You can keep up with life aboard the Spirit of Mystery by following the boat's progress on their website - the current plot shows them 230 miles sou'-sou'-west of Newlyn on a course that will take them well into the southern latitudes before they turn and run before the southern westerlies and on to Capetown, South Africa.
Totally reliant on the elements, Pete Goss will make use of the trade winds and tides as did his predecessor. A careful look at this image shows how they will use the prevailing winds to carry the Mystery south and west. Once well down in the southern hemisphere, they will pick up the south atlantic trades which will eventually bring them into Melbourne, Australia. This image shows the route for the Velux 5 oceans race and bears a remarkable resemblance to that of the original Mystery's voyage - that there Cap'n Nicholls obviously knew his stuff!
Also on the website is a chart showing the course of the original voyage from the log kept by Captain Nicholls. Consider this in the context of the day when the world was going crazy for gold after it was discovered in California in 1848. At that time the people of America were not even united - there were still 7 years to go before the first shots were fired in the Civil War. It was 1854, still within living memory of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Nelson had only died in 1805, Stephenson's steam engine Rocket first belched smoke in 1829 and the world's fastest tea clipper Cutty Sark's keel was not laid until 1869. Notable Cornish events can be seen here, while the beginnings of a mass emigration of Cornishmen was about to unfold as discussed in this paper.
Here were a handful of Cornish fisherman, their sense of adventure no doubt fueled by a few jars in the Star Inn prepared to sail to the other side of the globe in a fishing boat aided by a compass, sextant and whatever good fortune would come their way. No doubt years of being caught out in poor weather and dealing with the day-to-day mishaps that every fishing boat seems to invite stood them in good stead. Like those in other 'hard' jobs, fishermen deal with the extraordinary in a down-to-earth, matter-of-fact and pragmatic way - no need to get excited or upset as nature soon teaches you a salutory lesson - that you just have to get on with it - wind and waves heed no cries of anger or frustration.
So it was on Monday evening with the departure of the Spirit of Mystery, a low-key affair with little fuss, a local news team from BBC Spotlight covered their sedate progress, rowing the boat from their berth and out through the gaps.
We wish them well.
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