News of Linda & Brad (S/V _Lark_)

Linda has said, by e-mail (ca. 2025 hrs today) that they are safe and well--far from trouble--and busy completing cabinetry upgrades, rebuilt nav station, bottom paint, shaft seal & cutlass bearing, and repair of a rudder crack.

This is in Dockland 5 marina, Whangarei, Northland, NZ, where it is "warm and humid".

--Mark_

22:24 23 February 2011

Christchurch, New Zealand, Earthquake!

We are pretty distressed to learn that this beautiful little city has once again been damaged--this time even more severely.

• News @ _The New Zealand Herald_

Brad & Linda and Cindy & I have walked around inside the cathedral, which is variously reported to have lost its spire or to have been destroyed.

I have not heard from Linda & Brad, but I don't expect that they have been directly affected by this disaster.  Christchurch is roughly halfway down on the east coast of the South Island; their boat is in Whangarei Harbor, Northland, near the northern tip of the North Island.

• Whangarei @ Wikipedia
• Christchurch @ Wikipedia

• Our Christchurch pictures from March 2010 

Upsetting to think of that lovely and graceful place--and those nice people--suffering so.  Of course, the past year or so as seen a lot of suffering around the world, and we should not forget it.  Still, this is a place that I and people I know have visited (and _will_ visit), and that makes it all seem somewhat less abstract.

--Mark_
10:54 22 February 2011

Kattywompus: Linda's Viking Liferaft Testimonial

Linda has written a brief account of their _Kattywompus/reef_ experience, which Viking has posted on their web site.  Viking was very grateful for her contribution to their PR program.  Marine resellers who handle Viking gear are also running the article, which is the point.

• Linda's testimonial @ Viking
• Nautical chart of Doubtless Bay, NZ (the left pane)  The particular reef at issue seems not to be named on the chart.

--Mark_
14 February 2011