The paraplegic solo sailor’s previous stop was Tahiti, where repaired a failing shroud on the yacht that he’s sailed solo from England.

His next ‘incident’ was a bit of a knock down while running under reduced sail in 30-40knots with three to four metre seas and the occasional cross sea. A cross sea struck Little Minx abeam at night.

“It wasn’t a knockdown but more of what happens in a broach,” says Jonathan. “Albeit the mast having never touched the water (I assume), I wound up laying on the back side of the saloon table for a second or so, before returning to the floor, where I ‘live’ by the companion way during offshore passages.

“There was, of course, water everywhere, and an annoying buzzing alarm: the autopilot’s control unit in the cockpit had given up the ghost.”
He was about 100 miles west, downwind of Rarotonga. He hand steered for half a day before heaving to, for two nights, he thinks.

 “Meanwhile I was battened down below, trying to put everything that flew around back in its place and also hold down the meals of canned vegetable Raviolli. The damage was really minor: a tear on the mainsail, broken battens, the autopilot flooded and for some reason the hard-disk on the laptop also gave up the ghost along with the bluetooth GPS.”

He didn’t have the CMAPS charts, but he had paper charts and a sextant - and an Android Tablet with basic charts of the South Pacific and ability to send emails. He was able to contact friends in Australia to ship a new autopilot to Tonga, the next downwind port.

 “When the swells subsided to a more humane condition, the infamous bungy made its return, and once again we were sailing and steering with the power of the wind, just like in the Pelican voyage.

 “Nuku’alofa has been incredibly delightful, albeit with skepticism from a few friends that have been here before. Tongan humour is one I very much sympathise with and the most interesting fact is that NO dogs on the street ever bark at my wheels: a first worldwide.

“Generosity from the local computer store gifted me a used hard-drive for the ol’ laptop and we were back in business. Just waiting on the autopilot that’s being shipped in now this week.”