The solo around the world yacht race and other sailing related items.
Short taking
Skippers log #51
33 37s 173 12e at 10:35 GMT
It has been living hell. I am less than 230 miles from Aukland, but unable to close the gap because of severe weather. Tropical storms are whipping up the seas. Today the winds were SE between 30 and 40 knots,coming directly from Aukland. The seas are a mess. I feel like a ping pong ball being bounced around by an idle hand. It is too rough to cook. I am hungry and very frustrated. This is my 49th day at sea, and what should be 2 days is more likely 3 or 4 days with this weather. I saw land briefly as I got swept past, unable to tack SE yet. It is hard just sitting wedged trying to write without being airborn as we crash over the crests.
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Skippers log #52
34 40s 174 01e at 10:30 GMT
At sunset I could see the land. In fact I was so close to New Zealand, that I could see the houses, the cars driving by and a person walking down the beach. It was a gaustly night last night, with the winds blowing 35 to 40 knots and a huge sea. I spent more time plowing through the waves than I spent on the surface. I was triple reefed on the mainsail, and had a staysail set and was bordering on having too much sail are for the gusts. But I hung in there last night, and during the early hours this morning, tacked for the coast. Minuro leads me by 17 miles and I am pushing as hard as I can. My plan tonight is to stay inshore tacking. I have good mapping software of the area, and I can "fly on instruments". The staight line to Aukland is 135 miles, but I have headwinds and islands so what could have been a 24 hour run in ideal conditions will take more like 36 hours. Right now I have no signal on my GPS. It has been intermitant, and I am planning to tack. I am waiting for my instrument to come back so that I can make a clear anylisis of my position and plan before tacking back to the land. After tonight, I have just one more night then I will be with Gwen, eating icecream and a steak. I have one orange left and one bar of chocolate. There are other foods, but they don't count on my list of favourites.
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Skippers log #53
35 54s 174 53e at 11:00 GMT
We are 52 miles from the finish line, becalmed. It has been an interesting day. Last night I tacked inshore, getting no rest, and managed to close the gap to Minuro by 1 mile astern of him, but two pairs of tacks behind too. Minuro had a straight shot at Aukland, and I had two headlands to tack around, hence on the next possition report I was 14 miles astern. Minuro did not learn the trueth till six hours later when he saw the next set of position reports. It was a beautiful day sailing along the New Zealand coast. Yachts and power boats were nipping in and out of harbors. Birds circled and fish jumped. I took a fresh water shower shower, luke warmed by the sun, and washed my hair with shampoo. I got to take a nap for an hour, and that is all the sleep I will have had in 36 hours so far. There will be no sleeping tonight. So New Zealand remains a frustrating place for me to get to. This morning I tacked into the Bay of Islands and on the outward tack, I kept crash gybing. The safety paddle of the Monitor Windvane had caught in a piece of kelp, and broke. I seem to have a bad habit of finding kelp on my landfalls. Well, if it was going to break, the timing could not be better. The Great things about Monitor Windvanes are, they are hard to break, and if successful and carring the recomended spares, they are very quickly repaired. In less than 5 minutes the windvane was steering again. I have sailed now more than 45,000 miles in the last few years with my original Monitor steering my boat. Gear that really stood up to the test of this leg were the Anderson winches and the Profurl roller furling unit. I have had no major gear failure, other than ware and tare on electronics, blocks breaking, lines parting. On reflection of this leg, it was tough on my mind and body. The boat did better than I. We will have her ready by the weekend for leg three. The reason my boat has faired so much better, proves that if one can get ones sponsors secured early and the boat prepared well in advance, success is attainable. I am thankful to my sponsors for their support and belief in me, and to all the school children who sent me mail and kept my spirits up. Gwen's meals are a must for my voyages. Not only is her cooking great, but it is that the meals were lovingly prepared by someone who loves to cook and used the best ingredients. I am glad the leg is almost over. I will send one more e-mail once I cross the finish line, then will shut down my Satellite system till February 5 and leg 3. Now if only I can get wind and cross this finish line.