Kayak Mutiny

Saturday's canoe instruction fiasco was indeed mentioned on Tuesday's lesson with mutterings from the group and apologies from the instructor.

In the end we didn't mind that much having to go out again - it was another lovely evening and this time we were in two person canoes which was fun to try out.

The sticking point was the need to jump into the Thames again to repeat the rescues. No one was that that keen - when asked my view it was that would do them if had to but felt we had done enough to pass on the Saturday.

The instructor didn't press the point so we paddled around Chiswick Eyot instead practising all the other strokes.

It was kind of interesting to double up - as some were a lot better at the ordering around instruction giving role than others! Allegedly this is a good test of a relationship - or at least it can be testing on a relationship!

It was magic

Another Tillerman group writing project, this one a "Heyitwasgreat".

He even suggested a possible theme for the offshore sailor as the "landfall after a long voyage" - which for me could either be reaching St Lucia after the Arc or heading into Plymouth after the Fastnet. Both were great, but neither truly magical.

The trouble is both happened in the middle of the night, when was tired and run down after the long voyage, when getting close to that point when just want to get off to have a shower and a beer. And to be honest its not much fun when stuck in a confined space with a boatfull of sailors who's clean laundry ran out over 200 nautical miles ago!

No, for me the "Heyitwasgreat" moment was the start of the Arc.

When the gun fired there was no turning back. In front of us were 3,000 miles of adventure, blue water sailing at its best. I'd met the crew, skipper and boat and approved of all - the fears of nutters or cramped bunk had been put to rest.

And we were off with 200 other boats, all sailing in the sunshine, all heading the same way for the same reason.

But even that wasn't the best bit.

The best bit happened that first night. After the sun disappeared in the same westerly direction we were steering darkness fell on the fleet, and the lights started to appear - below us, above us, and all around us.

In the water around our boat we saw the watery fireflies of photoluminescence. Above us the stars were bright with the constellation Orion riding high in the sky. And around the horizon were the red, green, and white lights of the Arc.

It was truly magical.

Reflections

Another test for the new Panasonic TZ5, this time of reflections of the sunset on the river.

I think this is more something an impressionist like Monet would have composed, unlike the previous Turner / Constable.

Confused Instruction

Yesterday went for a paddle in the above.

No! Not the Audi!! A red canoe like the one on the right!!!

As part of our two star course we went along to Whitewater Canoe Centre in Shepperton (who's blog the above picture comes from, and yes that is a real accident!).

We were doing the canoe as distinct from kayak bits of the BCU course - and we had a different, new, canoe instructor instead of the usual kayak instructor. It was a lot of fun as always and we enjoyed ourselves even the getting wet bit (ok, one of our number wasn't so keen on jumping into the murky waters and stayed resolutely dry) and we did everything asked by our (canoe) instructor.

But she failed us. This led to more than a little muttering and grumbling into beers down the pub later over in Parson's Green - almost a mini rebellion.

The problems were three fold: partly the reasons given were trivial (wearing t-shirts rather than fleeces - well it is July!), partly because she wasn't that brilliant (my rescues worked first time while she took three goes to show how to do it) but mostly we were used to the laid back it looks fine no problem attitude of the kayak instructor.

A course has a style you pick up on the first session which sets the tone, and changing it leads to confusion about what is appropriate and then anger from students that feel their hard work is not appreciated.

We'll see what the kayak instructor has to say about this on Tuesday - I'm sure it will be mentioned!

Tide stops Train

Just a moment ago I was booking some train tickets online (for a future sailing trip), when couldn't help but notice the river was a bit high this afternoon - not just high tide but a spring one too.

Very pretty it looked too.

But for train travellers this weekend there was a more ominous side, as the First Great Western booking site had this message:

"Due to expected high tides this evening at Dawlish, the line between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot may have to close.

There is a possibility that the line could remain closed on Monday 07th July.

Customers should check this website for details of possible service alterations before they travel."

Apparently the rising water levels from global warming is threatening that lines future - so this might become a regular problem!

Clouds

Trying out a new camera. I think Turner or Constable would do them a lot better.

Surfer Dude's a Commuter

I've seen this guy a couple of times, sometimes by himself (like above, last night) and sometimes with another surfer, and usually struggling against the flow of the river. It looked lot of hard work, and last Tuesday we wondered as we glided by in our kayaks "who's the surfer dude?".

Apparently he's just doing the daily commute down to the City and back - his way. Not sure how it would work with briefcase, suit, and on way home bags full of shopping. Anyhow, full story here.

Head underwater

This is where I stuck my head yesterday - the Thames.

As part of the kayak course did an x-rescue and one of the rolls in its very murky brown waters. And with the nose clip falling off while upside down ended up swallowing much more than would like.

Actually biggest danger was banging my head - at low tide the river is very shallow indeed.

If there's a lull in posting you'll know to blame the Thames lurgy!

More on Hamilton's Crash

Nice story in the Times here, from on board Hugo Boss with Lewis Hamilton during the mast busting collision.

Sunday Short 4: Wandle Wreck

Bonnie's been doing some posts on Frogma on river wrecks, so here's one I saw earlier, sinking into the River Wandle.

Sunday Short 3: Ugly Boat or What?

Sorry, it just is. And what is really a shame is the hull looks so much better!

Sunday Short 2: Star Crashed Boat

Our car star in a more than reasonable boat has been involved in a crash. Yes, the IMOCA 60 Hugo Boss with Alex Thompson and driving legend Lewis Hamilton were involved in a prang during the Round the Island Race.

More on that story here.

Oh, and the credit for finding the above cool video should go to Adam over at "Messing About..." - much better than the Beeb video posted yesterday

Sunday Short 1: Vikings Go Home!

The Viking boat I saw in Dublin is heading home! It's meant to be stopping off in Portsmouth - but think am off sailing that weekend.

You can follow its progress via a Google Map mashup here.

Not Going Round The Island

I wasn't able to do today's Round the Island extravaganza this year due to family commitments but there was a record number of boats out there and a new circumnavigation record from ICAP Leopard.

There was even a car star in a more than reasonable boat: the legendary Lewis Hamilton on-board the IMOCA 60 Hugo Boss with Alex Thompson.

Nice video here from the Beeb and stories at the official site here.

Three River Shorts

1. Look at this is a bit of risky parking on the Putney Embankment! Ok, it is a Range Rover and probably Jeremy Clarkson has driven one up a mountain or something. But a bit more tide and the wash from a passing boat and it could end up floating down the river....

2. It struck me as I was asked for and was able to give directions (to the pub The Boathouse - not that hard!) how after 18 months here now feel at home. And like Tillerman with "his bay" I have my curve of the Thames.

3. One of the nice things about river life is watching the wild life, in particular the birds. The largest and most elegant is the heron, which gives the impression of being a very stately animal, standing statue like as it waits for the fish to come by. But these amazing photos show another side to the bird, as a hunter - killer.

Do NOT open this link if you're a mother duck as you'll be waking quacking and quaking from nightmares for weeks to come!

Courses I have known

There was an interesting post over on frogma about the relative merits of US and UK training courses for kayakers.

I'm rather a course junky, having done under the RYA alone the:
- Day Skipper practical
- Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster practical (most of)
- Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster theory
- VHF Radio
- Diesel Engine
- Sea Survival

Doing these courses is great as you almost always have a lot of fun while learning something. So you come back with that feeling of accomplishment as well has having a good sail.

I remember ticking of the "Is able to handle a dinghy under oars" box paddling around Cowes during the 150th anniversary of the America's Cup. We did our demo by rowing over to NZ's Black Magic and then stopping off on the way back to see Australia II!

These courses do sometimes get a bad name. The letters pages of Yachting World seem to have a regular stream of old salts muttering about the RYA trained Sunday sailor trusting on a piece of paper rather than the experience of many hard years before the mast.

In a way they are right - after 5 days training you're pretty green and it would be a bad idea to go out unless conditions are pretty good. But all sailors have to start somewhere - even Tristan Jones was originally a land-lubbing farmer.

Now I'm doing a different course - the BCU two star kayak course - and again I'm enjoying it a lot. Though as yet haven't paddled passed any famous yachts!

Thames Drifter

Ok there is such as thing as too small a boat! This was one of two craft seen drifting down the Thames this morning.

Not that manoeuvrable and all too easily overturned I do wonder how they would have managed in the congested river of central London!

"Good old Broadstairs!"

Pressure of work (and kayak class) mean will have to ask another guest writer to post an account of this weekends trip further along the coast from Whitstable to Broadstairs. Luckily managed to get the one and only Charles Pooter to give his words on the subject.

Mr Pooter is indeed a legend of the blogging world. His early paper based blog - or "diary" as he called it - recorded his day to day life in north London. He created a whole new style of blog, Pooteresque, which focusses on the minuta of day to day life, recording what he ate and drank.

Take it away Mr P!

Hurrah! at Broadstairs. Very nice apartments near the station. (Ed: sorry, must just point out that Mr P is mistaken - it was actually a day trip)

The landlady had a nice five o’clock dinner and tea ready, which we all enjoyed (Ed: oh dear another mistake. It was lunch at this restaurant where had an excellent Spaghetti a Vongole, though the nephews and neices did take most of the clams, washed down with rather good Pino Grigio. Sorry - really won't interupt any more).

Lupin positively refused to walk down the Parade with me because I was wearing my new straw helmet with my frock-coat. I don’t know what the boy is coming to. (Ed: short one - you can see why from the picture above. I think afterwards Carrie must have had a word because you can see below he's got a more traditional top hat on)

Lupin not falling in with our views, Carrie and I went for a sail. It was a relief to be with her alone; for when Lupin irritates me, she always sides with him. (Ed - alas must have been playing with nephews and neices at the time, so missed that. But did get to see these kayakers head out into rather choppy waters).

I am glad our last day at the seaside was fine, though clouded overhead. (Ed - how right he was ! A lovely day to lie back in the sand and watch the sea gulls fly overhead).

We missed the last train, and had to drive back (Ed: oh no, that's another mistake as the train journey back was just fine. To be honest, not sure Mr Pooter's really been that much of a help as a fill in blogger. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!)

Lobsters under cloudy skies

This has happened before.

Saturday morning - after the kayaker's back drama at the pool - started wet, and afterwards I looked out at the heavy grey sky full of clouds that seemed go on for ever and thought its going to be one of those days and headed out with long trousers and rain coats not shorts and sun cream.

For I was off to the Kent coast for a 40th Birthday Beach Party and feared that umbrellas would be in more demand than sausages from the BBQ.

But then the clouds cleared and the sun came out, there was swimming and even one skinny dipper (bravo brave lass!) and by the end of the day fair English skins were stinging and going a rather bring red colour.

The problem is with a fresh wind and frequent clouds you don't notice the heat of the sun - it reminded me of a Round-The-Island race on a cloudy day where I got bad sun burn even though shivering on the rail as the UV still got through.

But it was a great bash with fresh local fruit and lots of bubbly to drink and a lovely location to chat or as above just sit and watch the sea. Whitstable is a great little town with bags full of character and a lots of sailing and with the fresh wind the Darts and Lasers were flying along.

This chap seems a bit more leisurely - probably Tillerman's long lost cousin or something.......

There are worse things than getting wet

The lovely British summer brought the rain again. So biking through the rain to the pool for the kayak lesson got wet. In the pool for the kayak lesson of course got very wet.

But there are worse things. Afterwards in the changing room one of the instructors leant down to put on his shoes and his back went, completely, leaving him an agony.

Its one of those most horrid feelings - to see or know someone is in pain and to be unable to do anything. I hope he gets better soon!

Hip, thigh, and bum exercises for kayakers

More fun on the Thames yesterday doing various kayak exercises. We jammed those thighs into the hull to get grip and edge in the upstream direction - or as the instructor put it, pointed our bum towards the current. And then rotated around our hips to face downstream while doing those low brace turns.

We were a bit alarmed to hear we'd have to actually roll-over and do an escape in the Thames itself! However the water is definitely warming up and as we keep hearing its a lot cleaner than it looks. But will make sure practice enough in pool so that get back in first time.

Another reason for practising these skills was in the news with the release of the coroners report into the tragic death of a 9 year old girl while canoeing down the River Wye. As the British Canoe Union put it while this accident is a very sad it is also very rare - and no activity can be completely risk free.

But you can certainly reduce the risks by proper preparation and I'd advise any parent to ensure their children have done basic safety training before letting them head onto the water. As well as improved peace of mind it can also be a lot of fun!

Walkabout with Dampier

Amiable bush craft and survival in the wild expert Ray Mears has been going walkabout down under in a series of programs for the BBC recently. It was wonderful to discover how you could survive on bugs and fight off swarms of mosquito's without actually having to.

In the last episode he was in the far North West of the Northern Territories partially looking into Aborigine art but also following the footsteps of that alleged ancestor of mine, William Dampier.

Dampier was one of the early circumnavigators, part time pirate, botanist and writer, and is oft considered to be the first Englishman to land on Australia back in 1688. The program noted his mistakes (confusing termite mounds for rock) and skipped over his descriptions of the locals (which were not complementary).

But the two themes of early explorers and Aborigine rock art had an intriguing connection - the early European voyages were recorded, and deep within caves of a remote part of the Australian Northern Territories Mears found paintings clearly showing a two masted ship.

Was it one of Dampier's ships? We'll never know.

I've often wanted to follow in Dampier's footsteps and the images of some of the places he visited along Australia's long north coast looked incredible tempting: unspoilt deserted islands with turquoise waters and sandy beaches.

And as Mears noted, the land in that far off corner of Australia looks untouched since that far off day that Dampier first walked there and wrote about what he saw in his diary.



If you have access to the BBC's iPlayer you can watch again by clicking here.

Wrecks of History

Couple of stories about discovery of the wrecks of British Navy ships making the news this week. There was this story of a wreck off the island of Alderney, believed to have sunk in the years after the Spanish Armada.

And there was this story of the HMS Ontario that sank during the American Revolution.

As well as the tragedy for the crew, there is always the wonder what might have been different if the boats had lived to sail another day.

Might the Ontario have made even a subtly change to the course of American - British relations? Would it have been enough to save London from a visit by the Toxic Texan?

I guess there are historical wrecks and wrecks of history!

Who's this sailor?

Quiz for Friday evening (or Saturday morning for you Aussies).

Who's this sailor?

He was first mate aboard the three master, the Pharon. On his wedding day to the fair Mercedes he was falsely charged for being a supporter of Napoleon and incarcerated in the dread fortress of Chateau d'If.

What name did he gave himself on his dramatic escape? And what is his titular name? And what is his real name?

And a clue - its a book. And a plea - don't say what happens as I've only got a third of the way through!

No prizes, just glory. And added glory for explaining the picture above.

Two Stars Golden Evening

A couple of weeks ago I posted this picture about motivation and why its worth getting up at 8 am on a Saturday - namely to be in this picture, on the river at sunset.

Well Tuesday was a bit like this. I know stories of pleasant times are not as exciting as tales of hardships and struggles, so sorry to say it felt like being on holiday while remaining within sight of home. Blue sky, setting sun, moon high up, trees green and pleasant soft breeze.

And a good kayak - unlike the previous one that seemed all too happy to spin on a spot and then lurch to one side as if trying to chuck me out.

It was part of a series of similar sessions covering the kayaking basic two star syllabus.

Though was seriously distracted when saw an Enterprise glide by hoisting its spinnaker.

Street Art and Good Food

Just up river from the Telectrascope is the Tate Modern's latest exhibition - though its not actually in the Tate Modern.

In the narrow streets of Southwark, where historic sites like the Globe Theatre rub shoulders with modern offices and derelict housing, can be found a disparate collection of Street Art.

As the Henry Moores at Kew showed, some art deserves to be shown in context out of the confines of white boxes of today's galleries, and street art certainly benefits from being encountered in odd corners of south London.

While this is not in the same league as the sublime Henry Moore exhibition, it was interesting to catch it - especially as it can be combined with that ultimate foodie experience.

For the walking tour of Street Art goes through Borough Market, which is London's oldest (an estimated 2,000 years old - see here!) and best, and to be honest that was the highlight of the afternoon!

Walking in the Tree Tops

The wonderful Henry Moores may have gone from Kew but there they've just opened this - a tree top walk.

It was rather wonderful - you get a great feeling of peace, walking at the same height as the tops of the trees, looking over south-west London, listening to the rustle of leaves. The structure is built of iron but with surface rusted so it blends nicely into the park lands around, and was designed by the same team as the London Eye.

Well worth the trip up river if you're visiting and want to escape the rush and crush of the city for a few hours.

Sailing Goals - What Goals?

Another Tillerman group writing challenge - what are your sailing goals?

Err... bit of scratching head to that one. Seems a bit too organised for a hobby which is by nature more ad-hoc, and having one is slightly against the whole spirit of just doing it for the fun of it.

Though goals are good ways of a) pushing yourself and b) getting that warm buzz of achievement at the end.

But it doesn't seem to work like that. I either go kayaking or, if its raining, not. If someone invites me to go sailing on a cool looking boat I say yes. And if neither are doable head off to see one of the many sights and sounds available in London.

The only specific target I have got is the minor one of catching up with the local dinghy racing club as I've twice missed them - once for being too early and once for arriving as the commodore was jumping into his boat just a few minutes before the start gun.

Maybe its because I'm still working which way to go in sailing - more offshore racing? dinghy racing? crewing? skippering?

So its back to "have fun and try new things" - yup, thats always a good one. I'll stick with that for the goal for 2008.

Incredible Discovery - Victorian Engineer Built Trans-Atlantic Viewing Device!

A most wonderous device has been discovered beneath the streets of old London Town, evidence yet again of the engineering triumphs of the reign of the great and the good Queen Victoria (hurrah!)

In the time of the Great Engineer Brunel the celebrated wonders of the Empire were his famous creations of iron and steel - bridges, tunnels, ships and of course God's Wonderful Railway itself.

But it appears an apprentice of his has exceeded even these marvels! For the till-now unknown Alexander Stanhope St George succeeded in drilling a most surprisingly long tunnel, connecting the Ancient and Most Noble of cities, London, with that upstart from the colonies, New York.

Within this tunnel he fashioned a system of ingenious mirrors and lenses into the Telectroscope - by which one might peer across the ocean to see the strange behaviours of our cousins in America.

If you take a Hackney Carriage or the new fangled underground railway down to Tower Bridge you can see a crowd of most excited onlookers exchanging messages with strangers standing by the famous Brooklyn Bridge!

Alas I fear these people are quite open in communicating with those that they haven't even been introduced. Such lack of decorum would no doubt not amuse our dear Monarch.

But even the fiercest critic can not but be amazed at this most wondrous invention!
Those with inquiring minds wanting to know more can use the great global telegraph network to click here.

White Cliffs of Dover

Yesterday went for a walk along the great White Cliffs of Dover. We peered into the hazy Channel and failed to see France, and looked down on the bustling port with ferries continually coming and going.

And we remembered the long history of this town. From Caesar arriving from Rome to invade these isles to Winston Churchill gazing across at occupied Europe as the Battle of Britain raged overhead.

And its position in culture, from Malcolm Arnold's great poem "Dover Beach" to Vera Lynn singing "There'll be bluebirds over, the White Cliffs of Dover"

Then we'd had enough so went home for tea!

An indoor sort of day

It's a miserably wet Bank Holiday Monday. The sort of day when its best to get snug and warm indoors and read a book or chat on the phone.

But some hardy folks from the canoe club, who presumably hadn't seen the weather forecast, had been talking of heading up river to practice stunts where a canal meets the Thames. Rather them than me - especially as what's this above?

Yup the Thames Bubbler is out again. After all according to the news we've had a month's worth of rain today and that must be straining the Victorian pipework causing overflow into the river and hence needing its oxygen to keep the waters alive.

As for me, time for another cuppa.

Upside down salsa

Its one of those truisms that really is true - the weather does know its a Bank Holiday weekend as its sent in a cold front and rain.

So another weekend where going on the water means paddling round a swimming pool in west London.

The aim was the oh-so-cool Eskimo roll (or at least one of them, as apparently there are as many varieties as words for snow in the Inuits language).

It is a lot harder than it looks. After three different instructors all failed to get me rolling one finally came up with the ultimate exercise to get those hips moving - upside down salsa.

"Just go upside down and use your hips to wiggle from side to side as if doing the Salsa. When your ready bang on the canoe and I'll right you!"

I think I did that ok. But it was hard to say when the glasses have fallen off and pool water is heading up one's nose to fill up all that empty space!

Paddling in circles

Yesterday did my first kayak on the Thames with the local canoe club (who's photo that is above), which was great fun but spent rather a lot of time going round in circles.

When asking about minimum experience was surprised that ability to kayak in a straight line was one of them. As Top Gear would put it - how difficult can it be? And certainly in the swimming pool there wasn't much of a problem.

But then the swimming pool is so short its hard to tell as after couple of strokes you're at the far end, unlike the Thames.

However I'm told its a right-of-passage for newbies and others were piroutting more than me - and with a canoe called a "Dancer" I had a great excuse.

The swimming pool also doesn't have a constant stream of rowers bearing down on you nor, more importantly, a couple of knots of tide to battle against.

However very enjoyable in an arms-aching-good-nights-sleep sort of way, and hope its just the first of many.

Square Metre Rule Sailing

More info on the class was invited to sail this summer. It's one of the Skerry Cruisers that meet one of the square metre rules - in this case the 30 square metre.

And it should be an exciting occasion as its the 100th anniversary of the rule, and the highlight will be the Jubilee races.

We'll be doing some training off Cornwall - very much looking forward to it already!

Whats your position?

This week I got an interesting email: did I want to go sailing a friend's dad's boat on some lake?

Yes I said, wondering which one. Windermire? Somewhere in Wales?

Then I heard the lake wasn't in the UK but actually in Sweden! Hmmm......

Then I saw the boat:

So I said yes.

The only thing that slightly concerns me is they are looking for someone for the foredeck and to be honest though I've done all the rope work up front most of the time I've been at the other end - pit, helm or navigating.

Maybe its a good thing - push me to do something different. Might end up another of those learning experiences!

Transat for Robots

Forget double handed transats or even single handed - how about no hands at all?

The picture above shows tests of a sailing robot its developers are entering into the competition to sail across the Atlantic later this year.

More at this site and in this article.

Learning Experiences - The Sailor's Prayer

I can't be the only one who heads out for a start line muttering under my breath "Please Lord may I not f*** up".

For what is worse than getting cold and wet is letting down one's crew mates by making one of those all too easy to make mistakes.

But what's this all to do with Tillerman's challenge regarding learning experiences you might ask?

Well stay with me for a moment and check out the picture above of a lovely spinnaker that is happily full and in one piece. It was taken a couple of years ago when doing the ARC.

A couple of days after this picture was taken it was shredded (might have mentioned it on a previous Tillerman challenge) after being wrapped firmly round the fore stay in the middle of the night while I was helming.

In my defense the wind was light so that as the swell of the Atlantic rollers came through it would regularly collapse onto the fore stay. The prosecution might also note that I was distracted trying to tell a joke at the time while helming but lets not listen to them.

I was pretty apprehensive of spinnakers after that, but then signed up for the Fastnet. One of the things about race sailing is you push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Many cruisers do not go out at night and if they do wouldn't think of hoisting a kite.

But when racing if the wind is right the spinnaker must be up all the time day and night. So I had to learn about how to sail with them or screw up again. After many a bad night with sweaty hands upon the wheel by the end began to get a feel for how the sail was set from simple things like the heel of the boat.

So by failing, learning from mistakes, and then being pushed by the competitive spirit of racing I learnt something.

But you'll still hear me muttering under my breath as we head out "Please....."

Learning Experiences - Motivation

Tillerman has issued a new challenge - this time to write about learning experiences.

I've been pondering what to post about this but a first stab is motivation. I've twice dragged myself out of bed to do early Saturday morning canoe training sessions in a local swimming pool and expect to do a couple more.

And why?

Because I want to be in the picture above not just behind a camera and paddle up (or down) the Thames. And I'd rather not drown!

Book Review 4 - The Storm Prophet

One of the books for the flight back from Oz was Hector MacDonald's "The Storm Prophet" which have just finished. I picked it up at the Boat Show when had an interesting discussion with the author about the relative merits of Graham Greene vs Joseph Conrad.

The Storm Prophet tells the story of how a Sydney to Hobart race got hit by a big storm causing similar devastation to the tragic 1998 race, as seen from the perspective of a local coastguard.

It's a gripping read - one of those page turners where you keep wanting to know what happens next with an interesting bunch of characters. Rather bravely the book is a first person perspective from the viewpoint of a woman - but I think he pulls it off well (though of course what do I know!)

While there is a strong sailing and boating theme, Hector never lets the subject dominate the book, which ultimately must live or die by the story he is telling, and the old themes of friendships, love and family are ultimately what this book is "about".

One of the tensions that drives the book is whether some of the key events - such as the storm - are being prophesied by an African boy or are just co-incidences. This resulted in slight hackles being raised by me with a "stuff and nonsense" response. Luckily it works out OK as Hector is in no way close to the magical realism rubbish from writers like Isabel Allande.

If I'd have any criticism is that this is a read-once book. Its a good read on a plane but afterwards there was no hurry for a re-read, even of favourite passages.

But its a minor quibble as The Storm Prophet is a good yarn and should find its way to many a ship's library.

The Bill by the River

There wasn't a movie star like Clive Owen but there were still cries of "Action!" as The Bill came to shoot a scene down by the river.

Why a 24 hour flight is really really short

It was a 30 hour journey, door to door, from Canberra to London.

Sounds a lot - but it wouldn't to the old sailors and emigrating families for whom the journey was one of months and months.

Of course there were easy and hard ways then as there are now. A port-out starboard-home (i.e. posh) cabin can't have that been that bad, but the poorest must have really suffered with just a few feet of space in the darkest depths of the ship.

And the differences remain today between economy and first class. I couldn't help but wonder about what the journey must feel like in an Airbus 380 (pictured above during transit at Sydney).

If you want to bring back the romance of air travel, then this seems the answer - private cabin for upper class passengers with champagne and a double bed!

Goodbye to Oz

It was a good trip but now its over and I'm back in London where summer has come early. So goodbye Oz, till next time.

A few last pics: above is one of the many light houses on the Great Ocean Road. The rolling landscape it goes through - like that below - reminded me quite a bit of Scotland.

This is one of the piers at Geelong where had a lovely lunch!

More - but not from Melbourne

Apologies for the break from posting - been very busy.

There's been the conference, meeting Kat over lunch (which was fab), then heading off down the long but brilliant Australian Great Ocean Road.

In total this is 273 km in length with a mind-numbing number of tight windy corners. In places the speed limit is a mere 25 km/h and that felt about right - especially with the constant distractions of the breath taking views.

The cliffs are not just impressive - they are also a serious threat to navigation, and not for nothing is this known as the shipwreck coast.

After a long day's drive reached what are called the Twelve Apostles - now sadly reduced to eight by the battering of wind and wave.


Now in Canberra for more meetings.... so alas must get down to work for the last few days before the long flight back home.

Much longer than the drive and a lot less scenic!