while crossing oceans on GANNET.
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I also heard from Doug who transited the Panama Canal a few years ago on a Francis 26 without a head and feeding his line handlers with a bucket of KFC, and from Mark, who provided a link to the renewed Panama Canal Railway. GANNET on a train?
Next year may tell.
I thank them both.