Greetings from the 'Land of the long white cloud' James and Justin - we can recommend the kiwi hospitality! We are in Queenstown and have been following your progress. Keep up the good work and we are willing those headwinds to change to tailwinds!! Love, Jenny

All the members of Australia oldest surf club ( STOCKTON SLSC) are rooting for you guys.Every day all of our members are constantly on top of what you are doing.Our mentor Tugboat says keep cool and all will work out.Time is your best friend.You will be OK.

Hey you two adventurers What 2 things can't you have for breakfast? ....lunch and dinner......well just trying to distract you both...I only got my notebook few weeks ago and have been following your journey avidly each day morning noon and night you are 2 brave inspirational young men I admire you so much keep on keeping on ....my prayers are for you .....thank you for doing this challenge Helen

Gday Adventurers,
Having found the charts on your course,It gives some sort of picture on your route to Auckland,what a good gain today was,2nd best .A good reward for riding out those big ones.iTS called the DiTCH , with reckoning I feel you are coming out of it.Hopefully With a nice High Press. to push you into N.Z.Your connection with this sea is an inspiration to your-selves.You've got some energy stores within you for a great paddle into history,Cpt Cook would be proud & fascinated by that super-craft.You better get a patent on it ! Look fwd to your celebrations....Roy

Is there any chance of getting a RSS feed of the sched updates from Patrick? While I enjoy reading the comments on this forum, I utilize my reader to pull together a lot of feeds at once.

oi Cas, you're going the wrong way mate

Patrick, then head south upto and including sunday. May then be able to tack NE wnen high re-establishes. Suspect this is 2nd and last chance [see ssw plan 24/11] You may get one more southing end next but if your not low enough for the next south-wester then you wont be able to to use it and-----

Patrick, it just occurred to me to question how you are calculating current. Whilst the IRR sat assessestemperature from mass,yachties have long observed that the surface current down to about 18" is wind affected and this can often be observed at sea by dropping a lihtly weighted line over board and watching the top bit go in one direction whilst the bottom dissapears in the other[ satellite charted direction] whilst holding a constant GPS position. Thus a yacht or other deep draft boat will be subject to the satellite assessed current whilst Lot 41 will be subject to the surface wind affect. As you once stated,current has a greater affect than wind on Lot41 in reletive terms but in absolute terms the wind has been and is, stronger. The wind/current surface affect cannot be remotely sensed but needs to be inferred in your calculations if the boys are to have a chance of getting there

Terry here
Hi guys,
Your doing well, your great circle is not a surprise, 2 steps back 1 fwd is just like life...
Good idea to use huey as your friend, go with him when you have to,(with the current) owise put out the parking hook, he will reward you when you do, have a sssc tomorrow and will tell the guys to keep an eye out for you on the way to Hobart (joke) will pray to huey for you. still plan to meet you 80 nm from nz. Need eta, give me a call when you can. What beer do you like on first landfall? add 4000 PSS grads on our newsletter keeping an eye out for you.
Good news, youngest Sarah became National Champion Gym level 8 AIS Canberra Last Tuesday. Takes after dad - not
kind regards PSS team. TW 0413 876184

Hi Guys, John, Judy and Peter from Christchurch NZ following your progress. So sad you had that weather bomb but we hope conditions will improve. It has been amazing following you guys and seeing you both hang in during this tough 11 day period - your endurance says a lot about your characters - great perserverance and some true Aussie Grit :-)

We really hope that your drive south pays off and are crossing our fingers and toes that you pick up some better weather on your new route - NZ looks forward to welcoming you here soonest as possible.

James and Justin, I've been following your progress, and reading the forums.
I support you both.
But I sometimes wonder if the countless entreaties to keep paddling may feel like pressure.
It is not pressure. The community supports you, independently of the direction you travel.
Occasionally compounding fatigue with increased exertion is not the answer.

Use your own judgement to balance your resources.
Stay healthy, within the envelope of appropriate endurance.
Take heart from the messages at home, but don't feel cornered by them.
Even going in circles - though understandably frustrating - is one loop less to New Zealand.
And though I don't know about your rations (or other valid time constraints), yours is not a race: its a first.

Good Weather and Best Wishes.

Hi Guys,
This is your school mate Thomas Karemacher housemate, long story but I have just spent 7 days in the intensive care and the neurological ward at royal north shore hospital. Just thought you should let your both know there are guys in there with serious head injuries and bad prognosis’s that are following your progress and it’s giving them hope which is about all they have. Keep it up and remember believe it or not but there are people doing it tougher. Huge respect to you both. Lucky your icebreakers will be keeping you warm ; )
Ben

Hi James, Justin,
i may be new to your forum but not your adventure - i've been following your progress everyday since you left Forster.
Every morning when i get to work the first job for me is to check your website and see how you guys are doin'
And after the last few days with no updates i was starting to worry things were not good and have been offering up a few prayers to the weather gods to see you through. However twas good to hear one of your voices tonight (Sat).
Hang in there guys, you may be doing it tough - but your doing it !
i look forward to seeing you two Wallabies hopping into the All Blacks back yard soon.
God speed and good health to you both.


Cheers Mick- Taree NSW

Hi Guys,
Have been following your progress and have just joined the web site. I live on a cliff overlooking the Manukau Harbour, so hope to see you paddle past. Will probably come out on the water.
You guys make sportspeople like the NZ All Blacks look like a bunch of pussy's.
All the best.
Lindsay.

Hi James and Justin and RaceRecon
Great going guys. Youve done the "Tasman One Step " now get ready for the two steps forward.
Another thought about the arrival in Aotearoa. Some 40 k's south of the Manukau Heads is the surf settlement of Port Waikato at the mouth of the Waikato River. At this time of the year and on an incoming tide, the entrance is not as ferocious as the Manukau Bar. With the tide in your favour, all you will have to do is drift upstream and steer clear of the spectator fleet! (Two ducks and a couple of tinny's plus lotsa grommetts on boards!) Once "inside" the spit, you've got really sheltered water and less than 3 k's to a shallow beach landing on the southern shore. There is beach access there for a trailer. Another 1km upstream you have an all-tide jetty and a fairly steep concrete ramp right alongside. If it's an easterly breeze, you could even manage a West Coast beach landing at the southern end of the surf beach and have a 4WD get your trailer out there. I'm assuming that "Lot 41's" keel can be cranked up?? Road access is good but it's close to 80k's from Auckland City. Still, the good folks of Port Waikato are ready for a rave to celebrate your achievement guys. They might even bring down a tanker loaded with some amber fluid for the necessary post-event re-hydration programme! Good luck and go well guys!

Hi there.
It is a relief to know that James has no encrustations on his buttocks. The lotions must be working well.
I remember fondly the days when I could show my bottom to the world with confidence. Now it is another story.
If I was out there I dare say they would be spending more time scraping my bum rather than the boats!
P.S. Don't ask about my brother's buttocks!
David Harmer

HEY THERE JAMES AND JUSTIN! I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT I COME FROM INVERCARGILL {RIGHT DOWN THE BOTTOM OF N.Z!} AND I HAVE BEEN WATCHING AND IMAGINING JUST WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE OUT THERE! i HAVE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH YOU ALL THE WAY SINCE YOU WERE AT FOSTER! YOU GUYS HAVE GOT THE UTMOST COURAGE TO BE STILL GOING, AND I KNOW THAT YOU WILL MAKE IT. I LOVE THE SEA AND I KNOW JUST WHAT IT CAN DO,THROUGH SOME BAD EXPERIENCES, BUT YOU BOTH HAVE THE UTMOST DETERMINATION AND SHEER WILL POWER,ESPECIALLY AFTER YOUR BAD PATCH IN THE LAST WHILE, THAT YOU WILL DO YOURSELVES PROUD! I ONLY WISH I COULD BE UP THERE WHEN YOU REACH N.Z. IT WILL BE AMAZING, BECAUSE YOU HAVE OVERCOME ADVERSE CONDITIONS AS WELL AS CROSSING THE DITCH! KEEP IT UP BOYS! REGARDS JEFF.

Patrick,

I have just heard the audio from Lot 41 tonight.

This looks like a time to get a boat to within a pick-up distance asap in case of a very bad night.

I understand that the Winston Churchill boys who were lost were in these sorts of conditions and I believe in the dark at night andn the water.

Being in the water in the dark in a very noisy breaking sea is VERY dangerous even if leashed to fellow crew and or craft not only because of the chance of heavy impacts with objects that cannot be seen but because of exposure. Loss of body heat eventually happens in waters below body temp. Fatigue is likely when physical exertion and lack of food are added to the mix. I have been in big surfs in daylight (and not often bigger than 4 m) and it can be very tiring after 15 mins when you can see what is happening if big breaking waves continue to pound you. Diving under the turbulence helps but in the dark I can't imagine what it would be like when you could be slammed hard into a craft etc and cannot see which way is up and when the next wave is about to hit.

This could turn VERY dangerous.

In daylight you might be tempted to go and untangle the rope but at night not a good thing to do unless you have good lighting and very good harness system.

Patrick,

Just adding my thoughts for what they're worth.

Would Justin and james be the best people to make decisions about their safety in these circumstances? Seems a silly question but I was just thinking - they're fatigued, mentally and physically. Also, with 5 years preparation put into this expedition, they would be understandably reluctant to give up on their attempt at crossing the Tasman.

Perhaps their ability to make a sound judgment may be compromised by these factors.

I'm sure such scenarios would have been discussed in their preparation and decisions made in advance about when to bale them out. Not doubting their abilities or yours either! Fantastic expedition and teamwork...just using the opportunity offered to contribute my thoughts to the forum, and like everyone else, thinking of those boys' safety!

greetings , Do the guys have a spare bouy that they could fit about 20feet down the para line to maintain line on surface.It need not be a big float.

Hey boys,

Just wanted to drop you a line to say hey and let you know that i'm thinking of you both and sending good luck vibes your way! Have fun and be safe!!!

Binny xx

Great to hear that you've resolved the issues facing you last night. You sounded so much better Justin in your latest update. We had/have every afaith in your ability to deal with the adversity of yesterday.

You are inspiring SO many people.

Keep the faith and keep on a paddlin'.

PS We luv your Aussie accents!

Bruce Laurent...ya must remember down here in the bottom of the world we still use hand signals and have mt cans (tinnies) with string between for phones We dont use broadband but hav longband ( bigger piece of string). Them aussies always talk as tho they is in the bottom of the well. You might remember years ago they used pidgeon post to get the messages thru.. well down here we use audio tapes and they send em back each day from lot41 by shark post. Cant ya just see a great white commin up sydney harbor with a satchel on his back doing message deliveries to Patrick the race con man...
Dont worry to much about the paddlers they come from gods own and they can walk on water. To date they hav had a remarkable journey and im sure they will be rewarded . But wait till they reach NewZealand we will teach em to talk properly and show em how to say fush an chups and the number sex for six .Hava great day Brucie.

Hi guys, I'm the nutcase who works with James' sister Lil, she has had many a lil cry on my shoulder, but she is also extremely proud. We were discussing the fact that you had cut down to 1 meal a day and wondering if you had indeed packed the fishing rods and could actually cook any caught fish? My suggestion was netting any passing seaweed (being 1/2 Japanese) and having it with raw fish and rice - SUSHI! Hope you guys are doing okay and James ask your sister where she's heading to. The answer no doubt will be "DANCE FLOOR!" Did I mention that I have a single lovely 23 year old daughter who knows Lil and now is going to waste her mum!! Keep safe

I would like to congratulate you guys for the bravery and determination to complete the mission....i would like to ask you kindly to try to speak a little better english in the podcast....it is impossible for others who are not Aussies to understand you....god only knows how difficult it is to listen to your "drunk" like speech (NO offence Please) i understand the exhaustion and the struggle but when you sit in front of the microphone, please sharp up so we (the rest of the world) can understand at least a bit...

Thank you.