He looks to be going south again now. He is heading for strong winds according to earthwindmap
Go for it Andy, can't wait to read your, "Where did you go on your boat today?" Post. 
Does un insisted mean he can't contact social media? I noticed he had sattrack internet?
I'm guessing the wind is from the south, he can only tack against it heading SE or SW. So he has chosen SW. I am speculating that he is caught in a strong north heading current that he is trying to sail his way out of, in order to try to find the south heading current to the west of where he is:
oceancurrent.imos.org.au/LordHoweS/latest.html
www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/forecasts/idyoc14.shtml?region=14&forecast=2
Got me stumped, he is now heading NW. By the weather map he should be in southerly breeze. It appears he is reaching back towards land. He has only made about 20km in a southern direction in the last 36 hours.
Looking at the latest current chart he should be in a southerly set. A bit further out he will get more assistance from the current.
He has a strongish southerly wind, against the current.
Wind against current, it wouldn't be pleasant out there. He is probably doing what he can in the conditions.
Yeah, it's not the easiest stretch of ocean, even Ken Read at last years S2H said it can be pretty nasty compared with other places in the world.
Its blowing 17 knots by my calculations, does'nt sound to bad. Maybe bad swell.
Andy isn't racing the clock; he will succeed if he lasts the distance regardless of time.
I'm guessing he is looking forward over the next week and seeing some ugly weather coming across the Bight. There is no need to rush into that. It will be all about the timing.
Select to expand quoteThis is from Andy's wife on his Facebook Page:
Hello everyone Andy has encountered some problems he has experienced some bad weather for sure but mostly he has had some issues with his furler wind vane and no charge to his solar panels. He made the decision yesterday that he couldn't proceed until he gets these things fixed. The satellite phone connection was a bit sketchy so I am not sure what else has gone wrong but he is safe and is heading back to Sydney. He should reach Sydney by Saturday afernoon then we will have a further update. From there we an regroup and see what the next plan of action is.
He is safe and it is a blessing it happened now and not in the southern ocean somewhere. Andy has had this dream since he was 6 years old one thing I know about him is he is not a quitter he may have to reset the date but he will follow his dream. Thanks for your support you have been amazing all of you - Wlll keep you posted. Deb hacking Andys facebook page. x
I'm not in Sydney, but I'm sure the Sydneyits will be there to help when Andy gets in. 
Select to expand quoteLazzarae said..
This is from Andy's wife on his Facebook Page:
Hello everyone Andy has encountered some problems he has experienced some bad weather for sure but mostly he has had some issues with his furler wind vane and no charge to his solar panels. He made the decision yesterday that he couldn't proceed until he gets these things fixed. The satellite phone connection was a bit sketchy so I am not sure what else has gone wrong but he is safe and is heading back to Sydney. He should reach Sydney by Saturday afernoon then we will have a further update. From there we an regroup and see what the next plan of action is.
He is safe and it is a blessing it happened now and not in the southern ocean somewhere. Andy has had this dream since he was 6 years old one thing I know about him is he is not a quitter he may have to reset the date but he will follow his dream. Thanks for your support you have been amazing all of you - Wlll keep you posted. Deb hacking Andys facebook page. x
Thanks for posting that info
Bugger, oh well take a breathe and start again Andy, better luck next time, and I know there will be a next time. 
he shouldnt feel bad or like a failure. this isnt something you can mess around with. If theres gear failure and any other issues that pop up, better to get them sorted. It happens alot after people depart on big trips and they have to work til they get it sorted. I think you need to be confident in your set up and systems and that youve done all you can to make them sound. If you went away knowing things were dodgy, you wouldnt be so confident in extreme weather. This is why he is stopped in Sydney for now!
Early setbacks are often a good thing. It makes a person even more determined.
Stuart Trueman, who circumnavigated Australia by kayak, almost died from heat exhaustion and dehydration only 48 hours into his 18 month journey. But after a brief recuperation in hostpital, he got back on the horse and completed his dream. Hopefully Andy will as well.
Jessica Watson managed to achieve her objective after a collision in her voyage to Sydney. Treat this leg as a shakedown cruise.
"Im not a failure because i didnt succeed. Im a failure cause i didnt try" kev the piss head from ricky gervais series "Derek" great line
Jesse Martin's boat deck leaked like a sieve the first day so they repaired it in Sorrento before heading outside.
Just spoke to Andy.
He is in fine fettle at the CYCA and will be there for a while. His solar and wind power sources are u/s and his Furlex furler failed damaging his headsail.
I plan to drop down tomorrow to lend him a mainsail cover.
It always take vast more time than you realise to prep a sail for this type of expedition.
Things don't happen over night and then add trade help to the mix it takes more time than you have and coordinating every thing to happen as you fit out a sail boat like this.
Then when you have a few problems just near start time gremlins appear that need to be sorted out . I know this happened to Andy
He determined he'll get back out .
It really needed a shake down cruise first but time didn't allow this to happen .
Thanks for all your support seabreezers
I had an eventful start to the trip it seemed like Murphy was on board but anyway I regrouping here in Sydney and should be be back on track to start again in 2 weeks
My first problem was power generation, the wind generator runs through a smart regulator which wasnt so smart after all and after the first 40 knot shall basically just shut the whole system down, the solar regulator which was a whole separate system for redundancy stopped working on day 2. I was left with my emergency 80 watt Flexi panel running through the spare wind generator regulator which worked flawlessly although I wasn't generating enough power to run the Nav lights all night which is why I was so far offshore
Then I was happily snugged down under storm jib and double reefed main in 35 knots when the furling line for the genoa let go the line had pulled right out of the drum of course by now it's 40 gusting 45 I tried to drop it but as soon as the tension went off the luff it zipped right out of the track and now was flogging like a machin gun i secured as best as I could in the dark and turned to shadow it with the main
the next morning I had to face the fact that the only sensible thing to do was to pull into Sydney, sort the issues out and start again
So here I am in Sydney just spent a lovely few days n a hotel with my wife. I've ordered a new headaail The wind generator company has been awesome in their help and cooperation. Now I need to find out what. Are the very best solar panels and regulator setup. My idea of using Flexi panels that could be taken down in a heavy conditions was a bad one.
i will use my 3 flexipanels as extras and put the best performing panels on the targa I have room for 2 x 1100mm x 600mm panels
any advice?????
Select to expand quoteandy59 said..
Thanks for all your support seabreezers
I had an eventful start to the trip it seemed like Murphy was on board but anyway I regrouping here in Sydney and should be be back on track to start again in 2 weeks
My first problem was power generation, the wind generator runs through a smart regulator which wasnt so smart after all and after the first 40 knot shall basically just shut the whole system down, the solar regulator which was a whole separate system for redundancy stopped working on day 2. I was left with my emergency 80 watt Flexi panel running through the spare wind generator regulator which worked flawlessly although I wasn't generating enough power to run the Nav lights all night which is why I was so far offshore
Then I was happily snugged down under storm jib and double reefed main in 35 knots when the furling line for the genoa let go the line had pulled right out of the drum of course by now it's 40 gusting 45 I tried to drop it but as soon as the tension went off the luff it zipped right out of the track and now was flogging like a machin gun i secured as best as I could in the dark and turned to shadow it with the main
the next morning I had to face the fact that the only sensible thing to do was to pull into Sydney, sort the issues out and start again
So here I am in Sydney just spent a lovely few days n a hotel with my wife. I've ordered a new headaail The wind generator company has been awesome in their help and cooperation. Now I need to find out what. Are the very best solar panels and regulator setup. My idea of using Flexi panels that could be taken down in a heavy conditions was a bad one.
i will use my 3 flexipanels as extras and put the best performing panels on the targa I have room for 2 x 1100mm x 600mm panels
any advice?????
House panels usually put out higher voltages like the LG neon 300 watt 37 volts but most are around one meter wide by 1.5 long give or take a few 100 mm.
House panels will even at around sunset and sunrise and over cast days put out more than the 12 volts where as a 12 volt panel wont
www.solar4rvs.com.au/solar-panels/lightweight-solar-panels/solbian-premium-marine-range-from-italy/
www.solar4rvs.com.au/prices-and-purchase.html
Hes a good bloke to deal with the lower link gives you his panel sizes all theses are flexible including the Solbians he sells
Another down here is low energy developements
www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-100-Watt-Solar-Panel-12v-Monocrystalline-100W-Brand-New-/321527933737?hash=item4adc8eeb29:g:dgcAAOSwaB5XtVFW
If you ever expirience problem with solar panels regulator, just connect solars or wind directly to batteries, and monitor voltage .
Chance overchargping your batteries is slim. Regulators can be weakest link I do not use them.
Use standart solar for 12v system , not for house higher voltage panels.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/100W-12V-Mono-Solar-Panel-Caravan-Boat-Camping-Power-Premuim-Kyocera-Cells-/262068714409?hash=item3d04833ba9:g:kisAAOSw-CpYBROL
opinion please charriot for the above
That's about the size andys looking for
Andy, if I was to cross an ocean single handed, I would probably favour using three or four smaller panels rather than one or two large panels, wherever they are mounted.
Other things being equal, smaller panels would withstand green water better, and be easier to de-mount and store below in unexpected circumstances.
I would also favour using several simple, compact solar charge regulators, perhaps even one per panel. (I'd get brand name regs, sealed, no display, say $60 region). Dead simple regulators are less likely to malfunction, and having two or three of them would make me feel better if I only have one set of batteries to last 11 months.
Of course with ancillary equipment choices such as this, a lot of it comes down to personal preference and opinion rather than outright right vs wrong.
