The solo around the world yacht race and other sailing related items.
Missing Gwen, icebergs
Skippers log #5
36 37s 28 03e at 16:30 GMT
Has 178 seconds ever meant the world to you? Has less than three minutes transformed you from absolute misery to a sense of acceptance? Today I was at the lowest I have been on this voyage. I have been trying to get SE to avoid a high pressure system, and instead, ended slam bang right in the middle of it and was becalmed for about 8 hours. In the last 24 hours I have done 80 miles. The levels of frustration sky-rocketed. The time going around in circles became soul seaching hours at the helm in the Indian Ocean's midday heat. Earlier in the week I encountered that nasty gale, now the calm after the storm. I felt miserable. The gale shook me up and I stayed north instead of charging into the roaring 40's. I miss Gwen. I am scared of what the roaring 40's can do. Helming, as nothing else would steer, I asked myself why have I left the woman I love behind and why am I risking my life? Today I could find no answers. The easy option is to turn around and go back to port, admitting that the Southern Ocean scares me. It has claimed the lives of two good friends, Harry Mitchell and Jerry Roefs, both exceptional sailors. Yet I can't turn back. I just had to call Gwen and hear her voice, tell her that I love her and know that she is there. It took all of 178 seconds, and the courage in me returned to overcome my fears and doubts, restoring my faith in my abilities and vessel, that I will survive the Southern Ocean, not for my lost friends, but for myself. Yet I still think of the woman I last saw standing on the deck of a yacht, waving good bye as I sailed away. It was only four days ago and I am finding it hard to live without her.
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Skippers log #6
38 25s 27 42e at 16:30 GMT
We are finally back on the move. The last 48 hours saw only a 74 mile advancement of our position closer to Auckland, though I zig zag drifted 170 miles. Last night I had no wind, so I went to bed in the saloon, frustrated, angry and in a foul mood. I dislike no wind situations more than gale situations. I did wake up every hour to see if there was a breeze, but after 3 naps, took a 3 hour long nap, and still had no wind. It finally came well after sunrise and I was waiting. During the night I did spend time looking at the Southern Cross. It was low on my horizon, and occasionally hidden by clouds. The rising moon was spectacular. In the water, not only could I see the star's reflections, but all the phosphorescence of the the organisms. As the stern would scoop water, the bright blue would come into the cockpit. It should be spectacular tonight with us moving. I spoke with Neil Hunter this afternoon. He too is being plauged with no wind, though I now am moving and he is not.
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Skippers log #7
40 58s 28 39e at 14:30 GMT
I have entered Godless waters, the Roaring Fourties. As a boy I read about these waters in the books of Slocum, Chichester and Rose. The power of these waters scares me. Here I can expect to encounter seas the size of office blocks and winds near huricane strength. In areas there are icebergs. The only company that is down here, are the Shearwaters, terns, and the Wandering Albatrosses. I sat on deck watching the Albatross circle my boat. It must be wondering why do mad men and fools traverse these unforgiving waters. This morning I felt a small bit of the fury of this water when the winds gusted around 30 knots, and I too wonder why am I down here. It is no longer the sense of adventure, it is now about survival from here to Cape Horn. Mighty ships in history have weathered these waters, and now I traverse them in my home built craft. It is true how small my boat is, and how big this ocean is.
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Skippers log #8
43 22s 31 44e at 20:00 GMT
I am enjoying the last of the fresh fruit, though I do have plenty of oranges left. I finished off the papaya (pawpaw), the avocado, pears and the bananas. I have one mango left for tomorrow. The seeds of the mango, papaya and avocados I tossed into the Southern Ocean. Should global warming become such an issue that it does melt the polar caps, lets hope that this will wash up on the fertile soil of the South Pole and start a tropical orchard! The sky is clear, the barometer is very high. That is bad news as when the lows start to move, the gradient from high pressure to low pressure is a big change, bringing lots of wind. I have turned to an easterly heading in preparation for a gale that will come within the next 36 hours. I do not want to get down below 44 degrees south as I think the winds will be stronger further south. Its back to survival tactics. Lets hope the next high comes in soon way to the north.
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Skippers log #9
44 01s 35 34e at 19:15 GMT
It is going to be another cold night. Last night was cold and I ran the heater quite a bit. I am glad that Wabasto "insisted" on putting a heater on board. It has made life very pleasant. The sky is clear and I can see the Southern Cross to starboard. We are heading east. I hope that I will not have to go any further south than where I am now. I would like to stay going east, in conditions that we have. I can live with the cold, and the clear skies. The barometer is still high, but seems to be dropping very slowly. We are chasing the high, but it is moving away faster than I can keep up. I have been doing a lot of sleeping and snacking, when not reading. It is too cold to spend much time on deck during the day. I am enjoying the company of the albatross. What a gracefull bird.