KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - Two Australians bound to complete a trans-Tasman paddle may not reach New Zealand by their planned Christmas deadline.
Their 2200 km journey is likely to be an extra 800 km of battling strong ocean currents and persistent headwinds.
Justin Jones, 24, and James Castrission, 25, left Forster, on the NSW mid north coast, on November 13 and hope to reach Auckland by December 25.
They have paddled more than 1000 km in their custom designed double kayak but their electric desalination pump and their cabin bilge pump have failed.
A manual desalination pump takes valuable time away from their gruelling 15 hour daily paddle regimen.
If successful, the pair will be the first Australians to achieve the feat but a series a mechanical faults, unfavourable winds and fatigue are wearing on them.
They covered 40 km in today's headwinds - their second worst result and only half of their daily plan.
An independent support company, Race Recon, makes contact with the pair every evening and said conditions continue to work against them.
"The guys are pretty down today because they worked their arses off and got nowhere," Recon head Patrick Brothers said.
"They've had to paddle their way around currents - it's just not possible to paddle point to point."
Headwinds are expected to persist until at least Wednesday, when a change is forecast to bring westerly winds to help push their craft towards New Zealand.
"They'll have to cover just under 3000 kilometres before they get there," Mr Brothers said.
"It certainly suggests they won't make it by Christmas."
Increased fatigue and waning morale have also taken their toll on the expedition.
The pair report three indicators each night to their support team to gauge their current stamina.
On a scale of one to 10, they each rate today their physical fitness as a seven but their mental toughness and fatigue levels have dropped to five and below.
"It means they're down in the dumps but they're not desperate," Mr Brothers said.
The most recent mechanical malfunction involved the craft's rudder, where salt water is beginning to affect the control cables.
"It was extremely hard for them to steer in the swell and hold their bearing."
The men's progress and their recent audio dispatches are posted on their website, www.crossingtheditch.com.au
- AAP
