Thoughts from abroad

Zepher
Chris & Lyn Darch
Sat 2 May 2009 05:19
Hi Folks,
 
Yes I'm back on the keyboards again, well after a few nights on the pop wishing all our sailing friends a good trip north, the buggers are still here, a low has passed more southerly than forecast so the fleet sits like a Spanish armada in the anchorage at Opua, the southerly has really gained momentum today and after six months they are reluctant to lift the hook and escape the camaraderie of there friends and the though of a few days of cold wet conditions has curbed there ardour for  the one thousand two hundred mile journey north to the warmer climbs, personally I would have been away and picked this lot up the rear put the twin heads up, a bit of a roller coaster for a few days but if the blast in the Atlantic was anything to go by we would have been doing 8 to 10 knt's and the warmer climbs would have been getting nearer sooner, unfortunately the "bar" anchor is holding most of them back, our Austrian friends are waiting at the heads to go so will be out of the gate first, I don't blame them for not going as the swell heights will be 3m which will be very uncomfortable for such a small cat as there's .
As we have found on the three occasions that we have been in this situation the colonial cozs seem to talk for a long time about all the options, our European coz's huddle for a group decision, the brits tend to go and say bollock to it, so are usually first out of the starting gate, the conditions here are no worse than the Biscay scenario, deep water to shallow that's the situation from here to Fiji it just goes on a bit longer .
I can say all this being tucked up inside, rocking on my supports overlooking the fleet, but in my heart wishing I was going, the bug has not gone folks but I have to look at the long term, there will be other Mays and thoughts of sun and islands to come, the reality is getting established here, boat refurbs and daily life and all of us who remain wish them fair winds and safe passage to there destinations.
We are down to the last coat of paint when this blow abates, the newly refurbed steering box is ready for installation and the mechanical front is nearly complete sub sea sided .
Our friends on Rhythm have been hauled out and are having a mini refit before they set off in Mid June for Tonga and beyond so we will be seeing them for a few more weeks at least .
 
Don't feel left out there in Europe, the Swine fever is here two, the plane landed and the health slapped them all in quarantined, three were confirmed and twenty are under observation, the government have released the drugs to the pharmacy's for distribution at a cost of course, 120 NZD there's no free ride here if you want it buy it, unfortunately nobody's taking the bate it such a small place that if you fart in Auckland its like an earth quake in Wellington, the kiwis aren't easily panicked either it must be the Scots in them, more pragmatic in the view, as they are with the economic situation the bars are still full here on a weekend and life goes on as it has oblivious to the rest of the worlds doom and gloom , its quite uplifting, after looking a a brit paper in the supermarket .
 
On the agro front, apparently there has been a glut of kiwi fruit this seson, if your wondering why the cost hasn't gone down and wont in Tescos those cunning Kiwis play the supermarkets at there own game, here the big fruit co-ops dump the produce to control the world  prices up to the forgian supermarkets so Tescos and there hard sell doesn't work when these huge Co-ops they have seen what has happen in the UK with farmers and are determined not to get caught out by them, they do it with all NZ produce farm goods and that includes the meat, we cannot buy Lamb any cheaper than you guys .
 
Good night from you correspondent down under .