Latest News

Bank Holiday Greetings :-)

Message passed on via Sat Phone.

Hi all,

As you can see I am at long last moving, slowly but steadily in the right direction. The ships routine on-board Murka has now become just that, routine. However we have now well and truly adjusted to being out here.

I have now tuned the sea Anchor settings for the most comfortable of stormy rides & rest in relative comfort, knowing what the old girl has already been through I am quite content out here in little Murka. I must thank Jamie Fabritzio the guy who flogged his heart out in getting Murka ready for this project....I said build me a floating tank that could go off of Niagara Falls, I think she may be able too.

Adrian tells me that the sun was out for most of the weekend, I hope that everyone has had a wonderful weekend & look forward to reading through the latest batch of messages.

Love Dom & the Little One!!!

Prior Planning & Preparation!!

Greetings all, I just thought I would take a step back in time to when the Team were finalising the prep in St Johns. The ease of charging all of the equipments batteries then laying it all over the apartment floor, meticulously inspecting & checking each Item is far removed from Little Murka’s tiny little cabin, solar panels, charge controllers and lithium batteries. We have now received the first Ocean born message from Little Murka; the triple P principal’s have certainly delivered.

Below are some images, one of Dom sending an email home from Signal Hill St John’s. We also sent a test message to the Iridium Pager and called my mobile with the satellite telephone. All of this after downloading the Lat & Longs for Little Murka sat below us in St Johns harbour basin, all in a matter of minutes.

Some one hundred and four years previously on the very hill where we stood. The first transatlantic wireless radio transmission was received by Guglielmo Marconi, on Dec. 12, 1901. The three dot message signal (morse code for the letter 'S') was transmitted from Poldhu, Cornwall, England. Marconi had a receiver wired to a kite that was flying 120 meters (400 feet) in the air.

Thank you, Peter & your team at 7E Communications, and all at Stratos Global Communications. If only Mr Marconi could have know what he had just started!!!

Trapped on the Grand Banks

Well folks a lot slower going than expected this has been due to easterly winds blowing against us and some very heavy weather in the first two days. Little Murka and I are in good shape we are right on the edge of the Grand Banks and if the SW winds predicted come on saturday me and the little girl will be clear of the banks and that will be very good for moral. We have been joined by some traveling companoins since leaving St Johns three storm peterals and a peteral who stay with us and use us a perch during the night. Big thanks to everyone in St Johns for thier help during our stay there Dan Mullet, Frank and Francis at Avalon Frank and his team at Emskip Eliane and her team at Leeside Manor and everyone else who really helped use out.

Thanks to my team back home Adrian Wibrew as ever my friend and Peter at 7E for working hard to make all the comms happen and Alby at Para Anchores Austraila I owe you so much again!

Much love to Ang and my family thank you for your love and belief in me which will keep me going no matter what lies ahead.

Tim Welford Pacific Partner I think of you every day and miss your friendship and banter and this voyage your coming next time!!

Many thanks to you all out there following our progress on our website and your good will messages are a real boost hopefully we will be making good miles towards home on the next update. All I can say is that me and Little Murka are doing our best.

Dom and Little Murka

Thank you Paranchors Australia

Once again an update from Adrian, given over SAT phone at 15:00hrs today.

Dom made some progress at the tail end of yesterday. However he had to go back onto his much trusted sea Anchor as the wind changed to Easterly. Not wanting to go backwards he is holding ground again. The forcast is for the wind to change soon thus freeing Little Murka from the grip of the Grand Banks. Dom sends love to all keep the messages flowing they are all good for morale.

In answer to some of the schools related questions via email, below is a description of the Grand Banks & attached a closer map for reference. Thank you Google!! I could not have put it better...

The Grand Banks of Newfoundland are located off the southeast coast of the province. In this area, the continental shelf is exceptionally wide. The Grand Banks is a 730-kilometre stretch of shallow continental shelf that extends as far as 480 kilometres from the coast. These banks are submarine plateaus that rise from the underlying continental shelf, to just 25-100 metres below the ocean surface. The average depth of these banks is around 150 metres, but there are many troughs in the shelf floor of glacial origin that are as deep as 200 metres or more.

9.6Knts Surfin the crest of a big'un

Taken by Adrian as dictation over the Sat Phone at 14:00hrs Today...

Hi Guys.

The Grand bank is overly grand when it is having a storm I can tell yee, Little Murka was riding high & sitting pretty. I have covered just over 110 N-miles in total but have been on the sea anchor for roughly 2 days so far. It looks as though for the moment, I will be playing the long game. However when flying the Kites my top speed so far has been 9.6Knots surfing the crest of a big’un Awesome Dave these Kites are mega the 10 metre is my favourite by far. I cannot wait to fly them in perfect conditions KiteShip Rocks. At the moment just had lunch, 'Cruga' Biltong & a little of the fresh stuff I brought along…Yumm. Morale good, on sea anchor….raining flat calm, no wind but happy listening to my Ipod. This afternoon I will mostly be listening to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers!!! becalmed, the Storm Petrels are aloft & I am happy.

Love to you all, Dom

We can see you Dom!!

As you can see folks the map is updating again, with a big thank you to Peter at 7E Communications Tim at X-plot and the team at Stratosglobal. Weekend shenanigan's for all concerned.

13:30hrs I have just fininshed on the Sat Phone. All is well onboard 'Little Murka' & Dom is still making steady progress towards home. With a fair wind he feels that he may clear the Grand Banks in the next 24hrs or so.

He spotted his first Whale this morning, he was unable to tell which species it was as it was quite a way off. I have forwarded all of your e-mails & kind messages of support onto Dom many thanks for those keep them coming. I may have to shorten some of them to reduce data size for my direct emails to Dom.

He promises to send us a live update from 'Little Murka' as soon as he is clear of the banks & Can take time out from Kite Flying to type us up a message. Meanwhile I will do my best to keep you all in the loop.

Adrian

When sending comments consider.....

We ask that when making comments you consider the people who will be reading the messages. Please refrain from using inappropriate language and remember this expedition is being used by some schools as an educational tool and that Dom's family are also following these messages closley. Messages will be mediated and any we consider as inappropriate will be removed. We are able to trace IP addresses and will contact you.

Good progress being made

For your information the mapping technoology is experienceing a temporary glitch and is not updating Dom's position however we are receiving manual lat and long reports which will be translated to the map as soon as possible. Hopefully it will be up to date soon - the team are working on it.

I have spoken with Dom he experienced a heavy storm last night however has had breakfast and is making good speed I estimate that he has covered approx. 150+ miles.

Keep sending your good luck messages he needs all the moral boost he can get in the early stages as he settles in his "Murka" daily routine.

Dom & Little Murka sail off into the sunset!!

Yesterday at 14.30 local time Dom and Little Murka left St Johns destined for UK. A perfect weather window presented itself a day earlier than expected so Dom seized the opportunity to leave. Dom gathered water and cleared customs swiftly thanks to Frank Hatcher of Avolon. Little Murka left the small ships basin within an hour of the final decision to leave being made. 

Dom has asked me to thank all who helped in St Johns.

I have some images of him leaving which will be posted as soon as technology allows(god bless IT)

Dom will be updating the site from Little Murka as soon as conditions allow. The first 300 miles are critical as Dom needs to navigate Little Murka across the Grand Banks and into deep ocean where things should start to get slightly more relaxed!

Adrian

Dom in St Johns

Hi all,

Well Little Murka and I have arrived in beautiful St. Johns and the dream is becoming reality. The world's first ocean going kite boat is nestled into the fishing port and she is safe and sound thanks to some fantastic help.

We arrived courtesy of Air Canada Cargo fully refreshed, leaving behind Heathrow airport in chaos due to strike action, our transit went without a hitch. Thanks to Neil Grant-Hunter and all the team at Air Canada Cargo.

Eimskip delivered her on time which was a great relief as anything sent by sea container always has an element of risk and custom agent Frank Hatcher did a tremendous job making absolutely sure that the 14ft boson dinghy was delivered without so much as a scratch.

The St. Johns dockside community were truly awesome, the help we received in unloading Little Murka was way beyond the call of duty, they chipped in without even being asked and on their own time over a weekend.

We are busy preparing ourselves and the boat for the task ahead. Testing communications, tracking systems, safety equipment, deck gear and kites, she has had her final coat of anti-foul and will be ready for her final sea trials tomorrow, in front of a curious local community and press.

The new website (www.dommee.co.uk) has now been completed, thanks to some sterling work from Rick Lecoat at Shark Attack Design.

Thank you and best wishes to my family and friends, without your help none of this would be possible, for that I help I am truly blessed.

Dom