Good Evening,

Just a quick note to let you all know that Zac is having poor reception today and so far has not been able to send out his blog. The wind picked up some this morning and we was sailing along at 4.5 knots in 8 knots of wind. Later today, the wind had dropped back down to about 3 knots and he was pretty much wallowing at 1 knot. Fortunately, the seas are calm though he is sweating, bored and trying to think of excuses not to do his chores. (Reading between the lines, that is.) It looks like the wind will be whipping around near him tomorrow so lets hope that he makes enough westing to pick it up. Once he hits the tradewinds he should fairly fly along and make it to Cocos Keeling in a few weeks.

Cocos Keeling is an interesting place. It is an Australian territory but has a very small land area. It is used mostly for vacationing. If you google Cocos Keeling you will find it is one of the most beautiful places ever. White sand, clear blue water...I have heard that you can see down to the bottom in 100 feet of water. Hopefully, there will be other cruisers there that Zac can hang out with some. Still not sure if anyone will be flying out to meet him. There will have to be some photos and film taken. Send me, send me!!

I don't think I will bother posting the address for him there because mail is only delivered once a week and that after it reaches Australia! I did check into whether or not Natasza Caban (another circumnavigator) was still in Cocos Keeling but it looks like she left maybe a few days ago.

Meanwhile, Minoru Saito from Japan is waiting out a series of typhoons in Japan before heading out on his 8th solo circumnavigation! He holds the record for the oldest person to sail around the world alone. He will leave Japan and head south around Australia going the 'wrong way' around all the southern capes. This means he will be going against the wind and currents. Amazing guy!

Please be sure to send an email to mgsimcox@yahoo.com if you are interested in attending an LA area gathering. After we get a rough headcount, we will secure a location and date. It promises to be a ton of fun and if we can raise some money to keep sending out the film and repair crews that would be great.

Cheers,

Marianne Sunderland (Mom) for Zac

PS No position reports until he is a bit further along for security reasons.

Los Angeles Fundraising Night

Help Support Zac's Solo Circumnavigation

Hear from Zac's support team from behind the scenes about

the challenges, fears and excitement Zac has faced

and is continuing to face on his record making voyage.

See footage fresh from the sea.

Question & Answer Time

Sat phone permitting we will talk with Zac live out on the Indian Ocean.

Please reply to mgsimcox@yahoo.com with 'Zac Sunderland' in the subject line if you are interested in attending this gathering in the Los Angeles/Marina del Rey area in October.

We will then contact you with details as they are made.

Back on the Water

G'day All!

It's good to be on the water again. The wind is frustratingly light and the weather is painfully hot and humid. I have been going through a few last jobs and preparing for some heavy weather that will probably come my way on this leg. I have been dealing with my sailmail (email) and will hopefully have my Torres Strait notes up soon. For now, I will give a run down of my last few days in Darwin:



Thursday I finished dealing with the fuel job. I reinstalled the inspection port, picked up diesel, I went with John Knight to reprovision, picking up the last perishables. We went back to the boat and stowed a bunch of it and began to get the boat ready to go. That night , I caught a bus to the Darwin Market, which is a street fair type thing. There are tons of people there. There are people selling everything from tie dye to crocodile teeth. There are all kinds of Aussie foods like crocodile, kangaroo and pretty much all of the other famous animals from Oz. I did eat some pretty good crocodile which is a white meat with a mild taste and a consistency like steak. I hung out with Mark, who is a professional didgeridoo player. I also met a friend of his named Mark who is an avid boater. When the fair shut down around 9:30pm, he gave me a ride home. He came down to the boat and we talked awhile. It was a good night.

Friday John and I went to customs and immigration. We went to Indigenous Creations, a didgeridoo shop to meet a guy who had been following my story while I was in Darwin. He gave me a 4 1/2 foot long didgeridoo that he had painted himself. He gave me a lesson which was great. John had things to do so I skated to an Internet cafe to check email and back to the boat to finish stowing and prepping the boat. That night I skated back to town to go to a rock concert and caught the bus back to the boat.

On Saturday, Customs came down to the boat to do a final clearance. I got the sails ready and lashed down the newly filled fuel jugs. John and I picked up the last round of mail. I am making a list of the things that I was sent and will post that when it is finished so I don't leave anyone out. I did a few interviews back at the boat. Then Spot On Marine lowered Intrepid into the water. I ran the motor for 15 minutes to make sure that there was no air in the lines. I motored through the mangroves against a 3 knot current following a dinghy driven by someone who knew the area well since water was so low. At one point I had as little as 1 foot under the keel. I got to the channel and had about 15 knots on the nose but managed to get out okay. I set my course and then had 3 knots. What a pain. I had a feast eating the food that John Knight brought down. I moved pretty slowly through the night. First night was pretty easy because it was so calm.

Sunday I did a bunch of jobs on the boat. I did see one ship that came within 2 miles. The Australian Customs planes fly over at least once a day. They call me on the VHF radio and ask for my registration number, where I am coming from and where I am going to. I had a terrible headache all day but fortunately it is gone now.

Monday, today, I'm taking care of a few more little jobs while it is still calm. At present I have between 1.4 and 2.4 knots of wind.

Mom and Dad have kept me up to date on all of your comments and many of your emails. I'd like to thank you all for your support. In many ways, this trip would not be possible without it.

Cheers,

Zac

Zac's Departure from Darwin: John Knight

Zac hasn't been able to post a blog because his email has been so limited this week. John Knight has been keeping us up to date each evening via his own email. I think his post from last night is excellent and really makes you feel like you are there watching Zac depart.

From John Knight in Darwin:

The Darwin stay is over and Zac is again back at sea. He was relaunched and sailed out of Spot On Marine and Ludmilla Creek at 1620 local time today (0650Z) Saturday, 27th September 2008 bound for Cocos (Keeling) in the Indian Ocean south of Java.

Today was fairly hectic while we obtained fuel filters and collected the last of Zac's Darwin mail. Customs came and cleared him to leave, sealing up the items they had held during his stay in port on board not to be opened until he sailed. Zac spent time securing containers of diesel and tidying up the yacht as he prepared to leave. At 1515 the yacht was lifted from its place in the yard and rolled to the launching slip. Media were in attendance from ABC (Australia) and Channel 9 TV both of which featured Zac on their evening news. After a quarter of an hour successfully running the smoothly performing engine still suspended in the slings, "Intrepid" was lowered afloat and the slings dropped to the mud below. Skillfully backing out, Zac did a turn in the creek and headed to seaward, following a dinghy which guided him through the deeper areas of the coastal flat to sea. I drove to East Point to see him away into deep water. I had hoped to wish him well over the VHF radio from the Darwin Sailing Club but in the flurry of departure he may not have had it switched on. He has headed out into the Timor Sea with a northerly sea breeze but forecasts for the next few days suggest that he may have some slow progress as he travels westward out of Australian waters. Attached are some photos I took which you are welcome to use in the Blog. Not quite Jen's quality but I hope they will do. It has been a hectic few days as Zac and I got his needs sorted. Tiiu and I sent him off with a cooked chicken and two jars of a cheese spread he had taken a liking to so he had something to eat for his first meal at sea. Zac was confident that he had everything he needed on board. If there are any loose ends to tie up in Darwin let me know and I will see what can be done. A 24ft. Seawind catamaran sailed round from DSC in Fannie Bay and joined Zac for the first part of his journey. I last saw him about three miles to sea off Nightcliff heading out to the same waypoint we used to bring him in. There he would turn west and about 500 nautical miles further on he will pass out of Australia's mainland waters and into the Indian Ocean finally leaving the shallow waters which have so amazed a boy used to the near shore deeps of California's Pacific coast. All the best to you both John

Zac called last night to let us know that he had cleared the mangroves and was in 50 feet of water. This was a good thing. He was feeling rested and ready to go. Now...pray for wind!

Cheers,

Marianne

Lifting "Intrepid" in the yard

Lowering the yacht back into Ludmilla Creek

Running the motor prior to departure

Zac motoring out to sea bound for Cocos (Keeling)

Following the pilot dinghy out of Ludmilla Creek

Darwin Update

Zac has delayed his departure one more day as the tides will be just that much higher making passing the sandbars less dangerous. He will be leaving tomorrow (Saturday in Darwin) around 3:00 - 4:00pm which is about 11:30 pm PDT on Friday here.

It appears that Zac won't be blogging from Darwin. He has been unable to get his computer to cooperate with the WiFi there. He is quite busy and the weather is extremely hot and humid. He has been doing a lot of skateboarding lately since Laurence left with the rental car. I'm sure he wouldn't mind me saying that he is greatly indebted to Mr. John Knight who has been guiding and advising him since before the Torres Strait. Lately, he has been driving Zac here and there and helping him with some of his boat worklist. With a lifetime a seafaring and navigational experience, John is a rare diamond who has played a huge part in Zac's stay in Darwin.

There are a few other people to be thanked while we're at it here. Mike and Sue from Spot On Marine have been a tremendous help to Zac. They not only furnished the yard but were very efficient and professional during the duration of Zac's stay. Allistair and Victoria from Monsson Marine had Zac and Laurence over for dinner the evening before Laurence left. Their twin daughters, Lucy and Lexi, were so sweet and full of zeal! They even persuaded Zac to read them a bedtime story. They thoroughly enjoyed an Australian feast

John Knight with chart of the Northern Territory Coast.

Intrepid at Spot On Marine

Mike and Sue from Spot on Marine

Allistair of Monsoon Marine and his wonderful family. I think Zac enjoyed having some little 'sisters' again even if for just a night.

Dan and daughter Madeline from the Cornucopia Motel. Dan furnished and skippered the power boat to go out and see Zac.

Jen Edney - the face behind the camera!

Darwin: Photos

Photos wouldn't post last night for some reason. Special thanks to Photo Journalism student Jen Edney who has funded her trips to follow Zac out of a passion for the project.
















Zac's arrival.

Zac on Skype with Toby after realizing that Toby is wearing one of his hats to which Toby's reply was "Neaner, neaner, neaner. You can't catch me!"

Some Australian entertainment!

















In the cage with Crocs!









































Looking for land...

Darwin: by Dad

G'day,

I hope you are all well.

Just stepped off the plane at 7:00am so am a little jet lagged but here we go. I was last in Darwin in 1985 and what I remember is how hot, humid and isolated the top end is. Although when I was there it was the wet season, also referred to as the crazy season. After four days, not having any way to escape the intensity of the heat and humidity I climbed into the Austin 1800 and drove non-stop (stopping for fuel only) to Cairns.

The Darwin that greeted us on this trip was certainly much kinder. Jen, the photographer, and I arrived prematurely and occupied our time with researching the area, contacting media and finding some fun things for Zac to do once he arrived. Jen and I were the only crew on this trip as our resouces did not allow for the production crew or Marianne to fly out. So between Zac, Jen and myself we tried to capture all the footage and photos that we could in the time that we had. In our frustration and lack of patience we decided to get some arial footage of Zac out there sailing since his last position report still put him two days out and we had already been waiting three days. Just after booking the tickets the weather had lightend and Zac's progress had slowed so this was like a little boost of morale and added necessary footage at the same time. We caught up with Zac fifteen miles out of the Dundas Strait. He was 'merrily' sailing along in about a 10-15 knot afternoon breeze. I made radio contact with Zac once and then my handheld VHF died. He waved at the plane as the pilot made numerous passes alowing us to maximize footage on equipment. By the way, if you have never tried capturing this type of footage, it is a lot harder then it might seem. The time passed al too quickly and it was time to head back to Darwin through the Dundas Strait, down the side of Melville Island over the Veron Island and back to the airport.

The following day, Dan, the owner of the Capricornia Motel where we were staying offered his father in law's boat that he had at his disposal to go out and catch up to Zac. What a great opportunity! John knight also came along. John has been helping and advising with much of the navigation up at the top end. We caught up to Zac, who was just clear of the Vernons with an unfavorable tide change and was being swept back towards them. We took all our photos and footage and tossed him a big beef roll and a cold drink. It was a little more personal than the plane the day before and with his position and conditions we worked out that Zac would be in Cullin Bay, Darwin in the early hours of the morning. John Knight and I had arranged to meet at the yacht club and keep in radio contact giving advice and way points to Zac until he was at anchor because of the complexity of the anchorage and tidal situation. Around 3:00 am the hook was down and time for all to catch up on some well earned rest.

Customs spent the best part of 2 hrs on the Intrepid and cleared them into Australia. Then up with the hook and over to the dock where the media had been waiting for the best part of two hours. Although tired Zac was in rare form answering all the questions. We fueled and filled the water tank of Intrepid and had good meal at a resteraunt close by. We took Zac around and showed him the motel, yacht club and the Spot On Boat Yard, which was where Zac would haul his yacht. Mike and Sue, the owners, have been so helpful and generous. Zac had to wait for the high tide before they could haul his yacht due to the sand bars and shoaling areas. Mike made a phone call to a friend of his, Allistair, and we met the following day. Allistair is a shipwright and keen sailor and before I could look around he just started getting stuck into what needed to be done. What a huge blessing. Sunny, Allistair's helper, and he are top tradesman. They are fast and efficient. They knocked out a huge portion of the work very quickly and voluntarily. I was extremley relieved and pleasantly surprised. When Zac had rested, he went off with Jen to do a bit of sight seeing compliments of the NT (Northern Territory) Tourism Board. Zac swam with crocs, had a tour around with aborigines, had a trip up the Adelaide River and saw the jumping crocs. He has been having a great time in Darwin. Thanks to all the awesome people and support he's been getting. I left a little prematurely to get back to the states due to our economic climate and it's effects my business. There was still much work to be done to Intrepid, and I trust that Zac will see the importance of executing the list before heading out across the Indian Ocean. My last day in Darwin was spent picking up supplies all day long and checking out of the motel. That evening, Zac and I went to Allistair's house for dinner and met up with his family. What a fine meal! It was great to really relax in good company. We left Allistair's house and headed for the store to reprovision with the nonperishables and went back to the Intrepid to say our good byes.
Now on to the next chapter. The Indian Ocean awaits. A young man is purposefully finishing his preparations. The tide will turn at 4:00pm Dawin local time Friday. God-willing he and Intrepid will be on that tide.

Below is a list of the work that intrepid had done in Darwin:


1. Clean fuel tank (problem still occurred after Port Moresby)

2. Change Racor fuel filters (Intrepid has dual Racor 500s)

3. Tighten tiller arm

4. Tighten packing gland

5. Fix or replace faulty bilge pump

6. Caulk all leaking areas

7. Put on repaired genoa

8. Lubricate wind monitor, change out chaffed lines

9. Fill alcohol resevoir for stove

10. Paint antifoul on bow

11. Attach main sail to out haul

12. Fix port cockpit scupper

13. Replace Raymarine 1000 & 2000 tiller pilots (replaced 2000 waiting for the 1000)

14. Replace computer

15. Replace computer keyboard

Thank you all for praying and being a big part of what Zac is doing.

Cheers,

Laurence

Update from Zac 1

Intrepid at the yard

Hey Everyone,
Zac here, finally. So here are the events from the entrance of Darwin till now. I would have my log of the trip but my computers were down and I'm too spaced out and tired to copy 20 pages of my messy handwriting. So I saw the first lights of Darwin when I was about 10 miles off the harbor and I was running with the tide so it took me about an hour to reach them. By this time it was about 2:30 - 3:00ish so I followed the well-marked channel in for another hour. After making my way through quite a few reefs and sand bars I was finally in the anchorage, found a good depth (something that is very importent with 30 foot tides), dropped the hook and set it. It held great and by the time I had put everything away it was 4:30am. I was told that Customs was coming first thing in the morning so I set the alarm for seven so I could get up and be ready for them. The next morning it was hard to get up after only 2 1/2 hrs of sleep and even less the night before that. So I get up and fold the sail and get all the lines sorted, made some brekkie and waited for Customs. At around 10:30 they showed up and went through my whole boat. We did a bunch of paperwork but every thing went as good as possible and they were off the boat by 11:30. Then my dad called me on the VHF radio and told me that the press was waiting at the fuel dock. I up anchored and headed in to the fuel dock. When I got in I was greeted by my dad who I hadn't seen for over a month and half, a dozen cameras and mikes in my face. After we fueled and I did a little press conference we met up with Jen and were off to a restraunt for some good food. Then it was back down to the boat which was still at the fuel dock. I brought her around to the yard about 8 miles away but I had the tide against me so I was only making a little over 1 knot! It seemed to take forever but I finally got the boat around the point and ran with the tide till I got in. We got to the yard and I had a bit of a time getting the boat where the slings were because of the stiff tide. I finally got it in and we got lifted out right away. They power-washed the waterline to clean her up and then it was off to the yacht club for dinner, then to the hotel where I slept like a dead man till 5:30am when I had to get up and do an Ozzy morning show.
So jumping ahead, I'm in the hotel now and it's 10pm and I'm falling a sleep typing so it will be better if I fill you in on the rest tomorrow.
Cheers,
Zac

Darwin: media and questions

More fabulous photos from Jen Edney:

Intrepid clearing customs

Zac talking to brother Toby on Skype

Zac on the pullpit of Intrepid

Zac, Laurence and I were on the Sunrise 7 morning show in Australia today.
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=1341467&cl=9800843&src=y7lifestyle&ch=

Questions:
Flags: Zac doesn't fly any flags while underway. They would be shredded to pieces in a week. He flies the Ameican flag while in port and also a courtesy flag of the country he is visiting. The courtesy flag is smaller than the home port flag. Before customs arrives to check any boat it is customary to fly a yellow quarantine flag which is lowered once the inspection has been passed.

Hair: No hair cut planned. Zac did pack a few hair supplies. I believe it was Jesse Martin that left port for nearly a year with no brush or hair ties (or haircut!).

Length of Ozzie stay: Cylcone season in the Indian Ocean begins in December but it is not uncommon to have an early cyclone in November or even earlier. Because Zac stopped in PNG for so long and then the slow passage to Darwin...he'll have about a week to get rested and get Intrepid ship shape before heading out again.

Moms impressions: I have only spoken to Zac twice and very briefly since he arrived but I have seen a huge change in him from the last time I saw him. I half expected him to be burned out and irritated by the slow passage and lack of communication but he was rested and bright-eyed and excited to get to Africa! I can't say enough about Skype. To be able to see your family while they are away is amazing!

Good night,
Marianne

G'day Mum!

Latest Position: Cullen Bay, Darwin, Australia

I've been waiting too and since it doesn't appear that I'll have much new information anytime soon I'll tell you what I know.

This from John Knight:

Zac arrived O.K. Currently at anchor off Cullen Bay Marina. Anchored at 0310 CST Thursday 18th Sept ( 1740Z Wed 17th.)Is in good shape we will be back about 8 a.m. to see him once cleared by Customs etc. May not get the boat lifted until this afternoon if they are not speedy in processing him.

This from Jen:

Zac got in around 3 a.m. this morning, Laurence and John helped him in. Right now we are at an internet cafe in the Marina, very close to Zac's boat, trying to get ahold of all the news/radio/media people. John is going to meet us down here in a bit. Customs and Quarentine guys are going to head out there this morning (whenever their 'office hours' start. Laurence is a bit nervous as to how that is going to go... After that Zac is going to take the boat around to where the sailing club is and we will go from there. I will also send you some more pics from yesterday...hopefully you will get to talk to Zac in a few hours :o) I'm excited for you to get to talk to him.
















Zac off Darwin (check out the sea - and this is not at anchor!)
Photos Courtesy of Jen Edney



























Photo courtesy of Jen Edney

BREAKING NEWS!!
Just got a call from Zac who is at the hotel with a swarm of reporters following him - what a good son to call his mom, eh?
He is well and excited for South Africa where he hopes to be able to spend some time now that his Australian stay will have to be short. They were going to lunch and he promised to call later. Another post in the morning for sure.
Cheers,
Marianne

Across the Van Deimen Gulf

Zac off Darwin in the Arafura Sea

Photo by Jen Edney

Word has it that Zac will be in early to late evening. Depends on wind and currents. Laurence and Jen were going to try to meet him in a power boat about 40 miles off. Sorry, not too much info but a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

News from Darwin

This just in from Karen Earnshaw via Jerry McGraw:


"I'm trying to make it into Darwin tomorrow evening" Zac told cruiser's in Aur and Ailuk atolls via high frequency radio on Tuesday evening. " I'm trying to make good progress as I really don't want to hove to off the port" he said. At 6:30 PM Tuesday, Majuro time his 36 foot yacht Intrepid was sailing at 5 to 6 knots with about 12 knots of wind.This information was relayed to Jerry McGraw on Po Oino Roa in Majuro on Wed. morning and then on to Zac's mom Marianne in L.A. via email. "it was petty exciting today because my dad flew over Intrepid today. I talked to him for a bit but then his hand held VHF radio died. I'm really looking forward to getting to Darwin" Zac said. " But I've got a lot of work ahead as we'll be hauling the boat out of the water to fix some problems".

A huge thank you to everyone who has helped us keep in touch with Zac this past week. Most excellent!!

No word from Laurence yet today but I dare say he is pretty happy to be seeing his boy and finally getting to work!

Cheers,
Marianne

Update and Notes from Mom

Planet Zac from the Mariner Mag in Marina del Rey

Photo by Pat Reynolds

Latest Position: 09/14/08 0630Z 10 44.0S 134 02.0E

From Karen Earnshaw:

Had great, really great, copy on Zac this evening (6:30pm Majuro time). Here’s how it went:
“I’m doing about four knots right now… had about 12 knots of wind for a while.
“Right now I’m at:
10 degrees and 44 minutes South and
134 degrees and 02 minutes East.
“I have about 280 miles to go to Darwin .”
He has a couple of tacks to make before he’s headed straight for Darwin .
He says this will take “three or four days”.
When he gets in and hauled out “We need to work on the ‘faring’ on the rudder.” As well, presumably, other bits and pieces that’s normal for boats that have done lots of miles at sea.
Did you catch any fish, Zac? “I’ve seen a couple of fish real close, but didn’t manage to hook ’em.”
On another foodie front, you may remember that a couple of people in Majuro presented Zac with ‘makwon’, the preserved pandanus fruit traditionally used by Marshallese voyagers in centuries gone by. “I’ve just got a quarter of one left hanging over the galley,” he said. “Well, you’d better scarf it and anything else fresh you’ve got,” said Cary on the yacht Seal, “because Australian Customs will take most anything ‘fresh’ when they get on board. That includes eggs, vegetables, canned beef…”
“Oh no,” Zac cried. “I’m pretty much stocked up for the Cape (meaning the Cape of Good Hope ). Fortunately for him, Darwin is a bustling city with everything he needs to provision before he heads off into the Indian Ocean , which dad Laurence predicts will be about September 26.

I'm having to get pretty creative with the titles here. Light winds, calm seas, no wind, no swells, no fish, ??? I'm sure there is something going on of some interest but I don't know what it is...

Food: As far as Zac's food goes, I guess it can seem pretty boring but he does have a wide variety of food on board. He has/had tons of dried fruit, nuts, Lara Bars, Clif Bars etc. He has P,B & J, canned tuna, chicken and beef, canned fruit and veggies. He also had donated some pretty awesome powdered meal supplement. I'll get Dawn Zeigler to give me a quote on the stuff but it is complete nutrition in a powder that is mixed with water. He also has Barley Green and food-based vitamins. If the kid is malnourished I would be surprised. He doesn't have much of an appetite at sea sometimes. After Daveh's description of what Zac is experiencing motion-wise these days, I'm not even hungry!

Where will Zac keep his boat while in Darwin? Zac will be pulled out of the water at Spot On Marine but first he'll anchor in Cullen Bay to await customs. He won't be able to go into a marina because he doesn't have insurance. He probably won't need one since he'll likely be in the yard for his entire stay.

What does 'widening sched' mean? Not sure but using context clues I would say that it means more and more people are joining in during their scheduled radio time.

How do you use Facebook? Maybe there is someone out there who could comment on this? I am fumbling my way around it myself.

Windvane/point of sail question: I'll have to ask Zac when we reestablish phone/email contact.

Personal thoughts:

Great to hear from Bill Mann again.

Hi JP! You beat Zac to Oz!

Hi Dusty! What a surprise and blessing to hear from you. Be sure to keep in touch. I'm sure your vast boating experience will continue to be a help to Zac. I remember when we were about to go cruising on Amazing Grace and you were down on the dock giving Laurence much needed guidance! Seems like yesterday...

Mark n Adino: Your thoughts are such a blessing!

Joy on the Journey: I wish I had picked that name! Thankful seems like an understatement.

Everybody: Thank you for your amazing support. I think I'll have to start my own blog. I can just see Zac as he reads all this...

Cheers,

Marianne

Light Winds and Calm Seas

Detail chart of Darwin. Zac will be in Cullen Bay in Fannie Bay.

Latest Position: 09/14/08 0630Z 10 44.0S 134 02.0E

Yesterday: 09/13/08 0630Z 10 45.0S 135 21.0E

Hi All,

Fell asleep without posting last night! Can't wait until Zac's email is up again!

Same story...light winds and calm seas. Laurence waiting in Darwin.

Here is a link to an article written in Australia.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/09/14/5873_ntnews.html

I will answer all of the questions (except the windvane one) tonight.

We have been praying for the people in Texas affected by Ike and also for those involved with the Metrolink crash here in LA. A family of 5 from our school group lost their father. Such a tragedy!

God bless your day!

Marianne

The Arafura Sea

Overview of the Arafura Sea - Torres Strait to Darwin

Detail of the area around Darwin - not an easy passage

Latest Position: 0630Z 09/12/08 10 46.0S 136 32.0E

Zac is still gliding along in light winds and calm seas. Last night's radio contact had poor reception but he was cleaning up the boat in preparation for his arrival in Oz. Laurence is getting situated with help from John Knight. They are still trying to locate a SSB radio for communicating with Zac.

Not much to report today. There are links to Zac's Myspace and Facebook pages as well as his YouTube videos on the blog now. I'll let you know when there is something new that I know about. Let us know if you are having any trouble using the links or accessing these pages.

Cheers,

Marianne

And Plenty of Sleep...

From Karen and the crew in Majuro:

As of 6:30pm Majuro time (0630 Zulu), he was at 11 12.0S and 137 52.0E. He's got light wind and is doing about 3.5 knots, no swell, flat seas and about 450 miles to go to Darwin. I think Laurence will beat him!
As is very normal for Australia, since entering Torres Straits he's had visits in the air from the surveillance aircraft. Usually these are small Beachcraft type planes that are simply monitoring all movement. I think he said two of three in the last few days. This is good. This is great. They know where he is.
Bummer. He lost a lure and was sad about that. It was something huge... it broke his 320 pound mono-filament line (which Cary gave to him and Chris on Moana). A giant beast of the deep in his cockpit would have been... er, probably a pain.
Zac asked who was going to be able to make it down to Darwin. I think there was a hope you could make it... but we said Laurence and Jen will be there on Friday.
I asked him about sleep, cos as we know through Torres Straits he'd been missing those ZZZZs.... and he said "I've had tons of sleep." Cary just said "he's totally caught up on sleep."
We talked about the computer screen. No luck so far. A couple of the Majuro Team Zac gave him some suggestions, so we'll see tomorrow.
During the radio sched a solo sailor guy in Musket Cove, Fiji, Bob Rouner on Boomerang, hopped into the conversation. He had good copy and agreed to tune up tomorrow and see how all was going. I think the personal Zac scheds are about to widen, which is super.
Jerry and Bob spent a bit of time feeling sorry for this young man having to talk to "us old folks", but Zac said: "Hey, it's great." Then he mentioned that the Dove guy spent a lot of time talking to "old folks" and sounded quite happy about this feature.
Bob said: "Good luck on your great adventure. I'm 65 years old and I'm out here on my own too."
Jerry (McGraw on Po'Oino Roa in Majuro, Marshall Islands) suggested Boomerang Bob should google Zac. Bob replied: "Just so happens that while I'm talking to you on the radio I've googled Zac on my wi-fi and I'm reading all about him right now."

So the boy sounds good, no? Laurence and I spoke on Skype while he was at the airport in Brisbane awaiting his connection into Darwin. He will try to hop on the Majuran net tonight at the Darwin Sailing Club and get Zac hooked up with some folks in Darwin who can advise as to the currents/tides on his approach to Darwin. So, Laurence is gone and Zac is incommunicado...what will I do? Go to bed early with 2 kids in my bed and 2 more on the floor!
Cheers,
Mom

A Nice, Fat Tuna

Latest Position: 09/10/08 0645Z 11 08S 139 21E

From Karen Earnshaw in Majuro "At 0645Z he was at 11degrees 08 S and 139 degrees 21' east doing 3 kn with about 8 kn up the bum, had 15 kn most of the day and did 6+. he has everything poled out"

He has done all of the troubleshooting that can be done on both the sat phone and the computer. Many, many thanks to Linda at Clearpoint Weather for overnighting another sat phone and working on getting Zac another computer in case Zac's has some serious problem. Linda has to be firstly, one of the most intelligent people you will ever meet but more importantly, she gives customer service a new name. On more occasions than I would care to admit, we have called her in the middle of the night. The most recent being last Saturday when we 'lost' Zac. She is always sharp, accurate, kind, sympathetic, gracious and gets to the bottom of things in a hurry.

On a positive note, he did catch a nice, fat tuna and has been feasting on it. It does my heart good knowing that he is eating some fresh food! I am not a worrier but I'd like to see him eat better and look better. We've got Skype now so I'll be able to give him a good examination soon!

There is a new video on youtube (link below):

www.youtube.com/zacsunderlandvideo
www.myspace.com/zacsunderland

These will be on the web site soon. Word is that there will be more videos coming very soon with footage taken onboard Intrepid. If you've wanted to meet Boris the Booby bird (named after hurricane Boris) you've gotta see it.

Zac's now on FaceBook as well. You should add him as a friend.

Laurence is on is way to Darwin. Next time he leaves an airport will be Friday afternoon!

Thanks for your support of Zac!

Mom

The Torres Strait

Copy from charting software showing the Torres Strait

Latest Position: 09/09/08 0630UTC 10.39S 141.25E

I know there are those of you who would prefer that Laurence and I not write - though I'm sure you wouldn't dare mention it in front of the Zac Pac! I will keep my post to the point not so much because of that but mostly because the last few days have been exhausting.

The fabulous crew of Team Zac Majuro, Jerry, Cary, Karen, Bryan and Ted have been faithfully meeting up with Zac on the HF radio, relaying our messages to Zac and then emailing info back to us. It is interesting trying to keep track of everybody with the 3 time zones.

We heard today that Zac has indeed made it through the Torres Strait! We also know that he had about 4 hours of sleep in the past 48. His next 500 miles are pretty straightforward with more attention to navigation needed as he enters the Dundas Strait into Darwin.

John Knight, the author of the Northern Territory Cruising Guide, has been a great help at gathering tide info and confirming waypoints as well as booking the yard, alerting media and even rummaging up a yellow quarantine flag that he will run out to Zac. Also many thanks to Bill Cruz from Australian Customs for alerting Thursday Island as to Zac's situation and sending on his boat and arrival info to Canberra for us.

Zac has been troubleshooting his email set up and reportedly has intermittant service for some reason. Laurence flies out tomorrow evening late and arrives in Darwin Friday afternoon by way of Brisbane. Thank you to Peter Grether and Adam from The Beach Comber for replacing Zac's lost ipods. Tomi de Greco had a new power supply sent over for Zac's Toughbook. Mike Smith is replenishing his DVD library. Ty Robinson, Bubba Cathy, Johnny Bear, John Weber... the list goes on and on! Many thanks to all of you who have sent equipment, money, letters and emails. There are so many thank yous to be made...I hesitate to write thank yous for fear of someone feeling left out. We appreciate all of you and your support: physically, financially, and spiritually.

I attached a section of my computer screen showing a somewhat detailed chart of the Torres Strait. Someone asked why Zac entered the Strait so close to PNG. He entered the Strait at Bramble Cay in the top right corner (9 08.946S 143 53.496E) The yellow circles show the lights marking the reefs along the Great North East Channel. He followed that down to Twin Island (10 26.027S 142 27.363E) and then had to bear west through the Prince of Wales Channel, out past Booby Island (named for the infamous bird) and out past the Carpenteria Light Buoy at about 10 47.192S 141 02.329S. Yesterday's position (9/9/08) had him just east of the Carpenteria Light Buoy. That black snake-like line to the right of the screen is why Zac entered the Strait so far north - it is called the Great Barrier Reef.

Laurence was going to answer the question about the skeg but has fallen asleep so will have to wait for now.

Thanks again for all of your support.

Mum

Update from Dad

G'day to all,
Thank you all sincerely from our hearts for your encouragement and much needed prayers. By now, Zach should have completed his journey through the notorious Torres Strait. His last position given at approximately 11:30 pm West Coast time was 9.55 s and 143.05 e. We are in communication with Zac through Majuro where Kerry, Ted, Jerry and friends are in direct communication via the SSB (high frequency radio). They in turn communicate with us through their email. I would also like thank those who are involved for being so diligent, keeping us informed of Zacs progress and helping us give him much needed information. The passage through the Torres Strait has been swift with Zac making great progress in what would seem perfect conditions: 15- 20 knots of wind and neap tides (least movement of water between low and high tide ). Although it seems that Zac's on board Sail Mail is not working, we are happy for the communication that we do have. We also know that he must be extremely exhausted without being able to sleep for the last 48 hrs. or so because of all the reefs and dangers that surround him whilst going through the Strait. We will be very much relieved to get a position report tomorrow which will hopefully give us confirmation.
I am booked on a flight to Darwin Wednesday late. There is much work to be done and for Zac a well deserved rest. We are expecting Zac Sunday or Monday with current weather conditions. Also some of the media will be there: TV crews, journalists etc. We will be hauling Intrepid out of the water to take care of some faring that let go around the shoe of the skeg. Although he is still 600 nm away we hope that this will be covered swiftly without drama or anything else breaking down. Who knows, Zac might surprise us and catch a fish - no probably a croc where he is.
Cheers,
Laurence

Where is Zac? A Parent's Worst Fear

G'day to all,
The last 24 hours have been very difficult. As most of you know, we are in communication with Zac on a daily basis; we speak twice daily in the late morning and late evening. All safety aspects of the vessel, current conditions and what is coming weather wise are always the hot topic as are situations back here with family, friends etc.
Yesterday we heard nothing from Zac at the appointed time to call. We are not too alarmist so didn't think a whole lot about it, although in the back of our minds we were hoping that everything was going well for Zac. As time pushed on a mild anxiety prevailed. Every time the phone went we raced to it with the anticipation that it was going to be Zac only to have our hearts sink with disappointment when it wasn't him. It was the opening of the AYSO soccer season yesterday and as a coach for Jessie's team (U10 ) and assistant coach for Toby's team (U12) the games provided a good distraction for the family from are growing concerns.
Throughout this journey Marianne and I have had a few of those awkward discussions of what would happen in the unlikely event of disaster overtaking Zac. Many times throughout the afternoon we exchanged glances and the look from Marianne troubled me. I had told her in the past to be prepared for days where there would not be any communication due to equipment failure. I tried to comfort her with the reminder of these conversations.
It had been eighteen hrs since we last heard from Zac. Conditions were fair with the lightest winds he had experienced in a month. What could have gone wrong? We decided to start taking action. Zac is very responsible and would have made every effort to touch base with us. Aside from his Iridium satellite phone, he has SailMail (email service) through the SSB (single side band radio) via a Pactor III modem. He also has SSB radio contact with other vessels that would have been able to relay back to us via email. It would be very unlikely for all of these systems to go down suddenly and at the same time. We took his last known position and projected his course to next way point, taking into account lapsed time, speed of the vessel and conditions. We could figure out where Zac should be. Were we being hasty or was our son in need of help? We tried contacting the yacht club in Port Moresby to see if they could contact local shipping in the area but there is no organized marine safety organisation there. We contacted any and all missionary pilots we could find out of PNG. It was already Sunday there and we had very little success.
We began to put out prayer requests, contacted other cruisers with SSB radios and Aussie customs organisations that fly in that area. There were many emails and phone calls made during the course of the evening. We had not called for a full blown search at this time.
Situations grew worse when we contacted Linda at Clearpoint Weather. She is the Iridium phone expert there. She was able to get Zac's call record directly from Iridium. It was not good news. His last call was to Mike, our team eletrician, at 2:00am (our time). The call put Zac's position way off course in amongst a heavily reefed area. Were our greatest fears being realized? We checked and double checked the information. The question on both of our minds was how accurate was the information? We called back to Linda who assured us that the location given by Iridium was known for being very accurate and was often used by search and rescue teams. Had Zac's quest to become the youngest man to sail around the world alone met ill fate? Was Intrepid on one of hundreds of reefs in the area?
The family mood had been somber throughout the evening. The children had gotten ready for bed and one by one fell asleep on couches, seats and futons. Nobody wanted to leave for bed without hearing that Zac was OK. It was late and we were emotionally drained. We prayed one more time before attempting to launch a full on search and rescue. If the boat had sunk the automatic EPIRB (emergency beacon) would have gone off. We knew that Intrepid was afloat. We looked more closely at the coordinates that Iridium had provided but could not understand two things: why was Zac was so far off course and how had he traveled so far as to be on top of those reefs?
We began to contact Cairns Australian Coast Guard for a full blown search and rescue when an email flashed across our monitor. "Hi mum. I'm OK ." We could hardly believe our eyes. Relief was an understatement. We shot him an email back asking him to check his position but heard nothing.
The evening had been nearly more then we could bear. We went to bed relieved to know he was alive and that he hadn't fallen overboard or been absconded by rascals but wondering if he had somehow miscalculated his position.
In the morning we had an email from Chris and John from Moana. They are currently a few days out of Cairns, Australia, their homeport. They had spoken to Zac at length on the SSB radio and though he had had some trouble with his sat phone and email, he was sailing along comfortably at 5-6 knots and undaunted by his communication troubles. Carey and Ted from Majuro had also made contact and gave us his latest position which was on course for his way point. Praise God for modern technology, a cruising network of true friends and God's goodness. A heartfelt thanks to all that helped during our communication ordeal . We still have not gotten to the bottom of why Iridium's position for Zac was so far off or why Zac's email isn't functioning well. The sat phone fell into the sink (and an inch of water) when Zac was running up on deck to tend to a screaming fishing line. It isn't dead but isn't working either.
Zac should be entering the Torres Strait this evening. His efficiency will be somewhat limited because of his communication problems. It will be a true test of his ability to navigate to get himself through there without the instant communications that he is used to. Please continue to keep him in your prayers and we will keep you all posted as we receive more information.
One drained father-of-seven,
Laurence

On to Darwin

After numerous round the clock phone calls, prayer requests, good samaritans and plenty of hard work I am happy to say that Zac is back at sea tonight. When I asked him how it felt to be back out there, he said "Great!". He is working on a blog but we wanted to let you all know. The fuel polishing appears to be successful though Laurence will go through everything in Darwin in a few weeks. A few more photos courtesy of the much-appreciated Phil and Janelle Sutton:

Dropping the mooring

Dropping the mooring

Moving out

In the bay

On to Darwin!

Of Goblins and Fairies

Intrepid making her way out of the harbor, Port Moresby

Photo courtesy of Mr. Phil Sutton

G'day to all,

It's been a rather frustrating day here for us all, and even more frustrating for Zac who is having to deal with the current engine problem which is actually a fuel problem. I guess a good dose of prayer and supplication is in order.

Zac handled the engine failure of Intrepid very well and managed to get the vessel back into port without too much of an ordeal though perhaps a few premature grey hairs. Currently he is back at the harbor dealing with the latest saga. It might well be mentioned that the problems that Zac has encountered are no reflection on the engine which is a 30hp Yanmar. Both situations were extenuating circumstances that resulted in engine failure or more like the engine was deemed inoperable for preservation (not run to save the engine from damage).

The water in the oil has been written about in detail. The fairies were dealt with and promise that the problem will not happen again. The fuel situation is different, so here is my understanding of the problem and the solution: goblins entered the tank some years ago and have gone undetected until recently. Now that they have been detected, swift action must be taken before they take over the vessel.

Actually, the fuel issue is fairly simple. Something had been clogging Zac's fuel line on and off since the engine change was made. Before Zac left, samples of his fuel were taken and the fuel tank was declared clean by those involved. However, little thought had been given to the fact that the fuel had been changed from gasoline to diesel. The clogging could have been caused by gasoline residue that was lining the tank being partially disolved by the diesel causing gunk to build up in the tank which in turn clogged the line. The gunk could have been caused by other factors as well but we may never know what.

The solution is to evacuate fuel from the tank, clean any remaing residue, vacuum tank, clean fuel line, put filtered fuel back into tank and tallyho away he goes!

I appreciate all your questions and enquiries. Intrepid does have double Racor 500s in line. For those of you that don't know, Racor 500s are not goblins or fairies, they are fuel filters.

Why so much frustration? We have spent a lot of time on the phone trying to engage help from local companies. It has a lot to do with people saying they will do something and then doing another. The following explanation sheds some light: "Mr. Sunderland, have you ever been to Papau New Guinea?" "No, actually, I have not." "Mr. Sunderland, do you know what a third world country is?" "Yes, I do." "Well, Papua New Guinea is like a fifth world country." Doesn't really matter how frustrated you are, the situation is what it is.

Zac has taken upon himself to deal head on with the situation and was up early and on the phone and into town buying the vacuum and other materials to tackle the task. As I write, we are waiting to hear if he was successful or not. Many thanks especially to Phil Sutton and his wife Janelle and all that have been helping Zac through this crunch. I just wish that I could have been there to help. The yacht club has really been a safe haven for Zac and we really appreciate their hospitality.

Zac is eager to get out on the ocean again. Please pray that God's will would be done and that Zac would be able to continue on and have a successful passage through the Torres Strait and on to Darwin.

Cheers,

Laurence

Return to Port Moresby

Thursday September 4, 2008

The faulty oil pressure sensor inside the engine turned out to be the problem. The guys at Lohbergers didn't have the exact one for my engine so they had to machine the one they had to fit my engine. Everything was running well so I got everything prepped to go. Martin gave me a hand with decommissioning my dingy. I said my goodbyes and checked out of the yacht club. Around 4:00pm I dropped the mooring and headed out into the bay. It was blowing a good 25 knots, gusting higher and right on the nose so progress was slow. The way out of the port is a bit tricky at the best of times with two large reefs and lots of shipping. As I headed out I had to dodge a tug towing a barge. Right as I got past it the engine stopped dead! I tried to start it again with no success. So now it's blowing 27 knots blowing me on a reef about half a mile away. I spun the boat around, pulled out the genny and turned back toward the yacht club about 2 miles a way sailing in between massive container ships all the while trying to make enough up wind progress to clear the reef. It was tricky but I was managing OK tacking back and forth in 25s and 30s so I ran down below and called the yacht club for a tow in. Their guys had gone home and it was going to be 30 mins before I could be towed in. I had to kill time tacking back and forth in between ships trying to stay away from the the patches with sunken ships that were only a few feet beneath the surface but invisible til you're right on top of them. After about of 20 minutes of tacking around off the mouth of the yacht club the guys came out and towed me back into a mooring. I got my dinghy out, set it all up and went in for dinner at the club. I got back to the boat for a good sleep - all the stress is exhausting. This morning I've been working with some mechanics to drain my tank and hook out whatever is inside.
Cheers,
Zac
BTW, the 'G' shirt I was wearing was from the highschool that I played football for for 2 years - Grace Brethren.

Note from mom: As of this post, Zac is still in Port Moresby slowly dealing with the fuel and tank inspections. He may leave today (it is still afternoon in PNG) but may have to wait until tomorrow. The gale winds have died down to a mellow 10-15!

Port Moresby by Zac

Intrepid in Port Moresby, PNG

Photo thanks to Mr. Phil Sutton

Thursday, August 28, 2008
As you know, I found out why my engine wasn't starting (water in the oil) and that I couldn't fix it at sea so I decided to head to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for repairs. PNG was only 80 miles away. Remember my friend Wil from Oahu? His grandfather knew someone who knew someone in PNG. My mom had been in touch with him a few weeks before this and so sent him an email informing him of my decision. He made a few calls and everything was in place for me to be towed in by Search and Rescue and to moor Intrepid at the Royal Port Moresby Yacht Club. I wouldn't be able to be towed in pass the reefs outside the marina until 9:00am (20hrs away) so I reefed down the main all the way and put away the headsail but I was still going at 5-6 knots so I zig-zagged my coarse to add more miles. Around 4 in the afternoon the wind picked up from 20-25 knots to 25-30 knots. The swell also got bigger and sharper and continued to build through the evening. By 9:00 pm it was up to 30 - 35 knots and the swell was breaking into the cockpit which was a pain because I was hand steering. The conditions remained the same and I was flying along at 7.5 knots and hitting tens down the waves. I was getting thrown side to side down the waves and when I was down below I let go of a handle right as the boat learched and went flying across the cabin and slammed in to the stove cutting my hand on something.

Friday Ausgust 29, 2008

Me onboard Martin's boat, PNG

Photo by Phil Sutton

The conditions died down around 5am to 25kts and the swell was about 10ft. I got to the entrance of the marina in Port Moresby around 1:00pm. The Search and Rescue boat had come out to meet me but because the wind was good and the passage wider than I thought, I sailed through the reef passages and into the yacht club mooring area. I hooked up to a mooring and cleaned the boat while I waited for my quarantine check. After I put everything away, a guy from another boat, Martin, came over and we talked for a while. Martin is also attempting a solo circumnavigation from Germany. While sitting in my cockpit we saw the quarantine guy go over to Martin's boat so I grabbed my paperwork and went over to Martin's boat and got my quarantine papers filled out.

There has been a lot of concern over safety in Port Moresby (POM). As I looked out of my cockpit I saw an armed guard standing in a guard tower overlooking the marina. Another armed guard was pacing back and forth across the breakwater outside the marina. I learned 2 things; POM definitely is a dangerous place and also that I would be safe where I was. The security at the Yacht Club is pretty elaborate. It has the feel of a military compound. Fortunately, there are most of the services you need inside the compound.

Royal Port Moresby Yacht Club

From Royal Port Moresby Yacht Club
Photo thanks to Mr. Phil Sutton
I went back to Intrepid, got my dinghy going and had some dinner at the club. Then I went back and had the first uninterrupted night's sleep since Majuro.

















Saturday August 30, 2008

Saturday I hit the showers early and then the yacht club for breakfast. There is a definite Australian feel here with lamb sausages, Vegimite and lots of meat! I met up with Phil and his wife Janelle, who are Americans currently working in Port Moresby. They took me to the airport so I could get my visa and exchange some dollers for kina (the local currency). Then we went to a grocery store and a gas station to pick up some engine oil and then back to the boat to start work on the engine. That evening I worked on the engine til dark and then had a second good night's sleep. So awesome as I was still recovering from major sleep deprivation. I had heard about the dangers of cuts in the tropics. The cut on my hand had become infected in that short time. It was good to be able to stop and rest for a few days and get that healed.

Sunday August 31, 2008

















At the Kipo settlement

Sunday Phil, Janelle, and a few of their friends who were in town waiting for visas for Oz picked me up and brought me to their English-speaking church. They were speaking English but it was still hard to understand because of the accents. After the service we went back to their house and while Janelle was making lunch we went out to a settlement (tribal village). All the houses in the village were raised several feet off of the ground and also dug in to the side of the valley. We met a bunch of locals and hiked to the top of this steep valley and looked down on Moresbey. This area is broken up into settlements arranged by family group/tribe. After the hike we went back to Phil and Janelle's for a good homemade lunch and then back to the boat for more engine work. That night I hit the yacht club with Martin. It was BBQ night and we both got massive steaks - the kind that you can only dream about while making a passage.

Kipo Settlement

At The Kipo Settlement

Monday September 1, 2008

Monday I got my laundry done and did a second oil change to flush out the last bits of saltwater and cut open the exaust hose to put in a valve to stop seawater from making its way back up the line. The valve I had was too small so Martin and I went over to a local marine store half a mile away. They didn't have the part I needed and Martin needed to exchange more money for the part he needed so we walked back to the yacht club through downtown Moresbey, always looking over our shoulders.

Tuesday September 2, 2008
Tuesday Phil, Jannelle, Aron and Joel picked me up and we went to the airport to try to get checked out but there was no one there so we went to a couple stores Looking for the exhaust valve I needed. We finally found one and went back to the bank where there were still no customs officers so we went to the grocery store where I did a big stock up for the next leg and back to Phil's where he gave me some of his home-roasted coffee and then back to the airport. I finally got stamped and went back to the boat with all the groceries. I got my diesel jerry cans and Phill and Aron filled them while I tried to put the valve on the exhaust which was the wrong size! So it was back to the store to get a new one. It installed easily and now everything was done on the engine and it was time to try it out. I started it up and the alarm was still on. I ran it for ten minutes, turned it off and started it again. Everything looked and sounded good except that the alarm wouldn't go off. Phil brought me down to the local Yanmar dealer, Lobergers, where I wasn't going to be able to have anyone take a look til Wednesday! When I told them what I was doing some of them had heard of me and suddenly I had 2 guys out at the boat in 10 minutes. They thought that it might be the oil pressure sending unit inside the engine and took it off to test it.

Me at Lohbergers



And that brings us to now I'm sitting on my boat wating for a call from a mechanic who is coming around 8:00am. So I've got to go continue the stowing.

Cheers,
Zac




















From mom:
Sorry for the delay in writing. Zac has been busy and pretty insistant on writing his own updates. We are still awaiting a final clearance from the mechanics at Lohbergers. Hoping that the trouble is only with the sending unit and not something more serious. Please fire away with quaestions for Zac about PNG. It is a lot to cover in one post and I know from our conversations that there is still a lot to tell...


Darwin address:

Mr. Zac Sunderland

c/- Darwin G.P.O.

Cavanagh Street

Darwin, NT 0800

Australia

Mark it: 'To Be Collected'



Zac should be arriving in Darwin in about 2 weeks and staying for at least a week. If it seems that mail will take too long to arrive, you can always mail it to Zac's mail box here at: 1710 N. Moorpark Road #212, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 though I'm sure that is not as fun!