the komodo is being carried around in the coral sea

Position 4pm:
S 18º43.5
E 148º37.3'
15 knots winds increasing

On way to Townsville, weirdly enough via the OUTSIDE of the GBR! Great ride
downwind once the wind started (went from a 50 knots storm yesterday to nil this
morning but SE have pickep up again pushing Kuna at 6 knots along the 250 miles
ride to Towsville. The idea of tacking ones way through the Hydrographers
passage to cross the barrier reef (passage to get to Mackay) at night in high
winds was rather unpleasant, as large ships also manoeuver in this narrow
passage. While the Kuna was poorly heaving to near the pilot boarding station
(pilots get dropped by helicopter outside the GBR to guide the ships in) we
heard the russian captain records of winds speeds 45 to 55 knots, prior to the
helicopter landing!
After being quite tired by 12 hours of tring to stay stationary in the storm
yesterday, it felt much easier running to Townsville when the winds abated,
though it brings us westwards and 200 miles further from the Solomons, adding
200 more miles to the crossing!!

24 hours to go now. Spent most of the day cleaning the engine room from the oil
spilled and looking for cause of problem that will have to get fixed, changed
oil and tidied up the boat from the storm!

By the way, anyone has suggestions on how to COMPLETELY stop forward speed on a
fin keel Adams while heaving to ? First storm test didn't quite make it! Need to
dom some research

Cheers
fred

It fits!

Preparing our pacific filming expedition involved a long list of boat maintenance jobs which always remind us how easy it is to maintain a plastic kayak! But the list is nearly completed and we are about to set to sea, off Yeppoon on the Capricorn coast.

Today we loaded the Komodo on the Kuna! They seem to get along well together (!): the Komodo breaks down into four parts, two cockpits and two points, which snugly fitted in the fore and aft cabins. It will be great to be able to safely transport it below deck during our open ocean passage.

Later, when we are just island hopping, we'll be able to assemble it and keep it on deck.

Here Wade is testing the theory