Apologies for the lack of updates… But I must admit nothing of any real interest has been happening of late. A lot of sitting at my computer working, and staring at my maps table thinking that I really should practice my tidal vectors.

I’ve also been spreadsheeting and pondering about the impossibility of it all… It seems I can work to make the money I need, but will not have spent sufficient time practicing, and may invariably end up killing myself along the way. Or, I can spend time practicing and not be able to buy the equipment to bring Constellation up to true ocean going ability, therefore letting Constellation become another ‘dream boat’ sitting on poles… I’m sure every prospective sailor has found themselves in exactly the same position, and as far as I can tell, there is not a lot you can do, except work hard and plan well… I’m trying.

I’ve noticed a pattern in these posts - First it is the dismal and the dreary ‘poor me, boating is so hard’ rubbish, and then comes the good news. Well, who would I be if I didn’t have a pattern? So, the good news is, Peter, another Australian who is stuck in Europe (metaphorically of course :), sent me a really really nice postcard:

That’s Captain James Cook - I hear he’s a pretty good sailor, and might know a thing or two about tidal vectors. So Peter from Oxford sent me this postcard to wish me luck, and I guess also to warn me not to pick fights with Hawaiin’s.

Peter from Oxford wasn’t the only metaphorically stuck Australian who sent me presents this week though - He also wasn’t the only one named Peter with a kind heart! Pete & Jade from London sent some cash my way, so I could eat fresh vegetables (limes of course) this month, and keep up the good fight to paddle off this continent back down to Paradise Island. They just got married, which means Pete is also broke and may have had to forego Vegemite and Fosters rations for the next 12 months. Thanks Pete & Jade, you guys are really generous.

So, with the excitement of presents still stuck in my mind, I must get back to work, stoke the coal fire, drink a lime on the rocks and search eBay for a hat like Cook’s.

nick.

(I’m still attempting to garner pledges for my certifications: 5 Days remaining, $330USD pledged so far! More information at my Fundable.org page or here.) (Don’t worry, I’ll soon stop pasting this in my posts!)

Firstly, thank you Nathan for the christmas present, very kind and generous

This week has found me in Scotland and London on work… I still don’t know what to do for christmas, but to stop my burgeoning indecisiveness on whether to go back to Berlin, take a random ?Ǭ£5 flight to anywhere in Europe, or stay on the boat. At this stage I think I’ll stay on the boat for christmas, in anticipation of being there at the same time next year… Albeit in water. I’ll ready the decorations.

So, if anyone from the UK is nearby, do come say hello! I’ve had a few people say they’d come out for a drink next time I was over, and I apologise for A) the short notice, and B) the time of year… Yet 2006 has been my most chaotic period, and it appears it will continue as such for quite some time to come!

I will be on email till Monday morning, but once down at the boatyard, it is a lengthy walk to the top of a residential hill, where I ‘borrow’ somebody elses wireless internet connection for email, so I could be a little inconsistant on checking. My mobile number is +49 304 9784389.

If I don’t post again before the 25th, merry christmas to you all!

nick.

Just a quick note to paste in an English translation of the article (below) relating to me, graciously done by a friend here in Germany (thanks Nicki!).

Just to contextualise where this piece relates to in the rest of the text - Basically the author is talking about the costly sponsorship requirements for Germanies entrance into the Americas Cup. The author then goes on to mention me and my somewhat different attempt. Here is the translation:

The German-Australian blogger and photographer Nick Jaffe (www.bigoceans.com) however chose another way to garner sponsorship. Currently Mr. Jaffe is working in Berlin, and plans to return to his home country Australia on his yacht, starting from Southampton (England) via New Zealand in May 2007.

He will document the journey on his weblog, using podcasts, and digital photos using the Flickr photo service. It is here that his project becomes interesting for attracting potential sponsorship. Looking for people willing to offer financial aid for his trip, he offered the space on his sails for purchase via eBay, starting at $9174 US dollars. As part of the offer to purchase the advertising space, the art group eBoy from Berlin have offered their skills to the future sponsors as art directors and designers. As part of the auction, 10% of the proceeds earned will be donated to Oceana, an organisation which focuses on ocean protection.

During the 9 day auction period, there were unfortunately no bids. However 650 visitors visited the auction, including a worldwide car producer, which for legal and organizational reasons did not place a bid during the auction. However the company is still in contact with Mr. Jaffe, and is actively working on a potential sponsorship arrangement. So things still look good for a sponsorship deal and a beautiful sail designed by eBoy.

Not a lot else has been happening on the boat front over the past few weeks. I am currently just struggling to get payments through, which is my main priority. I think things will become more interesting when the boat is paid off and I don’t have such enormous financial commitments, and I can start doing things like training and making repairs and modifications to the boat.

I am considering bringing Constellation over to Germany as early as possible next year (May/June), which may end up modifying my planned route - I could end up leaving from Kiel or similar as opposed to Southampton.

Ideas ideas ideas…

If anyone knows anything about the legalities or what I need to do to bring the boat over here, please chime in. Currently Constellation is not registered on the SSR (small ships register) and it would be nice if I bring the boat to Germany, to sail under the German flag. I’m however unsure if I can sneak out of British waters and make a clean registration in Germany, or whether I need to register with the SSR, insure, sail here, and then re-register etc. I will investigate further.

Nick.

Thank you to all those that ‘dugg’ my article and viewed my auction on eBay - Forty people ‘dugg’ the Digg Post, which unfortunately didn’t make it to the frontpage, but still refers a decent amount of traffic nevertheless.

The auction was viewed by exactly 650 people (is that an auspicious number?) and caught the attention of a possible major sponsor, and an upcoming magazine article! It’s all top secret and unconfirmed, but still very exciting.

I have a feeling my small attempts at sponsorship on eBay probably could have been timed a little better… I learnt a lot from the whole PR thing however, for example: Don’t time your auction when your country of origin is in a media storm over celebrity deaths… Little sailing boat ideas do not fare very well.

Due to a very gracious employer not paying me for work recieved, I am in a pickle and heading back to London to seek further work. I’m just testing to see whether moving countries twice in under six months starts to become an easier or harder task (not really, I just have no other choice…).

I fly out tomorrow for interviews on Wednesday, and will be sleeping on the boat for the rest of the week in quiet anticipation, to see if I actually land a job in such a short time. If the damn yacht was in the water, I think I would come very close to just vanishing at this stage!

While I may sound somewhat jovial about the whole thing, it’s really quite a delicate situation I’m in. For starters, I had to go out and buy a suit. I have a theory that any job requiring you to change your clothes, should be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately, I also have a feeling London doesn’t associate ‘genius’ with an old jeans and faded tshirt look… I think Tony Blair is attempting to harness Silicone Valley culture in the UK, but with him prancing around in a suit just like his fellow countrymen, I think he should lead by example - Someone email me when he starts wearing skivvies and jeans, and I’ll imitate.

Dress sense and suit wearing jokes aside, fingers crossed something works out, otherwise the closest I’ll be coming to sailing, is floating coffee cups in the sink and singing. So if anyone has a job out there for an unemployed EU national with a ridiculous dream, I’m your man. I’ll even sing while I work.

I’ll attempt to make some kind of update from the boat, as I sit in the cockpit dreaming for fare winds and pressure against the tiller, as “Constellation” rests on it’s poles…

Till later,

nick.

While these people don’t actually get to come along (I’m going solo remember), they will be in my head along the way, having put up with me in general, my questions, ‘idea poking’ and my incessant annoyance!

Celeste	For putting up with me, plain and simply!
Duane Rodgers	For actually thinking I can do this - And the rest
Martin Gleeson	For listening to me all the time, and for being a fair ‘dinkum business partner!
Daryl Cook	For being my personal blog consultant, and also for listening and making numerous suggestions along the way
Craig Widdon	For giving intelligent advice on sail types and materials
Lorin Clarke	For taking the time to reply to my enormous emails on how to ‘get attention’
Tudor Rose	For showing amazing patience and helping with advice and encouragement whenever I needed it.