The solo around the world yacht race and other sailing related items.
Fairies, knock down
Skippers log #20
48 30s 121 44s at 00:00 GMT
Cape Horn is 1,999 miles away. Outside there is blue sky, sun and we are running along with some genoa poled out to port side. I helmed for a few hours this morning, just to be outside and enjoy the conditions, and surfed up to 16.4 knots. I was not surfing as much as I would like to when helming, but I do not want to push the boat to get that bit more speed. The wind is from the west at about 30 knots and there is a fair sea running. Sometimes the sea is coming from 3 different directions. I saw an increditable sight today while on deck. I saw a fairy...A feather from one of the birds in the area was drifting on the wind. It bounced from wave top to wave top, like a ballerina. I watched it for about 10 minutes, as it danced its way downwind faster than I was able to sail. It did not get wet, it remained feather light, cart wheeling and fluttered away.
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Skippers log #21
48 18s 112 49w at 21:50 GTM with Cape Horn 1707 miles away.
Conditions are horrendous out here. I am encountering winds up to 50 knots. It is blowing dogs off chains. The seas are huge and confused. Minuro who is at 53 degrees south, has winds up to 80 knots, gusting up to 95 knots. These are not fun days. It is really hang on for the wild ride. I am sorry that you did not get a log yesterday. My standard C satellite system went down when I changed ocean regions and I was unable to send any messages. I isolated the problem to the antenna, and fortunately I have my old system on board, so I was able to swap antennae and bingo, we are back in business. I am glad that the systems are identical in the hardware. Well, this is being no walk in the park. I wish my phone was working and that I could talk to Gwen. She is in Singapore till tomorrow, then heads home to Ireland for a few weeks, before repacking her bag to head to Uruguay. I can't wait to get out of this south Pacific. It is not what the brochures say with its tropical islands, sandy beaches and dancing girls. It is unfriendly, cold and wet.
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Skippers log #22
47 58s 108 50w at 21:00 Gmt with 1,584 to Cape Horn
The fleet is slowly rounding the Horn as I close the distance to the historic point. My weather has eased up a bit, but it is still blowing between 25 to 30 knots. The seas are still very big and we are progressing with just headsails set. I took the mainsail down in the severe gale and will wait for a better sea to set it. Even with just headsails, I am still making good mileage. I expect todays run to be in the 170's-180's. During severe weather, I get a fair amount of water into the bilges, particularly coming in through the two hatches. So my bilge sounds like a washing machine. Yesterday I took a very severe knock down, that dumped water on the cabin top inside of the boat. I do not know if Cockie has been able to survive some of these conditions. I just bearly have, but if it is living in the bilges, surely by now it would have been swamped by the water and drowned. I hope not, but I have not seen it lately. When the weather gets fine, maybe it will appear. I had an e-mail from students at Midland Park Elementary, some who feel Cockie should have been made to walk the plank, some glad that I did not make it walk the plank. Well hopefully will hear from some of our other No Barriers schools like Cainhoy Middle and Elementary school, Sea Island, Angel Oak and Garret. I am enjoying the heat from the hot water bottle that Springfield Elementary sent to Auckland.
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Skippers log #23
47 34s 104 00w at 01:15z with 1,434 to Cape Horn
As the Isabelle/Giovanni duo as arrived in Punta, I continue battling with confused seas and near gale force conditions. I am still sailing with just a headsail out. I have a badly shredded genoa. Fortunately it is my older sail, but one that has been very useful down in the southern ocean. I am hoping that the remnants of it will remain useable till Cape Horn, and then I can tuck into one of the bays for protection and lower the system, or else proceed to the Falklands to execute repairs. There is nothing I can do out here about it, but just live with the damaged sail and try and sail as much as I can on starboard tack. That means now I need to keep in the westerly to southwesterly wind flow. It also means turning the corner and heading more south earlier than I wanted to. I am still going east at present, hoping to hang onto this heading another day or so. The saga of Cockie and the Captain continue. Cockie is still alive, having put a very brief appearance last night in the galley when I turned the light on and caught it on the countertop scurrying towards darkness. It knows the rules and is playing the game, so there are no problems between us. Gwen has arrived back in Ireland after an amazing time in Singapore exploring a whole new culture. From her e-mail to me last night, I detected an new sense of self confidence in her and self assurance. The travelling in strange lands alone has had a positive impact on her, giving her more independence and the realization that she too can do anything she sets her mind too, or can deal with whatever situation she encounters. This has been a great year for both our growth processes. I am getting mail from old and new friends. Yesterday an e-mail was forwarded to me from Brent Walters, an old school friend from my Livingstone days in Cape Town. Hearing from him again provoked many great memories of an era in my life when I read about the great sailing legends and dreamt of solo circumnavigations. It was a remainder of my roots, and what has grown from there. The fruit of my life are blossoming. Our youth must remember to cherish everyday as we can not regain the lost yesterdays.