It’s the early evening of Wednesday 14th January and once again I am hosted by the fabulous surroundings of the Captains Club Hotel down in Christchurch. As of today I have officially started my 7 month sabbatical with work and have wasted no time in making sure I use everyday productively. So straight down to see FF at Rossiter Yachts Boatyard and I will again send a big thanks to the hard work of Alex, Charlie and the rest of the staff, because of them FF is almost ready with the steering system the only outstanding item on the check list to complete, then we’ll be home and dry (well not quite and excuse the pun).

It’s quite reassuring knowing that the boat will be going out to Australia with only personal touches to add and minor adjustments to make, although more time on the sea would have been nice, but it seems that the saying of experienced ocean rowers bares some truth in that a successful project encorporates 3 vital ingredients: 

1. A well built & equiped boat, ”check”

2. Sufficient funding & sponsorship, “check”

3. Time on the Ocean ”hmmmm” 

Although we still believe that the first two will make up for the lack of the third and besides our sheer grit and determination will prevail and you can’t get more time on the Ocean than 3 months! As Vince Lombardi once said ‘ I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfilment of all he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.’