NEW YEARS IN SEATTLE

Happy New Years to everyone. I photographed the fire works of the Space Needle here in Seattle. I was across the bay about 1.5 - 2 miles away. I used my 300mm lens with a 1.7 teleconverter which made it a 500mm lens. I shot 656 Pictures in 10 minutes and culled them down to eight.

I drove down to Rocky Hill, Connecticut yesterday to visit Hayn Marine. They make rigging products that are the finest available and back by their limited lifetime warranty. I met with Brett Hasbrouck their general manager. We talked about my expedition and what I need to finish re rigging the mast. Their going to give me all the turnbuckles, and compression eyes so I will be able to complete the rigging of the mast myself, and be able to fix any problems that might arise. I was also given a tour of their plant. Thanks to all at Hayn Marine.

I drove to Port Townsend this morning to talk with Brion Toss one of the best riggers in the country. We talked about my mast and rigging and my list of things to do in the nest month just got bigger. But I need to know my mast won't fail. I learned a lot. Thanks Brion

OK, back from the middle latitudes, I've spent the last 4 months working on the University of Hawaii's research vessel Ka'imikai-O-Kanaola. We were doing radiation studies off of the nuclear power plants in Japan, it was a multi national team. I was able to watch Dragon boat races in Yokohama. The next trip was for a Korean project bottom maping half way between Hawaii and Mexico. My last week we were loading and dunk testing two subs that they were getting ready for the next two months work. Hawaii 5 O filmed parts of the fourth episode on and around our ship. I will be leaving for the east coast next week to work on Arctic Wanderer and there is lots of work to do. ( Engine rebuild, new stove, fix steering, re-rig the mast, and lots of little things. Here are a couple of pictures from the summer.

RUSSIAN HELP!!

I have been in contact with Borge Ousland who sailed a trimaran through both NE & NW Passages last summer. http://www.ousland.no/category/northern-passage-2010/ He put me in contact with a Russian who helped him get permission to sail Russia's NE Passage. I received an email at 5am this morning and he will help me get permission. So hopefully the dream continues. This means I have lots of work to do to get the boat in shape for the journey. But as I have always said
Where there a will there's a way. everything will get done.