I was supposed to go and see Pete Goss today. Pete is building Spirit of Mystery, a replica 37ft lugger, at Mill Quay boatyard near his home in Cornwall with the aim of emulating a voyage undertaken in 1854 by seven Cornishmen seeking better fortunes down under.

They weren’t put off by Southern Ocean storms. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same after a night listening to roof tiles falling off. And Pete himself thinks he could be busy, with 80mph winds forecast later today.

The picture on the right, from Pete’s excellent blog , shows his preparations. He has put Spectra guy ropes on the shed he built to accommodate the hull and anchored it to a friend’s old Land Rover for good measure.

“I’m not worried,” says Pete with his typical cheerfulness. “If it falls down, we’ll build it again.”