Tristan da Cunha

By A C Thorogood

Carrie, lost in high society meets Harold, who is just lost, and together they embark on an adventure that will take them half the way around the world on the high seas to the world’s most remote island, Tristan da Cunha.

Adventure, Drama and Romance all in a 34 foot yacht named Everend.

Things change, because they can never remain as they are. Life is about dealing with those changes.

Dealing with change can be as difficult as dealing with the past. Things change, they always do, and often it is the decisions that we unknowingly make that makes the greatest differences in our lives. When change presents itself it can turn the world as we see it upside-down, but often the changes can be for the best, guiding our lives down a path of adventure, love and passion. Change throws those that we most love into our lives blotting out the sunlight and shining the moonlight on their beauty. These moments are the ones that we often treasure, the first time you feel yourself falling in love, the first time you say ‘I love you’ and of course the first time that we untie the boat from the mooring and set sail into our own unique adventures that never quite turn out the way that we planned, yet ultimately lead us to our true destination.

Carrie and Harold, one stunning and unpredictable, the other awkward yet determined, have a place in everyone of us and their characters inspire us to combat change and take the leap of faith into the uncertain waters of the future.

C & A Thorogood are remarkable authors. Currently located in Male’ in the Maldives, they left Australia after years of dedication to teaching the art of Sustainability. Their passion for adventure shines through and I know their yacht is waiting for its chance to take on the Cape. I look forward to their future works.
C & A Thorogood have produced a remarkable journey that offers solace in an adventure that takes us far away to Tristan da Cunha.
Zoë Kidd

• Language: English
• Publisher: A C Thorogood
• Release date: Oct 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9780987057211

A C Thorogood

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Disclaimer

Copyright 2009, Eco Drive All rights reserved

ISBN 978-0-9870572-3-5

First Edition, First Printing 2010 Eco Drive, Australia

Second Edition, (e-book) Published 2011 by Eco Drive at Smashwords

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the authors or under terms and conditions of Smashwords.

Every effort has been made to trace the ownership of any copyrighted material and to secure permission from copyright holders. In the event of any question arising as to the ownership of any material, we will be pleased to make the necessary correction in future printings.

Contact Eco Drive at;

Write to: PO Box 369, Eumundi , QLD 4562, Australia

Email: [e-mail]

Website: www.ecodrive.com.au

Authors: Alexander Thorogood and Christine Thorogood

Art Designer: Christine Thorogood

Edited by: Zoë Kidd & Peter Raab

Foreword: Zoë Kidd

There are many roads to our destination,

no right ones,

no wrong ones,

and no short cuts.

Alex Thorogood, 1996

Foreword

Dealing with change can be as difficult as dealing with the past. Things change, they always do, and often it is the decisions that we unknowingly make that makes the greatest differences in our lives. When change presents itself it can turn the world as we see it upside-down, but often the changes can be for the best, guiding our lives down a path of adventure, love and passion. Change throws those that we most love into our lives blotting out the sunlight and shining the moonlight on their beauty. These moments are the ones that we often treasure, the first time you feel yourself falling in love, the first time you say ‘I love you’ and of course the first time that we untie the boat from the mooring and set sail into our own unique adventures that never quite turn out the way that we planned, yet ultimately lead us to our true destination.

Carrie and Harold, one stunning and unpredictable, the other awkward yet determined, have a place in everyone of us and their characters inspire us to combat change and take the leap of faith into the uncertain waters of the future.

C & A Thorogood are remarkable authors. Currently located in Male’ in the Maldives, they left Australia after years of dedication to teaching the art of Sustainability. Their passion for adventure shines through and I know their yacht is waiting for its chance to take on the Cape. I look forward to their future works.

C & A Thorogood have produced a remarkable journey that offers solace in an adventure that takes us far away to Tristan da Cunha.

Zoë Kidd

Preface

Carrie, lost in high society meets Harold, who is just lost, and together they embark on an adventure that will take them half the way around the world on the high seas to the world’s most remote island, Tristan da Cunha.

Adventure, Drama and Romance all in a 34 foot yacht named Everend.

Things change, because they can never remain as they are. Life is about dealing with those changes.

Contents

Disclaimer

Foreword

Preface

Contents

Chapter 1 Harold’s Law of Uncertainty

Chapter 2 The Boat

Chapter 3 Sea Trials

Chapter 4 Now or Never

Chapter 5 Plain Sailing

Chapter 6 It’s all a Matter of Principle

Chapter 7 Not Quite the South of France

Chapter 8 Let the Truth be Known

Chapter 9 DIY Self Help

Chapter 10 A New Beginning

Chapter 11 Where to from here?

Chapter 12 Living in Paradise

Chapter 13 What is Love?

Chapter 14 Tristan da Cunha

Chapter 15 Things Change

Chapter 16 Taken

Chapter 17 Catch of the Day

Chapter 18 How is Carrie?

Chapter 19 The Plan

Chapter 20 Better than the Original

Chapter 21 Sinking is a Great Topic

Chapter 1 - Harold’s Law of Uncertainty

Things change, they always change, but we seldom see things change. Things have to change and sometimes the change means we can’t go back. I guess if you’re pondering change then it’s the latter. Only moments ago I was in seventh heaven, every nerve in my body, alive with excitement and adrenalin pumping; what a sensation. Then, everything changed, in one split second I had gone from the top of the pile to be buried in the rolling surf; my body aching from the relentless pounding. A strange time to ponder change I know, but now each second seems like an hour and the urgency to make change paramount, but ponder my mind did.

Five painstaking years had gone into restoring Everend and now her hull was being pounded by the relentless surf. All that work, all that pain, lost, in a split second, due to a moment of inattention and now my life was in peril.

Earlier that morning I had taken on supplies from Edinburgh on the remote Island of Tristan da Cunha. Tristan da Cunha an English colony of about 269 people, situated in the mid Atlantic is located between CapeTown and Buenos Aires. Being English and so far from England does seem strange, but, this location was my last planned stop before taking on Cape Horn. The pompous voice of the sterile senior still rang in my ears, as he pushed me off from the jetty at Calshot Harbour only hours earlier. Now chap, you take care, the sea has no friends.

Right now I would love to relive that moment and take a different route. The isles of Tristan da Cunha, discovered in 1506, are the result of an ancient volcano, which rendered the waters around the isles treacherous, due to the plunging changes in depth. I now lay as proof, with the white waters of the shallows, washing the deck of the girl of my dreams as she lay on her side in less than a metre of water. A few minutes ago we were moving proudly through the prevailing swell with every ounce of rag I could find hoisted. The depth sounder was echoing at 60 fathoms and then without warning, less than a fathom. The wind in the sails was dragging Everend mercilessly sideways across the rocky shallows, my lifeline holding me helplessly in the cockpit. In an instant the bottom disappeared beneath me as I felt the jerk of Everend righting herself followed by the echo ping 60 fathoms. White water bubbled into the cockpit as the craft lurched out of control. Just as suddenly as the shallows had hit I was now back in deep water. Fear tore through my body as the unknown damage spilt water into the cockpit. I struggled to release my lifeline, but it had become tangled in the mains sail sheets. The more I struggled the more I felt sure that I would join my girl at the bottom to feed the marine life. I struggled for a knife to cut the lead, but gashed my leg instead. Well once the sharks got smell of that, at least the end would be quick, I thought as I continued to struggle.

Stop panicking, my mind shouted as the realisation finally broke through, that the cockpit was emptying and the girl was starting to respond. Boat speed was starting to climb as the sail flogging ceased and a perfect sail set, once again dominated the rigging.

When you ponder change, probably the most daunting change is death and yet the truth is that it’s not always possible to see it sneaking up. I often ponder why death is so daunting, I mean, dying is like switching a TV off, one minute you’re on and the next minute you’re off, no more. Although I guess with a TV you can always turn it back on. The big issue with life is really getting everything you wanted done, done. The one thing about pondering death is that it is depressing. Then the topic of the afterlife slips in and yep religion, I’m flat-out living this life without thinking of the next. I think of religions as football teams, hopefully where backing the one God is supporting for the big game. I believe one’s belief in a spiritual being is the essence to why we are here.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Bryce Swartzenager and I am 6 tall with an athletic body and the most perfect blue piercing eyes. Well, not really, I am Harold William Gerbut, 5 8" and somewhat overweight with blood shot eyes and a lazy manner. Nevertheless, I would prefer that people thought of me as being the Bryce character I described earlier. I am 30 years of age and sailing to me is like an early onset of a middle age crisis. My quest is, to sail around the globe.

I was born in England in a small city called Weston-Super-Mare, to well meaning middle class parents who loved me dearly, although they always pushed me down the safe path. I left school at the age of 17 and gained my first employment as an apprentice journalist on the local Town Crier. I always thought of myself as a sporting person, but, the truth is I watched more sports and was more of an armchair expert. Really my life was quite boring, but comfortable. I am not a virgin if that’s what you’re thinking. I have had a girlfriend and I think I still have one, although I think she fancies the boat more than me.

The boat, yes the boat, now that was a stroke of luck. Weston-Super-Mare is on the banks of the Bristol Channel and each day on my way to and from work I would walk passed a group of moored boats. The boat closet to the shoreline was Neverend. She was a neglected fibreglass S&S 34 (Spackman and Stevens yacht, 34 foot long), with a dark shadow of barnacles growing larger and larger beneath the water line.

The weight of growth hanging from below her waterline was slowly pulling her down, giving proof to Archimedes' Principle. I often pondered the yacht’s forthcoming death, expecting one day to just see the mast protruding from the water. Don’t you love it; Archimedes Principle explains how a boat happens to float, the question is though, if it wasn’t for Archimedes would boats still float?

I once worked with one of those boring entities, Ron, who loved to quote laws in an effort to explain what happened. He would start, while looking over the top rim of his reading glasses, which I am sure he stole from a midget, It’s simply a matter of principle my boy, Newton explained motion with three laws and blah blah blah. On he would go in an ever so profound voice.

What I want to know is what would happen if all the laws of nature failed for just ten minutes? The most important thing is that Ron would be wrong. Yes!!! Yes, there is every possibility that the universe would be devastated, but, it would be worth it. I am sure the universe would agree; well spent to prove Ron wrong. Imagine Harold’s Law of Uncertainty. I have imagined this law many times, particularly whilst standing at the bar of the Lost Sparrow, watching the well stacked barmaid defy gravity as she reaches for a glass from the top shelf.

Anyway, back to the boat.

One foggy morning whilst walking to work in a daydream, which is how I normally walked, I glanced at the boat and about four steps later the mind registered the vision of water about to lap over the deck of the boat. I couldn’t let this happen; pulling off my shoes and jacket I waded into the murky cold water. Well the mud engulfed my feet, sending the most woeful smell into the air, but onwards I pushed, until I was as close as I could get to the boat without entering the whopping growth line. As I reached out, the oysters living quite happily amongst the growth attacked me sending streams of blood from my forearms.

Defiantly I made my way to the front of the boat and slipped her free from the mooring line. Swimming with all my might I dragged the boat into the shallows more than 100 metres downstream. As I stood to leave the water I slipped in the mud striking my head quite savagely against the hull of the boat, which sent me into a moment of darkness. When I awoke, I was lying on the path next to the foreshore with what looked like the Wicked Witch of the West lying over me giving me mouth to mouth. My first thoughts were, a demented, crazy, woman is attacking me. My next thought, Why couldn’t it have been the barmaid?

Within seconds the lonely soul looking after me was joined by hundreds of bystanders. I looked a sight with my arms caked in blood and blood freely streaming from my head. An ambulance had been called and the next two hours of confusion was spent in the hospital. The headlines of the very next Town Crier read, Brave man saves ungrateful boat owner’s boat. Mind you the Exeter Times read, Boat thief caught in the act.

Needless to say the boat owner was quite embarrassed by the entire event and awarded me the boat as a consolation prize for saving it and to gain standing back in the community.

The woman who had come to my rescue was none other than Mrs Gale, Felicity Gale and her intervention was an event that bought about one of life’s changes that I spoke of earlier. I was indeed grateful to Mrs Gale and made a point of thanking her.

In fact, the very next Saturday morning I made my way to her place and nervously walked the path to the front door. The path led through a manicured lawn lined with shrubs that looked amazingly healthy compared to what became the norm from my gardening experience. As I approached the door I heard her say, It’s the young man from the other day, you know, the boat one.

The bloody idiot, I heard a male voice in the background reply. He should be dead, the voice continued.

Good morning, Mrs Gale sang in a cheery voice across the verandah, I see you’re up and about, none the worse for wear, she chuckled.

To describe Mrs Gale, I would definitely say an attractive, slim, middle aged woman with an air of grace about her and definitely not a demented, crazy, woman as I had first thought.

I have just come to say thank you and to introduce myself, I nervously replied, I am Harold Gerbut.

You’re a bloody idiot, the voice in the background continued.

Pay no attention to him, Mrs Gale said, He’s my husband and he can be a little judgmental at times.

Now that was the statement of the year, I thought to myself as I tried to look comfortable in this most uncomfortable situation.

Come around the back and we shall take tea in the garden, Mrs Gale suggested.

Nodding, I made my way to the side of the dwelling where a small path led between the house and the garage. Peeking into the garage as I passed, I was curious as to what type of a motor they would be driving. I have always thought that you can tell a lot about people by the type of motor they drive. A convertible Jenson Interceptor, £100,000.00’s worth of magnificent machinery, I thought, not what I had expected.

The back garden was a bit like the Doctor’s Tardis, it seemed to go on forever with a gazebo situated next to a beautiful pond that looked ever so natural in a manicured sort of way.

Over here, Mrs Gale called.

I made my way to the gazebo and sat at a table in a chair that had been presented to me.

Tea or coffee? Mrs Gale asked, in a most polite manner. To say I felt out of place would be to understate the situation.

Coffee please, I responded in the most polite voice I could muster.

James! Mrs Gale shouted, Coffee and scones please. Now tell me about yourself. Mrs Gale continued.

Just then, her husband strolled meaningfully from the house wearing a pith helmet and typical safari attire. I am a journalist, I started.

A kamikaze journalist, her husband chuckled.

Bob, give the boy a chance, please! Mrs Gale responded.

I was 26, hardly a boy, I thought, and I hate being treated as if I was just out of school or in my first pair of long trousers.

Well go on, said her husband. Surprise us with your astounding intellect, he laughed to himself.

I stood and put out my hand and shook Mr Gale’s hand as I started to introduce myself. Ok, he said, I am Bob, one of the community’s normal people, he moved to a seat and sat. Just call me Bob and her Felicity, he mumbled losing some of the venom from his voice.

The next ten minutes went on in a fairly meaningless boring fashion until a female form approached from the house. This woman was as beautiful as I was ugly. I sucked my stomach in and stood as she approached. Long golden hair bouncing across her chest highlighting her womanhood, which was barely concealed by a loose white blouse as it hung over the top of her blue shorts, which for the best part could only be described as pornographic. Her long slender legs were framed in a pair of white high heeled shoes. She flicked her hair back and looked directly at me. So this is the fu….

She was interrupted by her mother, I can still wash your mouth out if you don’t want to be a lady.

Say it as it is, laughed Bob.

I wondered if they would notice if I crawled under the table to hide my embarrassment, I thought. The conversation went cold until James appeared with a tray of refreshments.

I’m Carrie, the young woman started,"