Whangarie is where Cosmos will stay during the South Pacific storm season and while the crew goes home to see family. This city is ideally suited to my purpose. It is twelve miles inland and just below where the Whangarie River turns tidal. The river is a couple of hundred yards wide here. Cosmos is tied between two pilings, in a line with other boats.

Yachting craftspeople (sail makers, welders, jointers, fiber-glassers) are abundant, talented, friendly, and service oriented. They are also considerably less expensive than such craftspeople back in the states. The standard phrase of these craftspeople is, "No worry." So far, they have been right. I have engaged a welder, a joiner, and a sail maker. They have had the items ready on time on a short schedule, and the work has been beautiful. Of course, we won't be able to test the durability of their work until Cosmos goes sailing again in April.

Preparation for our departure has been hampered by persistent rain. It was raining when we arrived last Wednesday, and it rained until this past Wednesday. It was sunny Thursday, but started raining in the evening, and the rain is forecasted to continue through Saturday, when we leave Whangarei. Thank goodness for the sun on Thursday. We opened all hatches, cabinets, drawers, closets, sole panels, and bilge covers to dry the boat out. It is amazing what a drying affect one day of sun and wind can have after a week of rain.

Tomorrow, we leave for Auckland. Betty is arriving in Auckland on Sunday and Don and Betty will tour NZ and Australia and return to the States on January 12th. George and I fly out of Auckland on December 10th at 8:45 to LA and then on to Washington, DC.

We are really looking forward to seeing wives and family; especially wives. Elke has told me that I can't leave her again. I agree. Next time she will have to come with me.

See you all soon.

Joe Dorr, Captain of the Cosmos

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Summary highlights of Cosmos Leg 1, Florida to New Zealand.

1. Sailed 8,700 miles in 164 days.

2. Nights on anchor 89.

3. Nights underway – 75.

4. Average speed – 6.5 mph.

5. Biggest waves – maybe 15 feet in the Gulf of Mexico.

6. Longest continuous sailing – 2,800 miles in 21 days from the Galapagos Island to the Marqueses Islands.

7. Roughest sailing – five or six days of beating to windward in 10 to 15 foot waves from the west coast of Cuba to just north of the Panama Canal.

8. Hardest times – two weeks of preparation work in 100 degree 95% humidity in Fort Lauderdale.

9. Most adventurous day – Friday the 13th of July, the day we crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Panama Canal.

10. Most unexpected fun – flying over Rangiroa lagoon in an ultra-light airplane.

11. Person most missed – my wife, Elke.

12. Unexpected disappointment – I did not catch single fish.

13. Unexpected surprise – how lovely the people were, everywhere we went.

14. Biggest shock – learning about the destruction of the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon.

15. Nearest catastrophe – passage through the very narrow, coral choked channel into Ahe lagoon through turbulent waters using very poorly marked chart.

16. Most important technology advancement – GPS

17. Other great technology advancements – a. electronic charts that zoom and track with the boat based on information link to the GPS. b. Iridium satellite telephone. c. The Internet that allowed us to send pictures and narrative to the Webmaster who worked his magic to bring our adventure in near real-time to our friends and family back home. d. Water desalinator.

18. Prettiest island – Almost all of the ones we have seen, or maybe it will the next one.

Captain of the Cosmos, Joe Dorr