9:40 PM Tue 13 Jan 2009 GMT
 | | 'Spirit of Mystery in Cape Town'
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You could make it's location a $64,000 question and get very few answers, as few sailors have even heard of the remote Island of St Paul, let alone sail to it. However, that's where the intrepid crew, skippered by Pete Goss, are heading when they leave Cape Town.
While his past fellow competitors are either racing round the world or being rescued from some remote place, the former hero of the Southern Ocean (for turning into the following seas in the Southern Ocean and rescuing a fellow competitor), Pete Goss has half his family on board and are just about to depart from Cape Town to cross the Indian Ocean in his Spirit of Mystery.
A 37 ft Mounts Bay lugger, Spirit of Mystery, replica of the original Mystery, is following in the wake of the seven intrepid Cornishmen who sought out a new life in the Australian gold rush. Leaving Newlyn on Saturday 18 November 1854, the Mystery travelled about 11,800 nautical miles in 116 days before arriving in Melbourne on 14 March 1855.
 | Island of St Paul, Southern Indian Ocean - .. . |
Other than the deck and a few other odd jobs they are ready to go in that Andy has the boat fully stored apart from water and fresh fruit. They will probably leave Tuesday, but like good cruisers, it might be Wednesday.
They are stopping at the remote St Paul, because, as Pete explains: 'The original crew on Mystery might not have stopped there but to sail past without a look on our voyage would seem to be the waste of a once in a life time opportunity.'
St. Paul Island forms part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, and is located about 40 nm southwest of the larger Amsterdam Island, and a whopping 1500nm south of R?union. There's a scientific research cabin on the island which is used for scientific or ecological short campaigns, but no permanent population. However, it seems like a very secure and deep anchorage - a magic thing to find in the middle of an ocean at any time.
As the remains of a volcano that has been breached, it seems as though it was made for the cruising sailor.
 | Spirit of Mystery - Pete Eliot Mark and Andy wave goodbye - .. . |
The group is keen to experience the rare island. Pete says, 'It has a rare albatross colony, a penguin colony and is a haven for seals and we are all very excited. It will make a fantastic break in what I sure will at times be a long and testing voyage.'
The Spirit of Mystery slipped the lines on 20th October last year, and they expect to arrive Melbourne in March. On board, apart from Pete Goss are his younger brother Andy; Pete's youngest son Eliot (who is 14); and Pete's brother-in-law Mark Maidment.
Further details about Spirit of Mystery are on Pete's website at www.petegoss.com.
by Stuart Elford
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