Another week has passed.... WOW.... We have been at sea now for 21 days and if i'm honest it still feels like a very large mountain has to be climbed! I am trying to cease counting the days as I find I am unable to live in the moment and enjoy the beautiful moments at sea, and there are plenty! It is the agony and the Ecstasy for me, and I have to take each hour as it comes. Our moods seem directly linked to the winds, the better, the faster we go, the happier we are, when becalmed, in the relentless heat, it all seems so futile. We are all very grateful for the rain fall as now with 200 litres on board, we are not restricted to 1 litre a day, which was difficult for all of us, 2 litres seems to suffice without discomfort.Don) have considerable weight, I guess for me around 6kg and, my thoughts were with Bligh and his men, I often wonder how they felt at this stage in the journey, I don't think we can recreate the hopelessness they must have experienced, when I need to lift my spirits, I imaging boarding the Cathay Pacific flight home, to Hong Kong. The comfort of business class lounge, and on arrival I will be greeted by my daughters, Max the dog wagging his tail, deep hot baths, flat screen TV's and the wonderful cooking of Listya my (now wonderful) home help. Bligh and his men had to look forward to 18 months journey back to England, faced with so much uncertainty, hunger, thirst and discomfort I often wonder how they kept their spirits up, I have utmost respect for all of them!!
Our days here are pretty much settled into a routine of sleeping, watches, and individual responsibilities, I have the easy task of food!! The irony of it....
I (and Don) have lost a lot of weight, I estimate myself around 6kg and as a result feel continually tired, weak and lethargic. My stomach has shrunk to the extent I can no longer eat the full rations and surviving on around 50%, I am monitoring carefully to ensure I am eating sufficient, to avoid the previous mood swings. For the record... I HATE corned beef!! I dream of port sausages on the BBQ dipped into whole grain mustard, I can smell them now!! I continually think of a nice cuppa tea and reflect back to on board Ianthe (the su0pport boat) and the yummy teas that Mark and Sam would make there, along with the porridge... Oh stop..... Create the opportunity to sail with them, you can even learn welsh...
As strange as this may sound, I am so grateful to be a part of this expedition, it is challenging every part of me., In my professional life, as with most men of my age, I consider myself a master on my own field, here, I am not, and this makes me vulnerable, this is good for me!!
The following lines I have noted these few weeks, they amused me and I hope you!!
Yum Yum,,,, Ooooh Divine...,. Oh yes delicious... Those white lumps must be the olive oil setting... I love it.... meow meow.... Woof Woof... (eating corned beef)
I'm so grateful for loosing weight, I can almost fit in the bunk...
You must be grumpy because you've had too much sleep (oh yes.... nice one Don)
Thank god I don't have to use toilet paper while hanging on like this...
Can I go home now... (me :))
Its really lucky for a wooden boat to leak (Don) Forgive me.. but please...
On a final note... Before leaving Tonga I had my head shaved for practical reasons, for some reason, it has grown back completely Grey6.... OMG!!!
Well, talk in a week, hope you have lots of yummy food grhhhhhh
David
Personal Message : Hi Lucinda and Isabelle, Hope you are both having fun and eating lots of goooood food, I promise you both, I Will NEVER make you eat Corned Beef... It is revolting... See you soon.. Love you Dad xx
Our days here are pretty much settled into a routine of sleeping, watches, and individual responsibilities, I have the easy task of food!! The irony of it....
I (and Don) have lost a lot of weight, I estimate myself around 6kg and as a result feel continually tired, weak and lethargic. My stomach has shrunk to the extent I can no longer eat the full rations and surviving on around 50%, I am monitoring carefully to ensure I am eating sufficient, to avoid the previous mood swings. For the record... I HATE corned beef!! I dream of port sausages on the BBQ dipped into whole grain mustard, I can smell them now!! I continually think of a nice cuppa tea and reflect back to on board Ianthe (the su0pport boat) and the yummy teas that Mark and Sam would make there, along with the porridge... Oh stop..... Create the opportunity to sail with them, you can even learn welsh...
As strange as this may sound, I am so grateful to be a part of this expedition, it is challenging every part of me., In my professional life, as with most men of my age, I consider myself a master on my own field, here, I am not, and this makes me vulnerable, this is good for me!!
The following lines I have noted these few weeks, they amused me and I hope you!!
Yum Yum,,,, Ooooh Divine...,. Oh yes delicious... Those white lumps must be the olive oil setting... I love it.... meow meow.... Woof Woof... (eating corned beef)
I'm so grateful for loosing weight, I can almost fit in the bunk...
You must be grumpy because you've had too much sleep (oh yes.... nice one Don)
Thank god I don't have to use toilet paper while hanging on like this...
Can I go home now... (me :))
Its really lucky for a wooden boat to leak (Don) Forgive me.. but please...
On a final note... Before leaving Tonga I had my head shaved for practical reasons, for some reason, it has grown back completely Grey6.... OMG!!!
Well, talk in a week, hope you have lots of yummy food grhhhhhh
David
Personal Message : Hi Lucinda and Isabelle, Hope you are both having fun and eating lots of goooood food, I promise you both, I Will NEVER make you eat Corned Beef... It is revolting... See you soon.. Love you Dad xx
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19 comments:
And guys - pleeease - they are trying to re-enact the voyage as closely as they can so responding to out blogs would have Capt. Bigh spinning in his grave I think...........I am sure they will read all on their safe return...:-)
Hilarious!!!! "Are you always grumpy when you have too much sleep???" LOL And "what is wrong with you that you don't like corned beef?"..............I can only imagine that when Don comes out with comments like that you seriously would want to drown him...don't do it you have witnesses!! ......LOL Awesome blog Dave!!
Had a bit of catching up to do here now that I have dragged myself away from the Jessetivities. I wonder if she will stop by here?! Onya Jesse & Happy B'day!
Glad there has not been any more reef encounters or bucket brigades. I am guessing Torres Straight is going to be a nail biter.
@ Magpie... have you flown the coop?
John
P.S. Anna Bligh (any relation?) wants to buy Pink Lady... whatcha gunna do Don?
Re Marine's comments.
Surely the whole idea of the crew's blogs is to share their genuine feelings. In this way people understand what each individual is going through. Everyone reacts differently to situations they find themselves in.
So let's not have personal attacks on them. Dave W is entitled to say how he feels.
Hi Don; Dave P ; Dave W and Chris; enjoying the blogs and had to smile when I read about the rain squall. Dave P you of all the crew must have recalled sailing all over the Atlantic chasing rain clouds on the way to Brazil in '05 when the water maker packed it in?! Hang in there; no more sand flies until you close the Aussie coast! Joy oh Joy Cheers Digit
They should at least have access to reading this blog and the comments they get. (That's it)! (With a blog master filtering them of course).
It would make more people encourage them and it would benefit for the main cause more. It would make a more inserting book and documentary as more people would probably comment.
It's stupid that we are not commenting them and really why else would we want to say anything other than to encourage and give our opinions or help pull the crew in line. We know that they are doing the voyage in an open class boat just like Bligh and with the same rations etc. But it's not the same, they have a support boat and the comfort of knowing that everyone including their loved ones are listening to them.
You should either take away the support boat and all coms... to make them really feel like their actually doing the voyage, but also take away their knowledge that anyone but there loved ones know roughly where they are, or give them all the right to only access this blog and the comments they get from it.
It's kind of like saying that the comments that Jess Watson got was too much of an encouragement.
I think that those who comment want the crew to hear what they say other wise it's not real and who cares about getting into a book or docco.
It's actually about getting as many people behind you to raise money for your cause.
It's actually not History so make it as fun and real as possible. I just don't think it makes it more risky if they don't get the comments off this blog. It wouldn't be more risky if they had dunny paper.
Good luck guys and well done with your voyage. Don well done if you are reading this.
Billy!
I imagine Bligh & Co were able to endure the conditions they found themselves under because they served a higher cause.
While God & Country might seem quaint/arcane even ludicrous to modern day people there's something to be said for knowing one's place and being content with it.
Better for you MJ? Read the comment I left you in the crews last post!
Well great. Now I feel like chicken satay with garlic! Thanks a lot! lol
Billy!
Ps... Assumption is the mother of all screw ups!
I'm losing weight just thinking about you guys. Thanks for being so open and honest in your blogs. Is it cathartic? Look forward to catching-up upon your safe return.
-Tim
Dear William Mansfield Watson,
I appreciate all your comments,
But I would like to make one thing clear;
"THE SUPPORT BOAT WAS ONLY WITH THE TALISKER BOUNTY BOAT PRIOR TO THEM SETTING SAIL FOR REAL, IT WAS USED TO FILM SOME ACTION THE FIRST DAY OF SAIL AND THEN LEFT TBB TO THERE OWN RESOURCES."
Please keep commenting
Thanks Stuart
Get a (Censored) grip Dave!!! You're lucky to have any food at all!!!
Billy!
No success with your fishing? What bait are you using?
Keep it up Dave. Yr blog reminds me of the song from 'Oliver'. "Food, Glorious Food!"
Anthony
Great run down Dave of all the quotes from the boat. Keep that up! Hilarious!
William Watson - remember there are real people behind this. Comments like "Get a (Censored) grip Dave!!! You're lucky to have any food at all!!!" are hurtful. Don't be a cyber bully!
The guys are incredibly interesting people. It is great they can share there experiences and inner most thoughts online with us all. Lets allow them to do it safely.
What they are doing to raise money for the SIF foundation is totally NUTS! I take my hat off to all of them.
S
Sorry Stuart! I'm always putting my foot in it. I thought the support boat was still with them. I still reckon they should be able to read the comments though. Oh well, that's just my opinion. I guess on the up side of them not hearing us means that we can say anything about them. mmmm You're nuts Don. Only you would do something this crazy.
Hey Stu! What if someone wants to donate but they don't have a credit card! Can I get a money order and send it?
It's funny, when I used to go on Jessica's blog I was filled with worry and I felt sea sick. Now I come on this blog and I feel hungry.lol Maybe Dave should have lived off the rations for 3 weeks prior to leaving. I hope he can develop the taste for corned beef and I'm sure if he gets hungry enough he'll appreciate it more. I hope he pulls through and gets over it fast or it will bring everyone down. The voyage is so good for all of them but it will drag on a bit if they worry about the food they don't have and complain about the food they do have.
I think the Australian government should match what ever donations that you guys get as it is for the sake of everyone's health and humanity. It's a cause that will be eventually addressed but should be addressed faster. Well done for doing it guys.
Make more noise everyone and lets get this building built and working properly...
http://www.pm.gov.au/PM_Connect/Email_your_PM/Email_your_PM_Confirmation?sid=28482
Go Bounty crew, Go!
To the blogger that asked about Restoration - I think they mean Port Restoration on an Island called Tanna??? Sorry I made you crave the Satay Billy - but it was good and when you eat good stuff like that whilst reading what these guys are eating it makes it taste even better!! :-) MJ
Oooops I was completely wrong re Restoration Island. It is off the far north queensland coast (1928 klms North West of Queensland. If you googel 'Restoration Island Queensland' it comes up and Wikipedia have all the info be Bligh etc. MJ
Dear William Watson,
No need to apologize1 We all make mistakes!
I thought that I had made a mistake last week,
BUT I Was MISTAKEN!
____________________________________
It is very kind of you to inquire how to make off line donation's
You may send them to the foundation's honorary secretary
Mrs Irene Beard
64 Elgin Crescent,
London,
W11 2JJ
U.K.
please make any donations payable to The Sheffield Institute Foundation. Thank you
------------------------------------
I like your idea to get the Australian Government to match fund whatever monies is raised by our "NUTTY Crazy Crew" of the Talisker Bounty Boat. and I hereby appoint you in charge of this part of the TBBE.Well done.
------------------------------------
for your information MJ from Brisbane has started a fund-raising campaign in the Brisbane area.
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FYI, we have off line donations approaching £42,500 and on line donations of £5,000+ Still a long way off Don & the crews target! but it is rising.
Cheers for now Stuart
@ My apologies to S and to Dave and his family. What I said was silly and way out of line. I'm dyslexic amongst other things and I only read Dave's comment once. All I saw was that Dave wanted to go home and he wasn't eating and complaining. I read it again and again and I saw he was being funny sarcastic and it was really funny. I don't know Dave or either of the blokes on the voyage but I do know that they were already great men before they even left. Just to throw them selves out there and away from their comfort zones, then to take that last step to the point of no return would have taken alot of guts. I hate what I said and it's me that should get a grip.
Billy!
Why is everyone giving Dave W. a hard time on the web site Don did promise baked beans everyday...what about museli bars...what about the rum and wine? Seems like Don changes things to fit himself...
"Daily per person for 25 days only ( The Voyage is approx 40 days)
Breakfast: museli bar 35g, baked beans 210g, ship biscuit 90g, 1 liter water
Lunch: nuts 100g, raisins 75g
Dinner: museli bar 35g,beef 170g, ship biscuit 90g, 1 litre water
6 X 750ml bottles rum, 6 X 750ml bottles wine
Note: Hope to catch fish, gather a supply of fruit, vegetable and coconuts in Tonga, not catch and eat birds but instead use substitute on days Bligh did catch birds and supplement our 28 Gallons of water with rain water."
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