Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Boat Life
I am being challenged in many ways on board Kwela. I am learning constantly as not having any sailing experience, everything to me is a new one. The thing I find most challenging is the way of life that you begin to take on. EVERYTHING at a 45 degree angle takes preparation and planning. You have to move slowly and almost dance with the boat to get into a rhythm while moving or risk being thrown against a counter or across the cockpit. I have so many bruises all over my body! I also don’t know if being tall has anything to do with it, but it is difficult to move in and out of the small spaces. I have hit my head so many times getting out of the boat, I think the paintwork is coming off the door lol... Everything becomes a task at sea. From brushing your teeth, to bathing to going to the loo even making a cup of tea is time consuming. I have an interesting way of bathing. I sit in the cockpit (quite liberating actually) and lower a kettle over the side of the boat and then bath in freezing cold water – I absolutely cannot wait for a long hot bath!! My hands are also beginning to get calouses and dont look very well groomed!We do our chores daily I do inside and Sash does outside and get on with cooking and reading and sleeping as much as you can in our off time. Sleeping is fun, imagine trying to fall asleep in a washing machine. I hear the water splashing and moving past my bed, whilst rocking to and fro up and down! I have padded my bed with pillows to try and not rock too much, because seriously it is difficult to sleep while moving so much. I must say though that my bed is the most comfortable spot on the boat for me. I have dubbed it my “hidey hole”. It is also quite funny cos some times I sleep in my fowl weather gear and boots so that I can be ready if Sash needs me on her watch urgently. Really beautiful I tell you lol!! The other thing strange is how your taste buds change. Before we came on this trip, we shopped up a storm of things we thought we would enjoy... I bought about 60 breakfast bars because when we did our one training sail, that is all we ate – I have had a grand total of 2! I don’t feel like anything sweet. I also thought I would try to eat Tuna to get a bit of protein, again I bought about 60 cans and I have had 1!!!! Crazy – and yes, even for our Champagne sundowners last night for Christmas... The Champagne tasted funny! Now that is something haha The night skies when clear are spectacular, and sun rises and sunsets are beautiful.
No Wind and Hand Steering
Received on the 27th Dec 2011
Life on board Kwela has been good for the most part. Our biggest frustration at the moment is that we have had very little wind. We are travelling 50nm a day which is pathetic – at this rate we will get there end March! We haven’t even left African Coastline yet... Obviously the concern of running out of water is quite an issue so we have already started to ration ourselves to using the bare minimum. Having only a little bit of wind, brings more issues than only a time one. Our automatic steering mechanism only works optimally in wind, so hence with no wind we are having to hand steer the boat ourselves. It is very tiring. You have to sit in the cockpit (which is that area at the back of the boat) and then steer, obviously trying to steer a sailing boat with no wind has its frustrations because the boat doesn’t do much without wind. The nights are freezing out there in the cock pit, so our biggest prayer at the moment is that we get some wind to get us moving and also give us a break. We work 3 hour watches - which sounds easy, but trust me it is not. You can’t even take your eyes off the compass for 2 minutes to look at the stars because the boat goes off course so easily and then you have to take 20 minutes to turn the boat around again to try and catch the littlest bit of wind that there is.
Life on board Kwela has been good for the most part. Our biggest frustration at the moment is that we have had very little wind. We are travelling 50nm a day which is pathetic – at this rate we will get there end March! We haven’t even left African Coastline yet... Obviously the concern of running out of water is quite an issue so we have already started to ration ourselves to using the bare minimum. Having only a little bit of wind, brings more issues than only a time one. Our automatic steering mechanism only works optimally in wind, so hence with no wind we are having to hand steer the boat ourselves. It is very tiring. You have to sit in the cockpit (which is that area at the back of the boat) and then steer, obviously trying to steer a sailing boat with no wind has its frustrations because the boat doesn’t do much without wind. The nights are freezing out there in the cock pit, so our biggest prayer at the moment is that we get some wind to get us moving and also give us a break. We work 3 hour watches - which sounds easy, but trust me it is not. You can’t even take your eyes off the compass for 2 minutes to look at the stars because the boat goes off course so easily and then you have to take 20 minutes to turn the boat around again to try and catch the littlest bit of wind that there is.
Christmas at 39 Degrees South
Well that is definitely a first for me! My first Christmas in the middle of the South Indian Ocean and the first in 18 years not with Chris... We had a lovely Christmas day – despite no wind we tried our best not to let it get the better of us. We opened pressies in the cockpit and had a good day all in all. I made lentil shepherd’s pie for dinner and as I said earlier, we had champagne sundowners. The highlight of my day was that I saw an Albatross, wow what a beautiful bird. Such grace and elegance. The cherry on the top was that I saw a turtle!!!! He was just swimming along minding his own business. It was just a fleeting glance, he seemed shy but shew, a lovely Christmas present.
I have written a little poem... Don’t laugh :)
The motion of the ocean is fascinating
it is always constant but ever changing
The Aqua blue swell rises and falls
but chops this way and that when we have squalls
Our course is East, well we try at least
The nights are cold - we keep warm in fleece
With little wind in our sails
our spirits are sometimes in our tails
The clouds at dawn have a golden lining
so at least the sun is still shining
The Albatross and Gulls visit daily
and a few other creature sights have kept us sanely
Onwards and forwards we continue our journey
our destination is far but will be worthy
With the rocking and rolling to and fro
perhaps to Adelaide we will go?
I have written a little poem... Don’t laugh :)
The motion of the ocean is fascinating
it is always constant but ever changing
The Aqua blue swell rises and falls
but chops this way and that when we have squalls
Our course is East, well we try at least
The nights are cold - we keep warm in fleece
With little wind in our sails
our spirits are sometimes in our tails
The clouds at dawn have a golden lining
so at least the sun is still shining
The Albatross and Gulls visit daily
and a few other creature sights have kept us sanely
Onwards and forwards we continue our journey
our destination is far but will be worthy
With the rocking and rolling to and fro
perhaps to Adelaide we will go?
1st Email From Lee
24 Dec 2011
It is ten am on Friday morning and we have already had a very busy day. We cleaned the boat, and ourselves. It sounds so funny but it takes so much time to do everything. To have a bath and wash your hair takes over 30 minutes cos you have to calculate your every move and hold on for dear life, so it becomes a one arm show to get things done. Very frustrating at times, but we are staying positive and laugh a lot at the discomfort that sailing is...I have bruises all over my body!!! My butt looks like I have been whipped from falling into things and slamming around the cabin... I am chewing arnica tablets like sweets...
We don’t get much sleep because of the ever changing wind and conditions, so we – mostly Sash - is up changing course all the time and then I feel guilty and don’t rest, so things have been rather tiring, but we sleep when we can.The boat is going like a dream... Our max speed has been 14knots but we are only averaging just under 5 knots. The first few days were bad with no wind, so we are trying to make up a little time now. We have headed quite far South so that we can get the weather.
We are having a few issues with getting e-mails so comms is limited. The sat coverage is poor and it keeps dropping the signal. This is just lucky if you get this e-mail. We are struggling to get our weather pattern e-mails.
So far, I am having a good time... I have bouts where I feel a bit nauseous, normally when the gas for the stove goes on, but otherwise all good. I have seen some amazing sunrises, sunsets and moon rises. The stars are magnificent out here. It is not too cold yet and we are still keeping warm and dry. My hands are also very sore, but guess what? My carbuncle has gone down. I am so happy - yipeee!! I saw some flying fish the other day! They are so fascinating. Otherwise just birds, some yellow tail followed us a bit the other day and last night we saw a beautiful rainbow.
We are having a good time, I am enjoying it for the most part except the falling everywhere, but so far the experience has been awesome.I hope that it carries on and that we continue to be safe in our journey.
I am going to sign off as battery power is precious.
It is ten am on Friday morning and we have already had a very busy day. We cleaned the boat, and ourselves. It sounds so funny but it takes so much time to do everything. To have a bath and wash your hair takes over 30 minutes cos you have to calculate your every move and hold on for dear life, so it becomes a one arm show to get things done. Very frustrating at times, but we are staying positive and laugh a lot at the discomfort that sailing is...I have bruises all over my body!!! My butt looks like I have been whipped from falling into things and slamming around the cabin... I am chewing arnica tablets like sweets...
We don’t get much sleep because of the ever changing wind and conditions, so we – mostly Sash - is up changing course all the time and then I feel guilty and don’t rest, so things have been rather tiring, but we sleep when we can.The boat is going like a dream... Our max speed has been 14knots but we are only averaging just under 5 knots. The first few days were bad with no wind, so we are trying to make up a little time now. We have headed quite far South so that we can get the weather.
We are having a few issues with getting e-mails so comms is limited. The sat coverage is poor and it keeps dropping the signal. This is just lucky if you get this e-mail. We are struggling to get our weather pattern e-mails.
So far, I am having a good time... I have bouts where I feel a bit nauseous, normally when the gas for the stove goes on, but otherwise all good. I have seen some amazing sunrises, sunsets and moon rises. The stars are magnificent out here. It is not too cold yet and we are still keeping warm and dry. My hands are also very sore, but guess what? My carbuncle has gone down. I am so happy - yipeee!! I saw some flying fish the other day! They are so fascinating. Otherwise just birds, some yellow tail followed us a bit the other day and last night we saw a beautiful rainbow.
We are having a good time, I am enjoying it for the most part except the falling everywhere, but so far the experience has been awesome.I hope that it carries on and that we continue to be safe in our journey.
I am going to sign off as battery power is precious.
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Xmas on Kwela - Sun 25th Dec
The ladies woke up this morning to the 3rd day with no wind. It is absolutely dead calm, with not even a swell to make the boat rock. Almost at 40 degrees south and Lee said that it’s the type of summer day that you wish and pray for in Cape Town, especially in the windy south. Seeing that there is nothing else to do, plan is to put their bikinis on and catch some rays. I’d like to see those tan lines, what with a harness that has to be worn on the upper deck at all times.
Xmas lunch was well on it’s way when we spoke with the vegetables having been prepared and slowly cooking. They had already baked bread and were looking forward to a good meal and sharing a bottle of champagne.
They are currently at 39 17S and 28 46E (11am our time here in SA) and are looking at going even further south to search for some wind.
To answer some questions that everyone seems to be asking, here they are from the horse’s mouth:
1. What are the nights like?
Nights are beautiful with millions of stars being visible. Unfortunately the sunrise and sunsets are not as spectacular as originally expected as there is an incredible amount of cloud every day.
2. Are you sleeping well?
I have been sleeping fairly well when I sleep. I have had the opportunity to sleep more than Sasha as I catch 40 winks on and off through the day, while Sasha remains awake as she wants to keep a hand on everything. Last night was the first night that Sasha left me in total control and allowed me to actually steer the boat through the night while she had a sound 5 and ½ hours sleep.
3. Are you coping in the kitchen?
I have not had any big problems in preparing the meals so far. The biggest problem is that neither Sasha nor I actually feel like eating the food that the yacht is packed full of. The main reason for this is that we were both eating properly when the seasickness struck and now none of the food that we “brought up” is very appetizing. I hit my head fairly hard again today in the yacht. Still got to get used to that.
I was asked to please thank all those people who gave here gifts to open on Christmas day. They were very appreciated and she is very grateful for your thoughts.
Now for some other news:
- from the yacht – one of the big water tanks on board the boat that was being used for fresh water has been compromised. Apparently the fiberglass lining has separated around the edges and made the water undrinkable. The result is that they have lost 10 days of water. This in itself is not too bad, but coupled with the fact that they are travelling much slower than they anticipated and the fact that the rain catcher is not catching much due to the weather, it is something that they have voiced a concern over. The result is that we all have to add rain to the list of things that we need to pray for as well as the original calm seas and some wind.
- From False Bay Yacht Club – many of the people that were at the yacht club to see Kwela depart would have either witnessed the accident that happened on one of the yachts that was out of the water, or seen the ambulances and emergency services that were busy around the yacht. The gentleman in question was climbing a ladder onto his yacht when the ladder broke (the castor wheel collapsed and the ladder toppled) and sent him flying into the boat next door, where we all heard him land rather painfully. Fortunately, he is not too seriously injured for the type of tumble he took and it was reported that he broke his arm and dislocated his collar bone. We sincerely hope that his recovery is successful and that he has no long term complications due to the break.
For those who have expressed concern about the earthquake that hit New Zealand earlier this week and the possibility of any big waves, it would appear that we can lay our fears to rest in this regard.
Thank you to all of those who have sent xmas wishes to Lee and myself. I have forwarded them on to Lee.
I will be speaking to Lee again on the 27th, so I am not sure if there will be any news tomorrow, unless I get a message from Lee.
Enjoy the rest of the Christmas atmosphere and long weekend with your family and loved ones and please be safe if you are travelling on our roads.
Xmas lunch was well on it’s way when we spoke with the vegetables having been prepared and slowly cooking. They had already baked bread and were looking forward to a good meal and sharing a bottle of champagne.
They are currently at 39 17S and 28 46E (11am our time here in SA) and are looking at going even further south to search for some wind.
To answer some questions that everyone seems to be asking, here they are from the horse’s mouth:
1. What are the nights like?
Nights are beautiful with millions of stars being visible. Unfortunately the sunrise and sunsets are not as spectacular as originally expected as there is an incredible amount of cloud every day.
2. Are you sleeping well?
I have been sleeping fairly well when I sleep. I have had the opportunity to sleep more than Sasha as I catch 40 winks on and off through the day, while Sasha remains awake as she wants to keep a hand on everything. Last night was the first night that Sasha left me in total control and allowed me to actually steer the boat through the night while she had a sound 5 and ½ hours sleep.
3. Are you coping in the kitchen?
I have not had any big problems in preparing the meals so far. The biggest problem is that neither Sasha nor I actually feel like eating the food that the yacht is packed full of. The main reason for this is that we were both eating properly when the seasickness struck and now none of the food that we “brought up” is very appetizing. I hit my head fairly hard again today in the yacht. Still got to get used to that.
I was asked to please thank all those people who gave here gifts to open on Christmas day. They were very appreciated and she is very grateful for your thoughts.
Now for some other news:
- from the yacht – one of the big water tanks on board the boat that was being used for fresh water has been compromised. Apparently the fiberglass lining has separated around the edges and made the water undrinkable. The result is that they have lost 10 days of water. This in itself is not too bad, but coupled with the fact that they are travelling much slower than they anticipated and the fact that the rain catcher is not catching much due to the weather, it is something that they have voiced a concern over. The result is that we all have to add rain to the list of things that we need to pray for as well as the original calm seas and some wind.
- From False Bay Yacht Club – many of the people that were at the yacht club to see Kwela depart would have either witnessed the accident that happened on one of the yachts that was out of the water, or seen the ambulances and emergency services that were busy around the yacht. The gentleman in question was climbing a ladder onto his yacht when the ladder broke (the castor wheel collapsed and the ladder toppled) and sent him flying into the boat next door, where we all heard him land rather painfully. Fortunately, he is not too seriously injured for the type of tumble he took and it was reported that he broke his arm and dislocated his collar bone. We sincerely hope that his recovery is successful and that he has no long term complications due to the break.
For those who have expressed concern about the earthquake that hit New Zealand earlier this week and the possibility of any big waves, it would appear that we can lay our fears to rest in this regard.
Thank you to all of those who have sent xmas wishes to Lee and myself. I have forwarded them on to Lee.
I will be speaking to Lee again on the 27th, so I am not sure if there will be any news tomorrow, unless I get a message from Lee.
Enjoy the rest of the Christmas atmosphere and long weekend with your family and loved ones and please be safe if you are travelling on our roads.
Friday, 23 December 2011
Xmas Eve - Where's the wind - Sat 24th
Morning All
Up bright and early and thought that I would get this done so that I can continue with the thousand other things that suddenly needs to be done on the day before Christmas, which also happens to be a Saturday – last minute present buying, clean the house, wash Samurai who somehow has managed to get himself infested with fleas.
I spoke to Lee last night – so nice to hear her voice. I must admit that she is sounding very tired but happy. It is a huge adjustment to suddenly alter your sleeping patterns so radically. I know from experience that you eventually get used to it, but the first week to 10 days is really difficult. Obviously, being sea sick also does not contribute to one’s normal ability to handle sleep “deprivation”.
Their position as at 8:30pm yesterday was 38 50S 26 55E. They are currently going very slowly and will be sailing further south to try and pick up a stronger westerly wind. To complete the trip in the expected period of 55 – 60 days, it was necessary to sail at an average of 6 knots. The average yesterday was 3 knots. This obviously is a bit of a concern because you only need to do that for two days and you are already a full day behind schedule.
For those that are interested, Lee’s “children” (Samurai, Tiggy and Shylock) are all fine with Shylock most probably taking it the worst because he has no-one to lie on and abuse at night. Lee was telling Sasha yesterday that it’s strange not to wake up with a sore back because Shylock has made himself at home on top of her through the night.
I will be speaking to Lee again tomorrow morning (Christmas day) and will be forwarding her all your love and prayers and good wishes. I am sure that they cannot wait to crack that bottle of champagne and have a nice xmas meal. Lee has something special planned for them. Be interesting to actually find out how Lee (our culinary expert for the trip) is coping.
To all of you reading this, Lee and I wish you a wonderful long weekend, a blessed merry Christmas that is full of love and good times with family and friends.
Lee’s last words yesterday were: “I feel good, content.”
Up bright and early and thought that I would get this done so that I can continue with the thousand other things that suddenly needs to be done on the day before Christmas, which also happens to be a Saturday – last minute present buying, clean the house, wash Samurai who somehow has managed to get himself infested with fleas.
I spoke to Lee last night – so nice to hear her voice. I must admit that she is sounding very tired but happy. It is a huge adjustment to suddenly alter your sleeping patterns so radically. I know from experience that you eventually get used to it, but the first week to 10 days is really difficult. Obviously, being sea sick also does not contribute to one’s normal ability to handle sleep “deprivation”.
Their position as at 8:30pm yesterday was 38 50S 26 55E. They are currently going very slowly and will be sailing further south to try and pick up a stronger westerly wind. To complete the trip in the expected period of 55 – 60 days, it was necessary to sail at an average of 6 knots. The average yesterday was 3 knots. This obviously is a bit of a concern because you only need to do that for two days and you are already a full day behind schedule.
For those that are interested, Lee’s “children” (Samurai, Tiggy and Shylock) are all fine with Shylock most probably taking it the worst because he has no-one to lie on and abuse at night. Lee was telling Sasha yesterday that it’s strange not to wake up with a sore back because Shylock has made himself at home on top of her through the night.
I will be speaking to Lee again tomorrow morning (Christmas day) and will be forwarding her all your love and prayers and good wishes. I am sure that they cannot wait to crack that bottle of champagne and have a nice xmas meal. Lee has something special planned for them. Be interesting to actually find out how Lee (our culinary expert for the trip) is coping.
To all of you reading this, Lee and I wish you a wonderful long weekend, a blessed merry Christmas that is full of love and good times with family and friends.
Lee’s last words yesterday were: “I feel good, content.”
Hardly Moving - Fri 23rd
I do not have much news to share with everyone this morning. There latest position (yesterday) is 38.03S 23.06E. They apparently need to get further south than they currently are so that they can pick up decent winds.
I think a bit of homesickness has set in, or my messages are not reaching Lee as I was “moaned” at yesterday for not sharing anything with her. I will sort this out today and ensure that she gets our messages.
For those that are enquiring, Lee’s blog is http://leesodyssey.blogspot.com. I will be updating the blog over this weekend and all further updates sent via email will also be posted here.
The other blog that has more info about the actual route and their current position is the one that belongs to the originator of this journey and it’s skipper – Sasha. The blog is http://sailingsash.blogspot.com.
I would like to thank everyone for the responses I get from you. I forward all of the messages onto Lee, either verbally or via the communications system. However, I apologize to all for the fact that I do not personally respond to everyone’s comments and questions. I receive approximately 15 – 20 replies every day and do not have the time to respond individually. Please know that it is appreciated and taken to heart.
With regards to the questions I have received about why the story (departure) was not in the newspaper, I can only surmise the following:
The original story appeared in both the Local Fish Hoek Echo and the Argus the week prior to their departure. I know that the story around the departure was written and submitted. I supplied the photos that were supposed to accompany the article. However, the photos were not suitable in meeting the paper’s requirements, and hence the story was not printed.
Have a fabulous day further. Until tomorrow.
I think a bit of homesickness has set in, or my messages are not reaching Lee as I was “moaned” at yesterday for not sharing anything with her. I will sort this out today and ensure that she gets our messages.
For those that are enquiring, Lee’s blog is http://leesodyssey.blogspot.com. I will be updating the blog over this weekend and all further updates sent via email will also be posted here.
The other blog that has more info about the actual route and their current position is the one that belongs to the originator of this journey and it’s skipper – Sasha. The blog is http://sailingsash.blogspot.com.
I would like to thank everyone for the responses I get from you. I forward all of the messages onto Lee, either verbally or via the communications system. However, I apologize to all for the fact that I do not personally respond to everyone’s comments and questions. I receive approximately 15 – 20 replies every day and do not have the time to respond individually. Please know that it is appreciated and taken to heart.
With regards to the questions I have received about why the story (departure) was not in the newspaper, I can only surmise the following:
The original story appeared in both the Local Fish Hoek Echo and the Argus the week prior to their departure. I know that the story around the departure was written and submitted. I supplied the photos that were supposed to accompany the article. However, the photos were not suitable in meeting the paper’s requirements, and hence the story was not printed.
Have a fabulous day further. Until tomorrow.
38 Deg South and no more seasickness - Thu 22nd
Bit of a busy morning, so this information is going out a bit later than I intended, but here it is anyway.
I managed to speak to Lee last night. It would appear that the onboard satellite phone link is the only communication that we will be having for the entire trip. Communication is therefore limited, short and rather frustrating.
Lee and Sasha have finally reached 38 degrees south but have still not picked up much stronger winds. Apparently they were in a bit of a sea storm recently and they were tossed around a bit. Both ladies are bruised (black and blue).
Fortunately, they are both fully recovered from their bouts of seasickness and should be able to cope from here on.
Lee misses everyone and sends lots of love.
I managed to speak to Lee last night. It would appear that the onboard satellite phone link is the only communication that we will be having for the entire trip. Communication is therefore limited, short and rather frustrating.
Lee and Sasha have finally reached 38 degrees south but have still not picked up much stronger winds. Apparently they were in a bit of a sea storm recently and they were tossed around a bit. Both ladies are bruised (black and blue).
Fortunately, they are both fully recovered from their bouts of seasickness and should be able to cope from here on.
Lee misses everyone and sends lots of love.
Communications Limited - Wed 21st
The last update received from Lee is as follows:
They were at 36 54 44S 20 24 93E and struggling to get further south due to the prevailing wind – or lack thereof. Lee has her Sea Legs back and is in good spirits. I was given strict instructions to update her blog with all the info, so that will start from tonight for those that are following it.
They obviously have not sorted out the Satellite / Internet connection, so communication is still via the onboard satellite phone. Unfortunately I am unable to distribute the address as multiple messages to it could cause the a delay in necessary communications being distributed.
If you have anything that you wish to communicate to Lee, please forward it to me and I will relay it on. Please note that it has to stay under 160 characters (1 sms on your cellphone).
They were at 36 54 44S 20 24 93E and struggling to get further south due to the prevailing wind – or lack thereof. Lee has her Sea Legs back and is in good spirits. I was given strict instructions to update her blog with all the info, so that will start from tonight for those that are following it.
They obviously have not sorted out the Satellite / Internet connection, so communication is still via the onboard satellite phone. Unfortunately I am unable to distribute the address as multiple messages to it could cause the a delay in necessary communications being distributed.
If you have anything that you wish to communicate to Lee, please forward it to me and I will relay it on. Please note that it has to stay under 160 characters (1 sms on your cellphone).
Seasickness Hits - Tue 20th
Unfortunately there is not much news and it seems that this will be the format for the next couple of days. I briefly spoke to Lee last night and they are having problems connecting the satellite communication system to the internet on their laptops. Communication is therefore limited to 160 character sms’s and 55 second phone calls. The obvious result of this at the moment is that there will be no blog updates. The only blog that is being updated is Soul Sail (http://sailingsash.blogspot.com/). This is being done by Nicolas who is plotting there course on a map so that all can follow. For those interested in watching their progress, I suggest that you check this site, just like I have to.
Lee sounded ok but tired. Lee is still feeling very seasick and said that she is quite drained from it, but otherwise feeling well. Don’t know how you can feel well when you’re seasick – I thought that I was dying and certainly didn’t feel well. Sasha seems to have made a turn for the better and is on the road to feeling ok. Hopefully Lee follows shortly. I know that they have medication and a large supply of rehydration drinks so it shouldn’t be too long now (hopefully).
With regards to the actual trip, they are doing well. Word was that the sailing is good and the sea is beautiful.
Until tomorrow morning, we wish them trailing winds and calm seas.
Lee sounded ok but tired. Lee is still feeling very seasick and said that she is quite drained from it, but otherwise feeling well. Don’t know how you can feel well when you’re seasick – I thought that I was dying and certainly didn’t feel well. Sasha seems to have made a turn for the better and is on the road to feeling ok. Hopefully Lee follows shortly. I know that they have medication and a large supply of rehydration drinks so it shouldn’t be too long now (hopefully).
With regards to the actual trip, they are doing well. Word was that the sailing is good and the sea is beautiful.
Until tomorrow morning, we wish them trailing winds and calm seas.
Getting used to it all - Mon 19th
I wish to start off by thanking all those people that came down to the quayside to see Lee off on this awesome adventure that she is undertaking. It was originally only going to be about 7 or 8 people and then all of a sudden there were nearly 50 there. I know that she was blown away by it and if she was unable to spend any time with you, please don’t be offended. She was really struggling to deal with her emotions and was not finding it easy to say hello or goodbye.
We are still battling to get used to the methods of communication and who is doing what. This is an international effort with Nicolas (Sasha’s husband) also receiving news and updates and then we have to correlate everything and forward it on to the interested people. Nicolas, for those that are interested, has arrived safely in Australia with their children.
I have only received a tiny bit of news and that was sent yesterday at about midday.
Lee and Sasha are both fine but are however very seasick. They were struggling to find wind yesterday, with the result that the yacht spent a lot of the time bobbing up and down over the small swell. All minor issues with the boat have been sorted out (I did not know that there were any). They are also trying to get to grips with the personal communication systems that they need to use and it could be a few days before things are running smoothly.
The last position update was that on Sunday morning at 10am they were at 35.2S, 18.31E. You can see this on the attached map. The arrows and colour scale represent the currents at the same time.
As soon as I receive blog updates from Lee, I will post them and inform all.
We are still battling to get used to the methods of communication and who is doing what. This is an international effort with Nicolas (Sasha’s husband) also receiving news and updates and then we have to correlate everything and forward it on to the interested people. Nicolas, for those that are interested, has arrived safely in Australia with their children.
I have only received a tiny bit of news and that was sent yesterday at about midday.
Lee and Sasha are both fine but are however very seasick. They were struggling to find wind yesterday, with the result that the yacht spent a lot of the time bobbing up and down over the small swell. All minor issues with the boat have been sorted out (I did not know that there were any). They are also trying to get to grips with the personal communication systems that they need to use and it could be a few days before things are running smoothly.
The last position update was that on Sunday morning at 10am they were at 35.2S, 18.31E. You can see this on the attached map. The arrows and colour scale represent the currents at the same time.
As soon as I receive blog updates from Lee, I will post them and inform all.
Friday, 16 December 2011
My Silent Support...
16 November 2011
I have a few hours left now to spend with my precious husband who is my rock and has been such an awesome support to me - not just for this journey but for every one we have walked together thus far over the past 20 years. The song "I did it my way" comes to mind, but I could never have done anything "my way" without Chris and his constant love and support. He is always there silently holding me strong and ensuring that I dont lose "my way".
I have these words for you my darling:
Chris, you are the love of my life, my best friend, my adventure and my comfort, the compass in the map of my heart. I thank you for giving me the best hugs, making me feel beautiful, for keeping yourself groomed, for being funny and clever, for always choosing the perfect wine, for working so hard to provide for us, for taking care of our most precious pets and for always being the most interesting person in the room. I love you!
Thanks for reading.
Lee
Customs and Immigration and salutations...
15 Dec 2011
After many months of planning, the time to our departure is hours away...
To get the final wheel turning, Sasha and I had to go to immigration and customs today to do our sign out and let everyone who should know, that our departure is imminent.
I will not go into too much detail, but wow, we live in interesting times. The government department at immigration could not be less interested in what they were doing if their life depended on it. Anyway, we have signed out and an now really ready to get that wind in our sails.
While waiting for Sasha to arrive at immigration after she had been to the airport to wish her boys farewell on their departure to Australia, my sister June called to wish us well for our jouney, it was terribly emotional and teary to speak to her, but it just gives me every more reason to finish this journey knowing that she will be there with Chris to welcome me at the end of it!
I had more emotional good-byes with treasured friends whom I hold dear this afternoon, however I take comfort in the relief that I will spend time in thier company again on my return.
Thanks for reading.
Lee
x
The Miss
15 Dec 2011
...Is directionally proportional to The Fear that awaits
Not sure what scares me the most quite frankly, the fear of missing those I love or the fear of the unkown?
I have had quite an emotional week with the farewell to those I treasure and the impending departure of leaving my family, friends and pets behind when I depart on Saturday.
In my opinion, it is not often experienced in one’s lifetime, the value that we each hold in each other’s lives. Or the importance of the relationships we keep. At the open house I had and just
during this last week, I realized that I am so blessed to have a multitude of people that sincerely care about me. Thank you all that have made an effort physically, or through cyberspace to wish me well for my journey I appreciate it and will think of you all at a point during my time away.
It took everything within me not to be too emotional and the time spent with all of you that I love will be treasured close to me always.
Thank you for sharing my life and this journey with me, I will sincerely miss you all...
Thanks for reading.
Lee
Monday, 12 December 2011
Relief...
... So first thing this morning I was on the phone to the Australian Embassy. After holding on the line for what seemed like an eternity, I finally managed to speak to a person on the other end of the line. With huge excitement and relief, I discovered that my visa has been granted and that I will be able to fetch it from CT office tomorrow!! (I am still a little in doubt - after all - this is Africa - but I will keep you posted as to whether it gets there tomorrow! lol) With the relief and news that I will have my visa before I leave, a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Now I can focus on doing a few more things in preparation for our trip, but wont have to stress that I dont have my visa just days before I am about to leave!! I can put my attention to other things that need it.
Today has been a big day for Sasha as well. I am sure the relief of putting the yacht back into the water has been huge... Now she too can focus her attention to other things without the stress of that hanging over her.
I have also been pondering a little more on my blog post from yesterday as to the "why" of my journey... I think I have it!
Mark Twain said...
"20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbour. Crack the tradewinds in your sail. Explore, Dream, Discover..."
So, that is the "why" for me - to "Have life experience" - To Explore, Dream and Discover. I want to take on this challenge and just do it! To add the experience to my life, rather than forever wish that I had if I dont!
Thanks for reading...
Lee
Sunday, 11 December 2011
The Why...
11 Dec 2011
I have just returned from a beautiful time away with my family. I found time away a great time to reflect and get everything into perspective and mentally prepare for my time away on this journey to Tazmania. Sitting on the patio at the beach house in Britannia Bay, looking into the deep blue sea with tankers far on the horizon, I realised what a small vessel we will be on in that big blue ocean!
This morning Chris and I took Samurai for a walk on the beach and I measured out the size and shape of our yacht in the sand... I said to Chris "Imagine living on this little space for at least 50 days" I had over exaggerated the size which Chris quickly pointed out and against the breaking shore line, that space is ssmmaaalll.... The reality of this journey set a little closer to heart again and the sadness of the people I will miss weighs heavy on my heart.
I have many people I hold close, plenty of whom live busy lives. Family I hold dear to my heart and will always hold a special place in my heart made the time to visit with me this evening. I value the time they took to come and bid me a bon voyage.
I have a little more to ponder on now since the visit. My precious cousin Mike said to me "Leeky - You need a why...." He said, "you will need a purpose to get you through the tough times." I am now contemplative on my real purpose of this journey that lies ahead. I have been priviledged and blessed not to share my Captain Sasha's motivation as to her "why"... so why am I doing this?
My immediate response is to "support my friend through her journey"... That is her why though...
I think -
Is it - "To set a new South African record?".... That is a flimsy motivation....
Is it - "Because I can?"... What if I cant?...
Is it - "To get away from it all?"... It may be too far away for too long....
Is it - "To visit my sister?"... YES but why not fly?...
Is it - "For the attention".... Nah! that is just silly....
Is it - "To lose weight and get back in shape"... a little bit of a drastic diet me thinks!
Is it - "To discover who I am?"... Hopefully at 40 I think I should know who I am...
Is it - "To challenge my boundaries?"... I do that all the time....
Is it - "To live on the wild side and take on a challenge?".... Heading in the right direction but I also do that a lot....
Is it to - "Get in touch with my soul?'' I think that is the closest I can get to it at this point....
I am going to soak up as much peace and space that I can over the next 2 months and just take the time out to spend time with myself and my soul... I will be there for Sash as I know she will be there for me, but introspecitive space is high on my agenda...
For you my precious Mike, I will ponder on this until I have a "one liner of the why" but as I said to you in parting is that the why for me to get through the bad times will be so that we will see each other after this journey. For the family, loved ones, and friends that I will bid farewell to on Saturday, at this point in time, for me my "why" will be so that I will see you again....
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Grey Hairs and Nightmares...
08 Dec 2011
Not sure if the nightmares are giving me grey hair or all the stress around this impending journey. My nerves feel a little frazzled today as the time draws closer for our
departure. Tick Tock... Tick Tock...
I had the strangest dreams last night and woke up wracked with fear... The dream had
nothing to do with sailing, but overcoming obstacles that I found scary. Funny how the mind plays games with you...
Anyway, as far as the grey hair goes, I am just gonna live with it! Not many peeps out there in the
South Indian Ocean to see me hey? I may even end up cutting it all off! :)
Not sure if the nightmares are giving me grey hair or all the stress around this impending journey. My nerves feel a little frazzled today as the time draws closer for our
departure. Tick Tock... Tick Tock...
I had the strangest dreams last night and woke up wracked with fear... The dream had
nothing to do with sailing, but overcoming obstacles that I found scary. Funny how the mind plays games with you...
Anyway, as far as the grey hair goes, I am just gonna live with it! Not many peeps out there in the
South Indian Ocean to see me hey? I may even end up cutting it all off! :)
Lazy Days...
07 Dec 2011
I am loving the little break away that I am having with my family before I leave. We have come to a lovely beach house in Britannia Bay which is giving me a little more time to myself. Time to reflect on what lies ahead and gather my thoughts. I wonder if I should have just worked full steam ahead and not given myself this time to think too much about the journey. Haha!
I am loving the little break away that I am having with my family before I leave. We have come to a lovely beach house in Britannia Bay which is giving me a little more time to myself. Time to reflect on what lies ahead and gather my thoughts. I wonder if I should have just worked full steam ahead and not given myself this time to think too much about the journey. Haha!
Enjoying the quality time I am spending with Chris. I am really going to miss him a lot!!
Crazy Days...
04 Dec 2011
The build up to this journey I am embarking on has resulted in a multitude of fluctuating emotions. I have waves of intense anxiety followed by incredible excitement. Due to my nature, I try not to give into the feelings of anxiety and negativity but only try to focus on the positive and
look forward to the eventful times in the adventure that await.
I must be honest that I am petrified of the swell that I am sure we are going to experience. The
fear of the unknown I suppose is what is terribly overwhelming... The solitude and remoteness of our space is also on my mind. I am drawing on the courage that we are going to be so busy that we will not find time to get bored.
The build up to this journey I am embarking on has resulted in a multitude of fluctuating emotions. I have waves of intense anxiety followed by incredible excitement. Due to my nature, I try not to give into the feelings of anxiety and negativity but only try to focus on the positive and
look forward to the eventful times in the adventure that await.
I must be honest that I am petrified of the swell that I am sure we are going to experience. The
fear of the unknown I suppose is what is terribly overwhelming... The solitude and remoteness of our space is also on my mind. I am drawing on the courage that we are going to be so busy that we will not find time to get bored.
Juggling Time...
02 Dec 2011
I am still working like mad so with the juggling of clients, appointments, shopping for the trip and packing I find the hours in the day few.
There seems to be so much going on at once and the stress of being available at all times to accommodate clients and all the end of year functions and parties is making me very forgetful and I feel strung out...
I am still working like mad so with the juggling of clients, appointments, shopping for the trip and packing I find the hours in the day few.
There seems to be so much going on at once and the stress of being available at all times to accommodate clients and all the end of year functions and parties is making me very forgetful and I feel strung out...
Reality Check...
25 November 2011
Ok, so I am still trying to get over the shock of my first yacht sailing ocean experience. On
Wednesday Sash thought it would be a good idea to do a sail from Simonstown to
Hout Bay, so that I could get a taste of what to expect. Our bad luck we had the windiest day and very big swell. Dressed for success in our not so sexy sailing get up and kit, we headed out early in the morning and did what yachties / sailors call “beating” for 7 hours. (Beating is sailing into a head wind) It is hard sailing. After 7 hours of this beating we thought to carry on to Hout Bay would be an uncalculated risk given that to arrive at night in an unfamiliar harbour may not be such a good idea. We decided to head back to Simonstown. With the swell and the wind behind us, the experience heading back was just so different. We had such an awesome 2 hour sail back to Simonstown. We were even greeted along the way by “Dusky’s” (Dolphins). Heading out, both Sash and I were seasick and at one time I had a moment of doubt and thought “what am I letting myself into?”... I had to go into the cabin to use the bathroom at one stage and the cabin was very unbalanced (you sail at about a 40 degree angle) and hot, It smelt badly of diesel I had a fleeting thought as to whether I could handle to live in this little space for 60 days!!! Sure am gonna find out! :) We slept on the yacht in the harbour that night and then headed out again for a sail the next day.
Ok, so I am still trying to get over the shock of my first yacht sailing ocean experience. On
Wednesday Sash thought it would be a good idea to do a sail from Simonstown to
Hout Bay, so that I could get a taste of what to expect. Our bad luck we had the windiest day and very big swell. Dressed for success in our not so sexy sailing get up and kit, we headed out early in the morning and did what yachties / sailors call “beating” for 7 hours. (Beating is sailing into a head wind) It is hard sailing. After 7 hours of this beating we thought to carry on to Hout Bay would be an uncalculated risk given that to arrive at night in an unfamiliar harbour may not be such a good idea. We decided to head back to Simonstown. With the swell and the wind behind us, the experience heading back was just so different. We had such an awesome 2 hour sail back to Simonstown. We were even greeted along the way by “Dusky’s” (Dolphins). Heading out, both Sash and I were seasick and at one time I had a moment of doubt and thought “what am I letting myself into?”... I had to go into the cabin to use the bathroom at one stage and the cabin was very unbalanced (you sail at about a 40 degree angle) and hot, It smelt badly of diesel I had a fleeting thought as to whether I could handle to live in this little space for 60 days!!! Sure am gonna find out! :) We slept on the yacht in the harbour that night and then headed out again for a sail the next day.
We were accompanied by an experienced yachtsman to give us pointers and advice on the yachts’ handling. To my horror, I discovered that my skipper - Sasha - too was as yet not “one with the
boat”, more doubt and fear set in... Sash has never claimed to be a super experienced yachtie, but I got a bit of a fright. A good thing was that neither of us got sea sick this time.
Getting back from this sail, Sash decided to equip the boat to be able to solo sail so that the pressure of me having to learn to sail was off. I am going to obviously learn as much as I can and help out wherever possible, but my primary role is going to be first mate. I will be responsible to
make a daily meal and keep things neat and tidy on the yacht...
Embarking on a lifetime opportunity...
November 2011
Several months ago my friend Sasha Fauchereu posted on her
facebook wall that she was sailing to New Zealand and did anyone want to go
with her? Me who has always had the romantic notion to sail around the world on a yacht jumped at the opportunity and said that I would love to sail with her.
I have since learnt that Sasha thought I was joking... At first Sasha wanted to do a solo sail to raise awareness for Child Abuse, but unfortunately didn’t get the sponsorship she required, so after much consideration on her part she has allowed me the opportunity to join her on this epic adventure. I have never sailed a yacht in my life before.
Since the decision was finalized there has been so much to get organized as you can imagine for a 60 voyage at sea! I have had the most incredible response from family and friends with so much support emotionally, financially and help with loaning me items I may need. To all of you that have made a contribution financially I am ever grateful. Every contribution has gone into something necessary for the trip. (ie – foul weather gear, sailing boots, warm clothes, food, airtime for the satellite
phone, supplies, fuel, equipment etc)
My biggest hurdle so far has been trying to get my Visa in time... There is so much red tape and everything seems to be done at snail’s pace, I find it incredibly frustrating because I like to have everything in order and things done in my own time but it is just not happening!! I hope to get the darn thing before I
leave! If I don’t, my husband, Chris will bring it to me when he meets me at the finish...
Let me tell you more about that and the plan for the trip... We plan to set sail on 17 December – weather permitting. (We don’t want to leave in a gale force South Easter). Our journey will take us from Simonstown (False Bay Yacht Club) where we
plan to sail South West (to miss the Agulhas current) to 38 degrees south where
we will then head East towards Tazmania.
Our plan is to stop and rest at St Paul which is a small Volcanic Atoll in the South Indian Ocean – I am sooooo looking forward to seeing that and to experience a place so few people have had the privilege of visiting. It will take us approximately 20 days to get to St Paul. We were initially going to stop there for a day or 2 to sleep and recover, but I think Sash and I are of like mind to press on to our destination. We will not get off the yacht at St Paul, but merely take sails down and rest.
From St Paul we head on to Tazmania. Weather and yacht permitting this should take
us another 40 days. Our destination is Hobart where Chris will fly to meet me.
I am so pleased that he will be there to greet me at the finish. My sister who lives in Perth – June – will accompany Chris to Hobart and will also be there to meet me at the finish. I have not seen my sister for nearly 3 years since she immigrated to Perth. The decision to take on this journey was largely based that at the end of it I would be able to see her and spend a little bit of time with her in Perth before I come home.
So that is the plan, Chris and I will spend a couple of weeks with June and her family in Perth before we make our way back home to South Africa.
My captain Sasha, will continue on her way to New Zealand where she plans to make a new life for herself and her family. I am sure the journey we will share will create a bond like one I have never experienced.
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