Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Back in the OFFICE!

It took about three hours to clean the cabin after everyone had cleared out
so the timing of the replacement Key was about right. I checked out with a
HUGE thankyou to Sydney Lakeside and headed up the hill to drop the trailer
at new friends Peter and Sylvia who have offered to store the trailer till
August. THANKS! After cake and tea I hit the road at about 1600hrs and drove
till 2000hrs,then into a motel, dinner and big sleep. Back on the road to
Melbourne early arriving early afternoon then onto the Ferry last
night,(SPIRIT OF TASMANIA) arriving Tassie this morning. Four hours later,
straight into the office, after unloading the van which seemed to have more
in it that I took to Sydney three weeks ago?? Work that out??

I had another visit to the Doctor trying to sort my kidney stones and off to
see a specialist on Friday ( flying out on Saturday)..looks like some
microscopic ones which hopefully will be stable?...all the crew are about to
do major medicals, the same that we have used for the last 15 years on all
our expeditions to remote places.

Now the Blogs may start to get a bit bland over the next four weeks?..my
work list is huge, with plenty to organise, sat comms, cameras and custom
mounts, two extra sails, Nav instuments,limited edition envelopes to carry
onboard ( you can get one if you like?) Official stamp, extra pulleys,
finalize the crisis management plan,register all four FAST FIND 406 PLB's
and the McMurdo 406, GPS EPIRB,Export paper work for TBB to TONGA,Official
request to enter Australia at Restoration Island , not a proclaimed port,Up
grade the web site and finish the Chinese language version,Book airfares to
Tonga,sort all expedition clothing, Hats and Musto wet weather gear...and
more.

We will all get together again on April 9th in Sydney to have the
International Talisker send off and look at some of the original items that
Bligh had on his open boat voyage.That will mark the beginning of the final
stages as we fly to Tonga straight after that. In the meantime Dave is going
to Blog tomorrow, Wed, Mike will blog on Saturday and Pete will blog on
Monday...I will fill the other days of the week..so you are about to get a
glimpse of our "other" lives. Expect anything! Mike has a birthday coming
up,Dave is driving his Mazzzzerati and Pete is struggling in the snow! I am
off to china...

Tomorrow I am filming with the 7.30 report and ABC TV current affairs
program.

Stay tuned..thanks for telling your friends..check out YouTube Talisker
Bounty Boat...Life is OK!

11 comments:

Ken said...

Glad that preparations are progressing well.

I don't understand that with all the extra equipment and supplies that you have on board, that are not indigenous to the original Bligh voyage, why you can't have toilet paper on board?

Best wishes

magpie said...

Great to see all your ducks are in a row again.
I am sure the blog will continue to be interesting to us land-lubbers.

@Ken, I think the Bounty Boat is only carrying that extra stuff because they are required to by the countries they are sailing from and to and all those in between.
☺☺☺ Ho Roo ☺☺☺

Ken said...

@magpie Of course I'm nitpicking when it comes to supplies. I don't begrudge the crew any comfort and supplies that they feel necessary. They are the ones who highlighted that they are not carrying TP.

I don't think that the following articles are required by law in any country, but they are bringing them.


"two extra sails, Nav instruments,limited edition envelopes to carry
onboard",(could be used in desperation)" extra pulleys,
McMurdo 406, GPS, sort all expedition clothing, Hats and Musto wet weather gear...and
more." Also probably some nutritious food.

I'm just lobbying for TP to be added. :)

Bob from Seattle said...

@magpie ... and I might add someone pointed out Don being an experienced adventurer always minimizes risks which probably means he will have state of the art safety/emergency equipment on TBB.

@Ken ... the no toilet paper is wanting to experience what Bligh did. Don seems a very full of life talkative type fellow, so it will be interesting to see how he chooses to narrate the toilet paper alternative discussion. (LOL)

magpie said...

A TP LOBBYIST,lol.
I'm loving this adventure already.
Hoo Roo ☺☺☺

Patron of Sheffield Institute Foundation said...

Don,
How do you fill in your spare time?
Cheers Stuart

Toni McLean said...

And in your spare time ....

I thought I was busy - and I am - I've given myself the challenge that if you can get through your to do list, I can get through mine!

Good luck with it all!

Cheers
Toni

Tim Stackpool said...

Have a good month guys. I've pencilled April 9 in my diary to give you a big wave

Kissyfrott said...

The medicals are a priority, there are not many doctors where you will be. Work well, we'll think of you during the blog's silence.
One silly question: did toilet paper exist two centuries ago? I guess not. If you can't take with you any non existing thing... like phones, gps, satcomms and all, it wouldn't be serious. You should definitely take some toilet paper. For hygiene and health reasons more than for comfort.
We admire you all.

Bob from Seattle said...

@RichieParis ... I read once Martin Luther (1483-1546) suffered from constipation and mentioned it often in his writings. The researcher who wrote the article I was reading said it was unfortunate he didn't bring up what he used for toilet paper as there is no know writing on the subject from that period.

Dan near Toronto said...

@Bob from Seattle...
Not sure what you Yanks used way back. We Canucks started using Hudson's Bay catalogues in the outhouse, back in 1670. It was a 'few' more years before "Sears" catalogues came along I think. LOL