We are now on Vega and Bunny and I have taken over as co-skippers. Vega is much smaller, older and wooden — a lovely craft but you feel the rolling much more than on Tiama. Fine if you stay up on deck. Very proud to be part of the tradition of peaceful protest on the waves. This is the boat that went to Moruroa in 1973 and helped create the climate of public opinion that stopped French nuclear testing there in 1996. We don’t have 20 years to stop this one.
We got the call at 5.20 this morning. A support boat had left New Plymouth late last night and was about an hour away. We confirmed our position and got ready. Soon we could see it on the horizon – not a graceful vertical line like our sailing boats but a square blob.
Then it turned around and left — back to New Plymouth we assume. A long way to come just to take a look at us over the horizon and run away. We have no idea how far away the Ignoble Bob is but when they get here we will be here.
Another gorgeous day and quiet sea but the time now passes quite slowly. A great morning tea on Baltazar who had made pinwheel cinnamon scones and good coffee where we all speculated on what was happening. Would be nice to have a bird’s eye view. Our radar goes 24 miles, which is enough, but only a dot in the ocean. These social gatherings are tough on the person left behind on each boat. Nothing to tie them up to!
I’ve done a media interview on Radio Live and Bunny has done one with the Waikato Times. We fooled around this afternoon getting the boats in various combinations for great photos — Pascale up the mast again.
If there’s no news tomorrow I probably won’t bother you – but hey, Harry, if you are reading this, it would be nice to hear from you!
Jeanette