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THE intrepid family crew of a traditional Cornish
lugger are battling storms in the final leg of their voyage from
Cornwall to Australia.
Pete
Goss and the crew of Spirit of Mystery, who are re-creating the amazing
voyage 154 years ago by a Cornish group, have less than 900 nautical
miles to go to reach Melbourne. But a storm is brewing as they prepare
for the last big push.
Pete
said: "We have a big old blow on the way making today a rather subdued
affair as we wait for another work out. It's the waiting that's the
worst part, making everyone a bit withdrawn as they work it through."
Pete,
from St John near Torpoint, is accompanied on his epic journey by his
younger brother Andy, his youngest son Eliot, 14, and brother-in-law
Mark Maidment. The original voyage, 154 years ago, was also a family
affair. A group of seven sailed in the 37 foot lugger Mystery from
Newlyn in November 1854, to escape poverty and start a new life in the
Australian gold fields. Pete has recreated that voyage in a
custom-built copy of Mystery to shine a light on the bravery of the
original crew of the Mystery.
Australia
is thought to have the largest number of Cornish descendents in the
world, some of whom are related to the original crew of the Mystery.
It is now hoped that many of those people, including some of those
descendents and relatives, will turn out to meet Spirit of Mystery when
she arrives in Melbourne.
Updates
will be given as the voyage progresses and people can follow Spirit of
Mystery via Pete's website, which features a satellite tracking
facility. Pete also writes a daily blog from the boat, which can be
seen on the www.petegoss.com website.
article copyright WESTERN MORNING NEWS
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