Talisker Bounty Boat is sinking!

VERY Low in the water that is. We marked the waterline on the boat today and
are about to start Antifouling. The red Tape is the lowest the waterline
will be, just two planks left for freeboard. My calculations suggest we will
actually be sinking lower in the water so the waterline will actually be
higher than that in the photo with just one and a half planks of freeboard
left..or about 12 inches, which is actually 50% more than Bligh. He is
reported to have had only 8 inches freeboard when he first set off. Pete
could not believe it...repeatedly asking "will it be that low!!" I said I
think so?? We will not really know till we set off,but it is going to be a
wet boat.

Bligh cut up sails and actually pulled up a seat board to make covers around
the transome and sides of the boat..He had the carpenter nail spare sails to
the side of the boat in an effort increase the freeboard and keep water out.
They also used the spare sails to huddle under while sailing. Today I went
to Scott Sails in Manly Vale and gave him a pattern for lee cloths to fit
around the cockpit of TBB and also a cover to give us some protection up
forward from the sun and spray. We will throw that over our oars as a
frame..so Dave will love that..just like camping.

I dropped off our Mizzen sail at Wetton Signs to get a new Talisker logo.
Terry Wetton has been doing all our signage on Boats, vans and expedition
things since the Mid eighties! He said "You are doing WHAT!"..seemes to be a
common theme here?

Stu has been working on the first of our Promo Video clips for the press
launch next week..To our Australian followers you should hopefully read or
hear about it late next week. I had a one hour conference call with my
Talisker contact Rachael (who was just waking up in London late today) and
the Aust. PR company. I realised again how pleasant it is at the Sydney
Lakeside Narrabeen...My office for the call was a picnic table just outside
our cabin in the most beautiful gardens you could ever wish for. I could
hear the surf just over the hill, I had a Beautiful rainbow Parakeet sitting
on the table, a mother duck and her duckling walking around the lawn beside
me, while a couple of baby bunnies played by a bush and the white cockatoos
were squawking in the big Norfolk pines above. Two butterflies cruised
past..all this while the sun was setting on a beautiful day. Rachael was
talking minus one degree and a dull London day!

Dave has been ...well ...yes ...Shopping again!..but he did bring back a
couple of friends (Charlie and Jenny above) who got stuck into working on
TBB..so what did Dave say...well they are doing the work, so I could just
nip down to the shop and buy another tent!! So he did...a light weight 2man
tent..he did survive last nights thunder storms in the one man
tent...BUT!!!..no decisions yet on where he is sleeping tonight.

The www.powerfilmsolar.com panels arrived today. I ordered them from the USA
on Thursday night and they are very impressive. What Bligh could have done
with those hey!!

At the moment the lounge in our cabin is a mass of gear, first aid kit,Para
anchors,Drouge,Dry bags, media banners,cameras,Safety and satellite bits,
and the front porch has too much to mention...at this very moment Dave is on
an "official" Shopping trip for dinner..Thai takeaways, but I did send Pete
with him...so another late night coming up..