15 April 2012

Necessitousness (possibly a real word, but in this case entirely gratuitous) for haste has diminished as, while festivities start on 29 April, fleet not scheduled for departure until 5 May with intervening time devoted to heavy drinking. There may also be ancillary activities such as briefings, provisioning and boat prep. Suspicion grows that organizers will expect some level of compliance with rules. Where likelihood of discovery and subsequent reproval is high one does what one must.

Three hundred nautical miles has provided significant thermal relief as extrication from duvet cocooned bunk for morning watch from 0400 to 0800 is now minimally traumatic. Crew concensus indicates that continuing north to more tropical climes would not be infelicitous (again gratuitous, but a pretty cool word).

After one more comprehensive attempt in Wellington, water system was carefully reassembled to await professional help in Auckland. Supervening operation of engine while progressing north yielded hot water. Thinking, of course, that this was a cruel hoax, foisted upon gullible life forms by a perverse inanimate object, as they do, a second test was conducted following an extended period of sailing. Hot water was again obtained and yet again with subsequent similar activity. Not wishing to underestimate deviousness of mechanical devices, have nevertheless once more become enamored of resulting hot showers.

Jack