LaGmra Day 13 - Puffin, Purchasing Parity, Media 06 Dec, 06 - 20.53

Keeping in line with local tradition, ahead is 4 day weekend. Today is a holiday, Constitution day followed by a fiesta (party) in the village for the next 4 days. However, the Marina is still working and we are scheduled for seatrials the day after. Its impossible to row the boat against the wind and given the prevailing wind conditions. Fortunately, one of the sailors in the marina has offered to tow us back from sea once we have finished.
Being a holiday, I have taken the opportunity to update the website and catch up with emails. I get about 200 emails a day and its good to hear from those of you I have not been in touch with for a few years.
Graham Walters arrived with his boat "Puffin" last night. Graham has had 3 successful crossings across the Atlantic, as part of a team as well as solo.
"Puffin" has a tragic story to it.
On Sunday,May 22, 1966, David Johnstone and John Hoare - began optimistically what proved to be voyage of no return. Puffin, only fifteen feet long, was specially designed and built for David Johnstone and John Hoare. Although they survived over 106 days at sea, which included 14 gales of various strengths and one hurricane, their brave attempt was finally ended on 3rd September 1966 when they lost their lives during a second hurricane, Hurricane Faith. Several weeks later the Canadian coastguard ship HMCS Chaudière came across the wreck of the Puffin and retrieved the little boat, by then festooned inside and out with marine growth. There was no sign of Johnstone or Hoare.
On a slightly more happier note (?), the iPOD has gone on the blink. I assume it is the sea salt. Just as BigMac has evolved to be a measure of Purchasing Power Parity, it seems the iPOD seems to have evolved to be a measure of remoteness. None available anywhere here nor in Tenerife. Now you a better idea of life on La Gomera.
Luckily, just in time, James "Tiny" Little, flies in from London tomorrow, bringing with him a replacement and a few pearls of wisdom from an experienced ocean rower. Tiny is one of the few who have successfully rowed solo across the Atlantic in 2004 along the same route and is flying in to see us off.
I took some time today to go to some parts of the village that I did not have time for earlier, passing the Church and the house of Cristopher Columbus.
With the manual tasks out of the way, tomorrow I turn my attention to route, software related issues, GPS, Iridium, media interviews and handing over operations to the shore team once I have left.
Cheers!
B

TODAYS PHOTOS -
1. The Puffin found floating at sea without crew. David
Johnston and John Hoare were lost at sea in the capsize.

2. The Village Church

3. Atlantic awaits