The solo around the world yacht race and other sailing related items.
Heat, the gate, food, trench foot
Skippers log #28
46 10s 104 23e at 14:00 GMT
It is dark outside. Squalls have been coming through at sunset and at sunrise. I am running downwind, making decent progress. I think I do like it up here a bit further north. My course is setting me a little bit south, and if the wind does not change and bring me back up north, I will have to gybe over as I have to pass through the gate, a series of waypoints I have to pass north of. I enjoyed the new year quietly. There was no champagne or celebration. Just the wish of a successful 1999. I hope this is the year that I secure a major sponsor who will help me achieve a new 60 footer, so that some day I may cross the line first. I was given some advice to try getting my Wabasto heater going. I disconnected the fuel line, ran the heater and waited. Then I connected the fuel line and sure enough, I got heat. It appears that I had drowned the glow plug. Now my bunk is warm and dry. My arm is healing and I can use my hand again.
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Skippers log #29
45 58s 108 24e at 13:00 GMT
I crossed one of the mandatory waypoint 3 hours ago, which I called the gate. The fleet had to pass north of 46 00s between 105 and 120e. I have been having squally conditions, and at sunrise this morning, the control line on the windvane broke again, as the winds gusted up to 35 knots and I had to drive till it eased off and I could replace the line. Soon there after another squall came past and instead of rain, I got small hail stones. Well, the signal on the satphone is improving and maybe tonight or tomorrow I might be able to call Gwen, and start the live radio coverage for Netcare in South Africa early next week. I have been making decent progress, and this is the kind of sailing I prefer. I set the heater up to dry the wet mattress in the saloon, should I want to sit on it. Did some general tidying up on board, cooked a big pot of potatoes for lunch and had an orange. My oranges are holding up well. Good quality fruit.
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Skippers log #30
45 59s 112 32e at 13:30 GMT 3,100 miles to Aukland
My telephone is back and I have been able to talk to Gwen. It has made such a difference having contact with the outside world again. I have been spoilt by it, and doubt if I could go to sea without a satphone aboard. Tomorrow I will be able to finish up the arrangements to do live links for Netcare on radio. Netcare has built an ad campaign in South Africa around my participation in the race to develop national brand awareness. This is a win-win for both of us. Technology has really changed sailing for me. I think of the sailors who made this same passage in the last 250 years. Many of them died from scurvy. A fruit grocer in the Waterfront in Cape Town gave me a lot of fresh fruit. After 30 days at sea, I still have 18 eggs, 2 apples and 20 oranges left. If the earlier sailors had my quality of food aboard, and could call home, and could make my daily mileage, there would have been no mutinies. I had one of Gwen's great curries for dinner. Conditions are such that I can cook again.
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Skippers log #31
46 17s 116 01e at 12:30 GMT
I have had some medical problems on board. Due to the coldness last week, and being wet, my feet went numb. I started to get pins and needles and last night when it start to be painful and my balance became affected, I decided to seek medical advice. It was the middle of the night, Cape Town time, and I only had the corporate offices for Netcare phone number, so calling Netcare was not feasible. So I sent an e-mail to race operations, who contacted Dr. Dan Carlin, giving him my description of symtoms. He came back with a few questions and later diagnosed that I have Trench Foot, a potentially serious problem brought on by extreme cold and dampness. Netcare gave me a very sophisticated medical kit, so I expected that there was something I could take for this. Dr. Carlin prescribed dry warm socks, and plenty of hot liquid, neither of which we have in my medical kit. So I have made an effort to stay warm. My Wabasto heater is a blessing now, and I have to remember to get hotwater bottles in Auckland.