Mauritius - 3

I know you are looking forward to hearing from Zac but as the Croaker so eloquently put it - he only has so much time in a day. Recovering from a tough leg, facing a large list of maintenace and repairs, trying to get them done beofre cylcone season starts etc... Work is coming along on Intrepid. Zac has a miserable cold and spent the morning trying to send Laurence's photos over while Laurence and the guys worked on the boat. Unfortunately, there are some problems with the photos so we'll have to try again tomorrow.
Both of the guys are happy with how the work is going. I'm sorry to have so little to report but wanted to keep you all resting comfortably and not worrying.

In place of a blog from Zac I will post here some of the new FAQs that will be hitting Zac's web site any day.

To read some of the earlier questions and answers, please click on the “Zac FAQs” link on the right side of the blog, or in the header on his home page (FAQs/Intrepid).

Q Please tell us about Zac’s traditional school work and home schooling, and whether parts of his journey count for credit in school.
A First of all, Zac is a year ahead of others his age in school. He has finished all of his math requirements by starting advanced math earlier than most. Parts of his trip definitely do count towards his subjects in school. Those subjects are Composition, Oceanography, Advanced Seamanship and World Cultures (including food, history, customs, religions and government). When he returns, he will complete the traditional required classes for his senior year with his peers, such as History, English, Government and Economics.

Q Zac, do you ever get sick reading on board?
A No, I never get sick when I read on board.

Q Do you read a lot?
A I read when I can. Often, it’s just too hectic to read and navigate at the same time, especially in high winds and rough seas. Sometimes reading makes me sleepy, especially when I am sleep deprived, anyway. I usually have several books that I’m reading at the same time. I may be in the mood to read a sailing-oriented book at one time, but an entirely different fictional book or biography at another time.

Q Have you read Kon-Tiki By Thor Heyerdahl?
A I have it on board, but I have not read it yet.

Q Will Dad be meeting Zac in most all of the ports where he stops?
A Laurence plans to meet Zac in Mauritius, Cape Town and possibly, Panama. A lot depends on finances and if Intrepid needs anything.

Q When his water gets moldy, does that mean he has to stop somewhere for water?
A No, he just adds some bleach to the water to kill the mold, but not enough to make him sick.

Q With wet electronics, does the radar still work?
A Marine electronics, such as the radar screen, are made to be waterproof. A problem can result if the wires become corroded from too much water, but Zac hasn’t had a problem with that on his journey.

Q I know the AIS is transponder based, but will it still alert him to smaller vessels that may not have transponders?
A No, but they will show up on the other radar. The benefit of AIS is that it gives more information about what he sees, such as the direction, speed and identity of the boat.

Q How vital is it to have a functioning engine going to your next ports?
A It is extremely vital, especially in unfamiliar ports and in Panama.

Q Did Laurence take Zac’s CDs to Darwin?
A Zac is a typical teenager, who doesn’t have a lot of CDs. He downloads most of his music. There were two iPods donated to him before Darwin. One was fully loaded with a wide variety of eclectic music, and the other was awaiting a waterproof case, so that it doesn’t get ruined by salt water again. He picked that ipod up in Mauritius. Zac’s favorite music is High Energy Rock.

Q What do your other children think of Zac’s adventure?
A Abby (15) wishes she were on the seas, instead of Zac, but she is very supportive of his adventure. Toby (11) thinks he’s crazy, because he gets seasick, and couldn’t imagine doing what Zac is doing. Jessie, Lydia and Kathryn are too young to really understand what he’s doing and why, but they miss his being around to play with them. Ben is just a baby, so he has not voiced his opinion yet.

Q Could he have dried some of the fish he caught?
A Yes, he probably could have, if the conditions were right. It would have to be warm, calm and not too humid. The family has made fish jerky on board previously when sailing in Mexico, after marinating it in teriyaki sauce. It’s pretty time consuming, though, and probably was too humid where he caught the fish.

Q How far is Laurence’s home town from Darwin?
A Laurence is British, not Australian. He is from Lymington in Hampshire, England. He did, however, live in Australia for a period of time (Canberra and Bowen).

Q What was the longest solo trip that Zac has ever taken prior to this venture?
A Zac had not sailed a solo trip before he set off from Marina del Rey in June. He had sole responsibility for 4-hour shifts sailing to San Francisco, however.

Q When does Marianne get to meet up with Zac again?
A Right now, there are no plans for Marianne to meet Zac at any of the future ports, until he arrives in Marina del Rey. She would love to meet him in South Africa, but that depends on financial resources.

Q Did Lady Marianne locate a decent solar oven for you?
A Yes, but I haven’t used it yet. There are so many things to do and cooking food isn’t one of my highest priorities. I’m mostly eating canned and dried food, but I’m getting very tired of it.

Q When and where will new video clips be available?
A Some new clips were seen at the LA event on Oct. 26. It’s extremely expensive to edit the amount of video we have available, so newer clips will depend on financial resources, like just about everything else.

Q What is your best speed thus far? What is the hull speed of Intrepid?
A My best speed thus far, with currents is a little over 9 knots. The hull speed of Intrepid is 7 knots.

Q Will we get a list of positions, once you get to Cocos-Keeling?
A Yes, they will be posted eventually. ‘So much to do and so little time in a day!

Q Do you, Zac, have some knowledge of the constellations so you can identify them?
A I have basic knowledge, but I’m certainly not an expert in that area. I would not want to be responsible for navigating Intrepid based on constellation knowledge alone! I have developed a new method of celestial navigation, however. I tied the tiller to my foot as I lay in the cockpit trying to get some sleep and stay on course, correcting my steering by the position of the stars.

Q What CD did you listen to 100 times when your iPod wasn’t working?
A It was a Jeremy Camp CD.