The day we have all been waiting for with baited breath has finally arrived. In the early hours of this morning (4:15am local time and 10:15 Perth time), Lee and Sasha finished mooring Kwela and climbed off onto Australian soil.
They are absolutely delighted at having completed the trip, extremely exhausted as all the hours of lost and missed sleep have suddenly decided to call in a favor, and Lee is over the moon that her sister was there to greet them.
What an awesome, incredible journey that these two wonderful ladies have completed. Words actually fail to successfully or completely describe the thoughts and emotions that I am experiencing.
There was no further news and I will update all of you as soon as I hear anything. Hopefully the next update will be from Lee herself and we can hear exactly what she is feeling and experiencing.
Monday, 6 February 2012
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Almost There
It is with great excitement that I communicate this update. Lee, Sasha and Kwela are almost there. Both ladies are very tired; physically as they are working extremely hard in very difficult winds, emotionally because they realize how close they really are and mentally because they can relax as they have finally reached a place where they know they are safe and should anything happen, they can easily be rescued. The wind situation is the same as always, it is either blowing straight into their face and causing them to beat into the wind, or the wind is so calm that they have to manually steer the boat all day long.
Don’t worry, soon they will see and smell the sweet shore of Australia. They are a bit concerned that they are travelling too far north too quickly, but it should not pose any major hassles.
Their position as of last night was 34S 111E with a total of approximately 450 nautical miles to the end.
Lee is definitely getting ready to hit land as I received a shopping list of information to supply – size of running shoes, colour of foundation, colour of lip liner and eye liner pencils etc. Clearly Lee’s brain has ticked over to the fact that soon they are going to be on land and somewhere close by is going to be the Nirvana of most women – a shopping mall and retail therapy.
Unfortunately, that’s it for the news. As soon as I have more, I will pass it on.
Don’t worry, soon they will see and smell the sweet shore of Australia. They are a bit concerned that they are travelling too far north too quickly, but it should not pose any major hassles.
Their position as of last night was 34S 111E with a total of approximately 450 nautical miles to the end.
Lee is definitely getting ready to hit land as I received a shopping list of information to supply – size of running shoes, colour of foundation, colour of lip liner and eye liner pencils etc. Clearly Lee’s brain has ticked over to the fact that soon they are going to be on land and somewhere close by is going to be the Nirvana of most women – a shopping mall and retail therapy.
Unfortunately, that’s it for the news. As soon as I have more, I will pass it on.
Friday, 3 February 2012
Destination Perth
Position 36S 106E
Very little information is available for this update. The final destination has been decided and Kwela will be heading to Perth.
I was not given the exact reason for this change but it would appear that it is twofold:
Firstly, there are some problems on the boat that are getting worse and they do not wish to attempt fate by travelling further than necessary.
Secondly, Sasha and Nico have decided that they do not have the capital available to repair the boat, pay for mooring fees and relocate to another country and will be selling the boat as quickly as possible. Perth apparently has a very good market for yachts and they are hoping to capitalize on this.
Kwela is still on a north easterly course and they are still sailing or beating into the wind. Both ladies are extremely tired and feeling physically exhausted. I think that the last few days has also placed an incredible mental and emotional strain on them and things should get easier now that they have made a fixed decision and know exactly where they are going.
Their planned day of arrival is next Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Hopefully the wind plays along for them and they are able to get there in that time.
Other than that, Lee sends love to everyone and thanks you for your constant messages, thoughts and prayers.
I appreciate all of your concern regarding this trip and thank you all for your words of advice and direction. Please remember that as much as we want Lee to finish this trip, Lee is still a “passenger” onboard Kwela and the final decision with regards to destination and outcome belong to Sasha. I am not able to tell them what to do and do not want to be a landlubber captain of a voyage that is nearly complete. I feel the same way that you all do and most probably much more, but it is really draining and disheartening to constantly be told what I should be doing or telling them what to do. While I realize and understand the incredible good intentions it comes with, I have to process all the advice that constantly comes my way from 50 different well wishers. Listening to one will always make another feel left out or ignored.
This is their trip and it is nearly over. Let us live everyday with them and enjoy the adventure through them. Whatever we think, we have to realize that Lee and Sasha are nearly at the end of an incredible feat that very few of us would ever attempt to do. I have the utmost respect for them and take my hat off to my wife for the strength she has constantly shown. I am incredibly proud of her, and will not interfere in the final decisions regarding this journey.
I look forward to updating you with the latest news over the weekend. Have a good one.
Very little information is available for this update. The final destination has been decided and Kwela will be heading to Perth.
I was not given the exact reason for this change but it would appear that it is twofold:
Firstly, there are some problems on the boat that are getting worse and they do not wish to attempt fate by travelling further than necessary.
Secondly, Sasha and Nico have decided that they do not have the capital available to repair the boat, pay for mooring fees and relocate to another country and will be selling the boat as quickly as possible. Perth apparently has a very good market for yachts and they are hoping to capitalize on this.
Kwela is still on a north easterly course and they are still sailing or beating into the wind. Both ladies are extremely tired and feeling physically exhausted. I think that the last few days has also placed an incredible mental and emotional strain on them and things should get easier now that they have made a fixed decision and know exactly where they are going.
Their planned day of arrival is next Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. Hopefully the wind plays along for them and they are able to get there in that time.
Other than that, Lee sends love to everyone and thanks you for your constant messages, thoughts and prayers.
I appreciate all of your concern regarding this trip and thank you all for your words of advice and direction. Please remember that as much as we want Lee to finish this trip, Lee is still a “passenger” onboard Kwela and the final decision with regards to destination and outcome belong to Sasha. I am not able to tell them what to do and do not want to be a landlubber captain of a voyage that is nearly complete. I feel the same way that you all do and most probably much more, but it is really draining and disheartening to constantly be told what I should be doing or telling them what to do. While I realize and understand the incredible good intentions it comes with, I have to process all the advice that constantly comes my way from 50 different well wishers. Listening to one will always make another feel left out or ignored.
This is their trip and it is nearly over. Let us live everyday with them and enjoy the adventure through them. Whatever we think, we have to realize that Lee and Sasha are nearly at the end of an incredible feat that very few of us would ever attempt to do. I have the utmost respect for them and take my hat off to my wife for the strength she has constantly shown. I am incredibly proud of her, and will not interfere in the final decisions regarding this journey.
I look forward to updating you with the latest news over the weekend. Have a good one.
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Rollercoasters
I spoke to Lee last night. They had changed course by 30 degrees to start sailing in a north east direction and were busy beating into the wind and swell. This is something that they still have not got used to, especially at night. Kwela rides up and down the swells fairly well, but every now and again, the swell pattern changes or the distance between the swells decreases and instead of riding up the next swell, Kwela just slams into it and forces her way through. The result is bone jarring, and hopefully the ladies on board were not trying to walk somewhere or drink something. I would think that they have learnt from past experience and are not leaving empty pots on the stove.
Lee went on watch last night to a dark overcast sky with absolutely no stars or moon to help light up the night. She described to me how the plankton in the water was reactive to disturbance. What was happening is that the sea was dark and very little was visible. Every time that Kwela crashed into the next swell, the disturbance and spray caused by the boat and the water dueling with each other caused a reaction within the plankton which lit up with this beautiful white phosphorous light. A small piece of ocean would suddenly light up and come alive. As the spray subsided and Kwela moved on, the plankton would slowly fade and Lee would wait for the next crash as Kwela bravely struggles on towards Perth. A rather logical and calculated plan was for them to be reaching Perth by next Wednesday, 8th February.
Their position last night was 36S 104E.
Early this morning my phone, next to my bed for its ability to play a nice piece of classical music every morning to wake me up, decided to give me a very rude “BEEP BEEP” 90 minutes earlier than my brain and body was expecting anything. Chuck Norris style, I was up and ready to kick anybody back into Neverland when I saw the little red light blinking on my phone, indicating that I had a message. I couldn’t believe it could be anything good for messages to arrive at 4:15 so it was with dread that I opened my phone to see it was from Lee - a rather furious Lee. An executive decision, based on cost and budget, had been made early this morning and the outcome is that Kwela and the ladies are no longer going to Perth / FreeMantle as mooring costs are exorbitant and cannot be afforded. I am waiting to hear what the plan is, but if I had to make an educated guess; it would be that they are going back to their second destination of Adelaide.
So, for all of you who thought that you were shortly going to be able to get off your knees; the journey continues, the expected day of arrival is once again weeks into the future, and all of our nerves have to go through another period on this rollercoaster adventure that we are sharing with Lee.
Thanks for all your support and please remember Lee in your thoughts and prayers as she finds the strength to mentally shift gears again and go on for another few weeks.
Lee went on watch last night to a dark overcast sky with absolutely no stars or moon to help light up the night. She described to me how the plankton in the water was reactive to disturbance. What was happening is that the sea was dark and very little was visible. Every time that Kwela crashed into the next swell, the disturbance and spray caused by the boat and the water dueling with each other caused a reaction within the plankton which lit up with this beautiful white phosphorous light. A small piece of ocean would suddenly light up and come alive. As the spray subsided and Kwela moved on, the plankton would slowly fade and Lee would wait for the next crash as Kwela bravely struggles on towards Perth. A rather logical and calculated plan was for them to be reaching Perth by next Wednesday, 8th February.
Their position last night was 36S 104E.
Early this morning my phone, next to my bed for its ability to play a nice piece of classical music every morning to wake me up, decided to give me a very rude “BEEP BEEP” 90 minutes earlier than my brain and body was expecting anything. Chuck Norris style, I was up and ready to kick anybody back into Neverland when I saw the little red light blinking on my phone, indicating that I had a message. I couldn’t believe it could be anything good for messages to arrive at 4:15 so it was with dread that I opened my phone to see it was from Lee - a rather furious Lee. An executive decision, based on cost and budget, had been made early this morning and the outcome is that Kwela and the ladies are no longer going to Perth / FreeMantle as mooring costs are exorbitant and cannot be afforded. I am waiting to hear what the plan is, but if I had to make an educated guess; it would be that they are going back to their second destination of Adelaide.
So, for all of you who thought that you were shortly going to be able to get off your knees; the journey continues, the expected day of arrival is once again weeks into the future, and all of our nerves have to go through another period on this rollercoaster adventure that we are sharing with Lee.
Thanks for all your support and please remember Lee in your thoughts and prayers as she finds the strength to mentally shift gears again and go on for another few weeks.
Monday, 30 January 2012
Going Backwards to Perth
Position: 38S 99 50E
Another two really frustrating days at sea have transpired for Lee and Sasha onboard Kwela. There was so little wind yesterday, that the current landed up taking them backwards. How disheartening to have to manually steer the yacht (because Bertie needs wind to work) all through the first night and the entire next day to find out that you have crossed the 100 degree east line of longitude on numerous occasions; and as night falls, realize that it is still in front of you as you battle the calm. Enough was enough – they secured the tiller to one side and decided that they would both get into bed and have a good sleep.
This morning brought no better news as they once again studied the latest weather patterns available to realize that there is no wind predicted for the next 3 days. After some calculations, based on the average speed which they have been able to maintain and the wind forecasts, it was with a sinking feeling that they realized that they would still be at sea for another 30 days. A decision was then made that Adelaide is no longer an option and that the nearest port of call would be the destination. Perth – here they come.
This has cut the remaining distance, in degrees, down from 35 to 15. In days sailing, they are now hoping to reach land within 7 days. This prediction, I am sure, did not take the current wind into account. Unfortunately changing a destination does not mean that the weather gods will suddenly smile down on them and grant them favourable winds. No wind is no wind, irrespective of where you are going.
Unfortunately, I will not be travelling to Australia to welcome Lee, Sasha and Kwela as they reach their destination. Originally this was based on the financial costs involved and the fact that I would actually spend very little time with Lee once they actually got to Adelaide. I am not sure of Sasha’s plans for the yacht once they reach Perth, but even if Lee is not working for 4 – 5 days cleaning the yacht and “mothballing” her for a long stay in Adelaide, I will not be able to get a Visa granted in time either.
So on the much needed good news that this journey is fast approaching it’s end, we once again start wishing that they have favourable winds, calm seas and a pleasant finish to a wonderful experience.
Another two really frustrating days at sea have transpired for Lee and Sasha onboard Kwela. There was so little wind yesterday, that the current landed up taking them backwards. How disheartening to have to manually steer the yacht (because Bertie needs wind to work) all through the first night and the entire next day to find out that you have crossed the 100 degree east line of longitude on numerous occasions; and as night falls, realize that it is still in front of you as you battle the calm. Enough was enough – they secured the tiller to one side and decided that they would both get into bed and have a good sleep.
This morning brought no better news as they once again studied the latest weather patterns available to realize that there is no wind predicted for the next 3 days. After some calculations, based on the average speed which they have been able to maintain and the wind forecasts, it was with a sinking feeling that they realized that they would still be at sea for another 30 days. A decision was then made that Adelaide is no longer an option and that the nearest port of call would be the destination. Perth – here they come.
This has cut the remaining distance, in degrees, down from 35 to 15. In days sailing, they are now hoping to reach land within 7 days. This prediction, I am sure, did not take the current wind into account. Unfortunately changing a destination does not mean that the weather gods will suddenly smile down on them and grant them favourable winds. No wind is no wind, irrespective of where you are going.
Unfortunately, I will not be travelling to Australia to welcome Lee, Sasha and Kwela as they reach their destination. Originally this was based on the financial costs involved and the fact that I would actually spend very little time with Lee once they actually got to Adelaide. I am not sure of Sasha’s plans for the yacht once they reach Perth, but even if Lee is not working for 4 – 5 days cleaning the yacht and “mothballing” her for a long stay in Adelaide, I will not be able to get a Visa granted in time either.
So on the much needed good news that this journey is fast approaching it’s end, we once again start wishing that they have favourable winds, calm seas and a pleasant finish to a wonderful experience.
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Lost Messages
Cyberspace continues to taunt and tease us. Most of the messages I send manage to get through to Lee and then others just disappear. This makes the phone call time that we have rather frustrating as Lee then asks me about things that I have already told her, but she has not received it. Wastes the call time and leads to doubt. For all I know, Lee could be getting no messages during any given day; so she’s sitting out in the middle of nowhere wondering how come I don’t have time to type 138 character messages to her. I look forward to our phone calls and then get questioned as to why I’ve gone out and left the dog alone, why I’ve gone shopping two days in a row, what did I buy myself – all things I’ve explained to her in messages not delivered.
Anyway, my cry for an email cyber-tracker fell on kind ears and I finally received the email from Lee, about 8 days after it was sent. There was very little news from the boat last night. Wind was very light and they averaged just under 4 knots yesterday. At least it’s better than the 2 knots they were averaging two weeks ago. The weather is otherwise good and the stars were once again very beautiful last night. Lee said it was amazing to go and watch and be able to watch the Moon as well as Venus rising over the horizon, both shining with a bright yellow-orange light.
Both ladies are still doing well and were well on course to sail over the 100 degree line of longitude sometime during the course of last night. 82 degrees down and 35 degrees left. For those that wish to be exact and need to have that in a measurable, they have completed 71% of the journey and have 29% left.
Position can be logged as 38S 100E.
Life at home stays the same, with the weekend once again upon us. It happens to be the end of the month and like most of us, my grocery cupboards and cleaning locker need restocking. The J&B met is on this afternoon, and for those of you that like to put a little money down on a horse, I hear the hot favourite is Igugu (trained and owned by Mike de Kock/Anthony Delpech). A google search shows that it is also voted the 2012 horse of the year. Unbelievable how humans can label something the “best of a year”, yet we have not even finished the first month of that year. Good luck to those that are visiting the Tote.
Anyway, my cry for an email cyber-tracker fell on kind ears and I finally received the email from Lee, about 8 days after it was sent. There was very little news from the boat last night. Wind was very light and they averaged just under 4 knots yesterday. At least it’s better than the 2 knots they were averaging two weeks ago. The weather is otherwise good and the stars were once again very beautiful last night. Lee said it was amazing to go and watch and be able to watch the Moon as well as Venus rising over the horizon, both shining with a bright yellow-orange light.
Both ladies are still doing well and were well on course to sail over the 100 degree line of longitude sometime during the course of last night. 82 degrees down and 35 degrees left. For those that wish to be exact and need to have that in a measurable, they have completed 71% of the journey and have 29% left.
Position can be logged as 38S 100E.
Life at home stays the same, with the weekend once again upon us. It happens to be the end of the month and like most of us, my grocery cupboards and cleaning locker need restocking. The J&B met is on this afternoon, and for those of you that like to put a little money down on a horse, I hear the hot favourite is Igugu (trained and owned by Mike de Kock/Anthony Delpech). A google search shows that it is also voted the 2012 horse of the year. Unbelievable how humans can label something the “best of a year”, yet we have not even finished the first month of that year. Good luck to those that are visiting the Tote.
Friday, 27 January 2012
Daily Life
PSN: 38S79E
Date 18-19 January 2012 Day 32/33
I remember when I told my friends that I would be going on this journey, with some reservation and laughter one of the things they teased me about is that I would keep a journal and on day one I would capture so much and on day 2 just as much and then by day 30, I would say... “refer to day 1” ha ha! Those of you that were there, I am sure will recall this. Well... pretty much it is just that – only thing is – thankfully I am not seasick like I was in those first few days. There is also obviously only so much one can do on a boat. Sasha and I laugh a lot and try to see the good side in everything.
Our biggest bugbear has been the lack of wind. It is the most frustrating thing and on days you just feel like screaming with frustration – we do at times – and then we laugh! In the first few days at sea when we did have wind we used to joke that at the rate we were going we would catch the Volvo yacht race!! HA HA – Maybe next year’s race yes!
Once again, for the past 2 days we have had no wind and are travelling at a rate of 2.5 knots if we are lucky!! At this rate we will get to Adelaide in 60 days!!! When the wind doesn’t blow like this, the boat creeks and groans and the sails flap and flail around. It is most annoying. Yesterday the mainsail was making the most incredible noise, Sash said it was the car that the sail moves along that was lose and making the noise. So I went outside to tighten up the car and for one second not concentrating, I put my head over the spray dodger to see if the car was tight and the boom swung across and hit me on the head! WOW! It was painful. It knocked me clean off my feet – I was then very thankful that there was no wind behind that boom. It would have been a serious accident if there had been!
We are exactly half way into our journey. When the wind doesn’t blow it makes you feel down in the dumps because you are not getting anywhere! I also think having ST Paul to look forward to over the last couple of days kept me excited and now with it behind me we are just back to masses of deep blue beautiful sea – and a long way still to go.
We have managed to watch a couple of movies which has passed some of the time. We still spend most of our days in our beds, it is definitely the most comfortable and safe place on the boat. Only thing is obviously you get a bit tired of it. My bed has pipes running along the top of it and has this damp smell in it all the time. So, thanks to Charlotte Rhys “St Tomas” pillow spray (which I am so grateful I thought to bring with me); I have bursts of refreshment which helps a lot!
We have NO access to internet and getting mails out to our loved ones is trying and expensive because the phone keeps dropping the signal. It costs every time it tries to reconnect, so to send one small e-mail can cost R100 if not more...
We are struggling to keep variety in our diet because we just don’t feel like anything. I am absolutely craving tomato, cottage cheese and fresh veggies... I think after this trip it will be a VERY long time before I eat 2 minute noodles...
Other than that, life on the boat is good. I am completely loving the experience and so incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity to live it!
Date 18-19 January 2012 Day 32/33
I remember when I told my friends that I would be going on this journey, with some reservation and laughter one of the things they teased me about is that I would keep a journal and on day one I would capture so much and on day 2 just as much and then by day 30, I would say... “refer to day 1” ha ha! Those of you that were there, I am sure will recall this. Well... pretty much it is just that – only thing is – thankfully I am not seasick like I was in those first few days. There is also obviously only so much one can do on a boat. Sasha and I laugh a lot and try to see the good side in everything.
Our biggest bugbear has been the lack of wind. It is the most frustrating thing and on days you just feel like screaming with frustration – we do at times – and then we laugh! In the first few days at sea when we did have wind we used to joke that at the rate we were going we would catch the Volvo yacht race!! HA HA – Maybe next year’s race yes!
Once again, for the past 2 days we have had no wind and are travelling at a rate of 2.5 knots if we are lucky!! At this rate we will get to Adelaide in 60 days!!! When the wind doesn’t blow like this, the boat creeks and groans and the sails flap and flail around. It is most annoying. Yesterday the mainsail was making the most incredible noise, Sash said it was the car that the sail moves along that was lose and making the noise. So I went outside to tighten up the car and for one second not concentrating, I put my head over the spray dodger to see if the car was tight and the boom swung across and hit me on the head! WOW! It was painful. It knocked me clean off my feet – I was then very thankful that there was no wind behind that boom. It would have been a serious accident if there had been!
We are exactly half way into our journey. When the wind doesn’t blow it makes you feel down in the dumps because you are not getting anywhere! I also think having ST Paul to look forward to over the last couple of days kept me excited and now with it behind me we are just back to masses of deep blue beautiful sea – and a long way still to go.
We have managed to watch a couple of movies which has passed some of the time. We still spend most of our days in our beds, it is definitely the most comfortable and safe place on the boat. Only thing is obviously you get a bit tired of it. My bed has pipes running along the top of it and has this damp smell in it all the time. So, thanks to Charlotte Rhys “St Tomas” pillow spray (which I am so grateful I thought to bring with me); I have bursts of refreshment which helps a lot!
We have NO access to internet and getting mails out to our loved ones is trying and expensive because the phone keeps dropping the signal. It costs every time it tries to reconnect, so to send one small e-mail can cost R100 if not more...
We are struggling to keep variety in our diet because we just don’t feel like anything. I am absolutely craving tomato, cottage cheese and fresh veggies... I think after this trip it will be a VERY long time before I eat 2 minute noodles...
Other than that, life on the boat is good. I am completely loving the experience and so incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity to live it!
Ile St Paul
PSN: 38S77E
Date 17 Jan 2012 Day 31
I have learnt with sailing that nothing is guaranteed... Sasha and I have not really had much luck on our side weather wise... After days of deliberating as to whether we should make our way back North to visit Ile St Paul, or save a couple of days on our journey, we decided that we need a reward and having come so far and so close we thought it is something that we shouldn’t miss. So with our decision made, we headed North to make our way to up to Ile St Paul.
Naturally, with very little wind on our side, our estimated time to arrive in ST Paul would be after sunset... Again, our luck! That being pointless, we decided to motor for a while to get the wind in our sails and try to make up time to get there before sunset.With time dwindling and fast approaching nightfall, we spotted a ghostly image on the distant horizon which was the small landmass - Ile St Paul. We were so euphoric and excited. It is quite an extraordinary feeling to see land after so long at sea.
The weather was not great, and neither was the light, but we manage to get to it before the sun set. The photos we took will never to justice to the beauty of this incredible feature. It looked like a tapestry of texture and colour. Something truly amazing to witness. The colour of the water in the approach to the island changed from the most incredible aqua blue to a sea of emerald green. The birdlife was prolific and small little seals danced about our boat curiously. The rock strata was clearly displayed in levels of colour and curves, one could almost imagine the flowing lava. Many caves had been made at the foot of the landmass. It is so difficult to put into words the absolutely beauty of what we saw. The life (moss and grass), and colours just took my breath away. We could not go into the Atoll as we were nervous of the shallowness of the entrance and also the time we had before dark was running out. We wouldn’t have seen much more even if we had gone in, so we decided our safety was more important. One part of St Paul looked like a mini Sugarloaf Mountain. The rocky outcrop was spectacular; it was black with bits of yellow moss growing on it. Plenty of birds dotted around it and aqua blue water lapping into the small craters where the water had corroded away at the base.
To celebrate the beauty of what we witnessed and to reward ourselves having come this far, we popped a bottle of champagne and sipped away the sunset with St Paul slipping away in the distance.
Date 17 Jan 2012 Day 31
I have learnt with sailing that nothing is guaranteed... Sasha and I have not really had much luck on our side weather wise... After days of deliberating as to whether we should make our way back North to visit Ile St Paul, or save a couple of days on our journey, we decided that we need a reward and having come so far and so close we thought it is something that we shouldn’t miss. So with our decision made, we headed North to make our way to up to Ile St Paul.
Naturally, with very little wind on our side, our estimated time to arrive in ST Paul would be after sunset... Again, our luck! That being pointless, we decided to motor for a while to get the wind in our sails and try to make up time to get there before sunset.With time dwindling and fast approaching nightfall, we spotted a ghostly image on the distant horizon which was the small landmass - Ile St Paul. We were so euphoric and excited. It is quite an extraordinary feeling to see land after so long at sea.
The weather was not great, and neither was the light, but we manage to get to it before the sun set. The photos we took will never to justice to the beauty of this incredible feature. It looked like a tapestry of texture and colour. Something truly amazing to witness. The colour of the water in the approach to the island changed from the most incredible aqua blue to a sea of emerald green. The birdlife was prolific and small little seals danced about our boat curiously. The rock strata was clearly displayed in levels of colour and curves, one could almost imagine the flowing lava. Many caves had been made at the foot of the landmass. It is so difficult to put into words the absolutely beauty of what we saw. The life (moss and grass), and colours just took my breath away. We could not go into the Atoll as we were nervous of the shallowness of the entrance and also the time we had before dark was running out. We wouldn’t have seen much more even if we had gone in, so we decided our safety was more important. One part of St Paul looked like a mini Sugarloaf Mountain. The rocky outcrop was spectacular; it was black with bits of yellow moss growing on it. Plenty of birds dotted around it and aqua blue water lapping into the small craters where the water had corroded away at the base.
To celebrate the beauty of what we witnessed and to reward ourselves having come this far, we popped a bottle of champagne and sipped away the sunset with St Paul slipping away in the distance.
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Orange Juice on Day 40
Day 40 for our intrepid sailors as they continue to battle across the South Indian Ocean on their quest for landfall in Australia.
In the interest of responsible journalism I have skipped the last scheduled update slot. Information has been rather sketchy over the last few days and I did not want to supply half bits of information to all the avid readers.
Wouldn’t it be boring if I once again reported that Lee, Sasha and Kwela have once again sailed through another storm. So, I won’t tell you that. What they have done is have the awesome opportunity of experiencing a tropical cyclone and the effects of its incredible size and power.
Chronologically, the journey over the last few days has gone as follows:
Monday 23:
Position 38 50S 90E
Another mental milestone reached for the two ladies on board Kwela as they sailed over the 90 degree line of longitude. It was a day of good wind but unfortunately they spent it sailing North instead of East. The latest weather forecast they received showed that there was a huge low pressure developing south-east of them and on its current course they would literally sail right through the center of this storm. The action plan was obviously to get as far away from the center of this low pressure as possible as it was promising to be the worst storm they would experience at sea. The speed of the low pressure and that of Kwela meant that they were expecting the storm sometime on Tuesday, and were praying that it would not speed up and hit them during Monday night.
Needless to say, there were anxious hours spent both on the boat and at home.
Tuesday 24:
They say no news is good news. I don’t know about that. When your wife is sailing across the ocean, the worst storm that weather can throw at you is brewing and the collision course is unavoidable, there is nothing good about no news. It was a long day in which I sent numerous messages hoping they were safe and nervously waiting for a reply. Day dragged into night and there was still no news.
Wednesday 25:
Position: 38S 93E
4:40am. Message from Lee saying “Morning my love. Long night but survived – barely… Sea very choppy as a result today and very uncomfi. No sleep and exhausted. Can’t wait for a hot bath and a warm dry bed”. Wow – any news is good news.
8pm. I spoke to Lee. They waited ages for the storm to eventually hit them on Tuesday afternoon, with the worst of it lasting from 4pm – 9pm. Once again the elements tried to see how much they could take and somehow managed to break Bertie, the automated steering mechanism. So, in the middle of the storm, Lee was manually steering the yacht while Sasha was tying herself to various parts of the yacht in an attempt to fix Bertie. Kudos to them on a brilliant job as Bertie was fixed in the storm and managed to steer them through the rest of the night.
Lee said that she had most probably been sleeping for under an hour since the storm struck the day before when she felt Sasha shaking her to take over the watch. Fortunately the sea was calm and the wind was blowing. The stars are not plentiful but look very large; and are mirrored in the ocean every now and again when luminous jelly fish move past the boat on their journey along the ocean tides. Lee said that their bodies are about 30cm in diameter and shine with this beautiful blue fluorescent light.
So at the end of day 39, the yacht sails on, another storm has been conquered, the ladies are safe, feel weather-beaten and miss their family and friends, but our two weary woman are once again rewarded with a sight most of us will never see. It is these things that make this journey worth every day that they are out there.
Thursday 26:
Position: 38S 96E
SMS just came in from Lee. All is well.
Tonight, somewhere in the deep south, is the first meeting for this year of the book club that Lee is a member of. I was asked by her fellow club members to please tell Lee that they will raise a glass to toast her and have a glass of wine for her.
Rene – Lee says that you can forget the wine. For snacks she would like a simple biscuit with cottage cheese and to drink, please have the biggest glass of orange juice with lots of ice in it.
In the interest of responsible journalism I have skipped the last scheduled update slot. Information has been rather sketchy over the last few days and I did not want to supply half bits of information to all the avid readers.
Wouldn’t it be boring if I once again reported that Lee, Sasha and Kwela have once again sailed through another storm. So, I won’t tell you that. What they have done is have the awesome opportunity of experiencing a tropical cyclone and the effects of its incredible size and power.
Chronologically, the journey over the last few days has gone as follows:
Monday 23:
Position 38 50S 90E
Another mental milestone reached for the two ladies on board Kwela as they sailed over the 90 degree line of longitude. It was a day of good wind but unfortunately they spent it sailing North instead of East. The latest weather forecast they received showed that there was a huge low pressure developing south-east of them and on its current course they would literally sail right through the center of this storm. The action plan was obviously to get as far away from the center of this low pressure as possible as it was promising to be the worst storm they would experience at sea. The speed of the low pressure and that of Kwela meant that they were expecting the storm sometime on Tuesday, and were praying that it would not speed up and hit them during Monday night.
Needless to say, there were anxious hours spent both on the boat and at home.
Tuesday 24:
They say no news is good news. I don’t know about that. When your wife is sailing across the ocean, the worst storm that weather can throw at you is brewing and the collision course is unavoidable, there is nothing good about no news. It was a long day in which I sent numerous messages hoping they were safe and nervously waiting for a reply. Day dragged into night and there was still no news.
Wednesday 25:
Position: 38S 93E
4:40am. Message from Lee saying “Morning my love. Long night but survived – barely… Sea very choppy as a result today and very uncomfi. No sleep and exhausted. Can’t wait for a hot bath and a warm dry bed”. Wow – any news is good news.
8pm. I spoke to Lee. They waited ages for the storm to eventually hit them on Tuesday afternoon, with the worst of it lasting from 4pm – 9pm. Once again the elements tried to see how much they could take and somehow managed to break Bertie, the automated steering mechanism. So, in the middle of the storm, Lee was manually steering the yacht while Sasha was tying herself to various parts of the yacht in an attempt to fix Bertie. Kudos to them on a brilliant job as Bertie was fixed in the storm and managed to steer them through the rest of the night.
Lee said that she had most probably been sleeping for under an hour since the storm struck the day before when she felt Sasha shaking her to take over the watch. Fortunately the sea was calm and the wind was blowing. The stars are not plentiful but look very large; and are mirrored in the ocean every now and again when luminous jelly fish move past the boat on their journey along the ocean tides. Lee said that their bodies are about 30cm in diameter and shine with this beautiful blue fluorescent light.
So at the end of day 39, the yacht sails on, another storm has been conquered, the ladies are safe, feel weather-beaten and miss their family and friends, but our two weary woman are once again rewarded with a sight most of us will never see. It is these things that make this journey worth every day that they are out there.
Thursday 26:
Position: 38S 96E
SMS just came in from Lee. All is well.
Tonight, somewhere in the deep south, is the first meeting for this year of the book club that Lee is a member of. I was asked by her fellow club members to please tell Lee that they will raise a glass to toast her and have a glass of wine for her.
Rene – Lee says that you can forget the wine. For snacks she would like a simple biscuit with cottage cheese and to drink, please have the biggest glass of orange juice with lots of ice in it.
Monday, 23 January 2012
Drunk at Sea?
Position at Saturday Midnight was 39S 86E
The latest update from Kwela and it’s two courageous sailors is that the wind is blowing and the sailing is good. Unfortunately, they have been sailing through a bit of a squall and the sea, though not very big, is very rough and hitting them from all sides. Kwela is obviously in on this game and adding her worth at throwing the occupants around her bowels.
Lee has finally admitted to hitting a wall emotionally and said that she finally felt that this trip could end tomorrow and she would be glad. Unfortunately, they have at least 20 days left.
Lee says that being tossed around like that makes her feel drunk. She compared it to being unstable on your feet, your eyes can’t focus properly, your head is throbbing, your stomach is churning, you want to lie down but everything spins out of control, and to make it worse; the yacht just tosses you around your little bunk like a single pilchard in a 5-pilchard can.
I can’t believe that they have travelled nearly 8000 kilometers to feel like that. If I ever personally want to feel like that, I think that a comfortable armchair, a TV to watch sport, a good bottle of red wine or a few whiskies, and my stable bed close by would be the order of my day.
On a more sober note, the last emails sent by Lee have been lost in cyberspace and I’m trying to find a good cybertracker to track it down, tie it up and deliver it to my inbox. Until then, we have lost Lee’s personal updates for her blog and I can only leave you with the last bit that was sms’ed to me to add to the end of her blog:
“Thanks to all of you for your continuous love and support. Your steady stream of well wishes has been much appreciated. News from home is looked forward to and treasured all these many miles away. X”
The latest update from Kwela and it’s two courageous sailors is that the wind is blowing and the sailing is good. Unfortunately, they have been sailing through a bit of a squall and the sea, though not very big, is very rough and hitting them from all sides. Kwela is obviously in on this game and adding her worth at throwing the occupants around her bowels.
Lee has finally admitted to hitting a wall emotionally and said that she finally felt that this trip could end tomorrow and she would be glad. Unfortunately, they have at least 20 days left.
Lee says that being tossed around like that makes her feel drunk. She compared it to being unstable on your feet, your eyes can’t focus properly, your head is throbbing, your stomach is churning, you want to lie down but everything spins out of control, and to make it worse; the yacht just tosses you around your little bunk like a single pilchard in a 5-pilchard can.
I can’t believe that they have travelled nearly 8000 kilometers to feel like that. If I ever personally want to feel like that, I think that a comfortable armchair, a TV to watch sport, a good bottle of red wine or a few whiskies, and my stable bed close by would be the order of my day.
On a more sober note, the last emails sent by Lee have been lost in cyberspace and I’m trying to find a good cybertracker to track it down, tie it up and deliver it to my inbox. Until then, we have lost Lee’s personal updates for her blog and I can only leave you with the last bit that was sms’ed to me to add to the end of her blog:
“Thanks to all of you for your continuous love and support. Your steady stream of well wishes has been much appreciated. News from home is looked forward to and treasured all these many miles away. X”
Monotony and Expectations
News from Kwela seems to be taking a very familiar pattern. There is wind, sailing is good, spirits are high – there is no wind, sailing is bad, spirits are low. Every now and again we have a change – a storm or an island with the former occurring more frequently than the latter.
Once the ladies had reached St Paul, a decision was made in the interest of safety to not try and go into the sunken inlet as there was not enough information on its depth and coast structure. Lo and behold, the wind decided to play games with them and for 30 hours they bobbed around on the ocean in site of the island (2 minutes away). The wind eventually picked up and they managed to maintain an average speed of 5 knots for the next 18 hours.
Lee told me that she has sent an email which contains an update for her blog. I have been patiently waiting in expectation for this to arrive in my inbox. Obviously would be wonderful to actually be able to once again read her thoughts and experiences instead of my interpretation of this journey and there adventure. In the interest of just letting everyone know what is happening, I will continue to wait but have decided to just give everyone the news that I have – as little as it is.
Once the ladies had reached St Paul, a decision was made in the interest of safety to not try and go into the sunken inlet as there was not enough information on its depth and coast structure. Lo and behold, the wind decided to play games with them and for 30 hours they bobbed around on the ocean in site of the island (2 minutes away). The wind eventually picked up and they managed to maintain an average speed of 5 knots for the next 18 hours.
Lee told me that she has sent an email which contains an update for her blog. I have been patiently waiting in expectation for this to arrive in my inbox. Obviously would be wonderful to actually be able to once again read her thoughts and experiences instead of my interpretation of this journey and there adventure. In the interest of just letting everyone know what is happening, I will continue to wait but have decided to just give everyone the news that I have – as little as it is.
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Greetings From St Paul
Lee sends a big hello to every from the beautiful island of St Paul, described by many as the most isolated piece of land in the entire world.
Finally Lee, Sasha and Kwela have achieved their first goal and that was to reach St Paul. They reached St Paul on Tuesday at sunset. They spent some time sailing fairly close to the island and taking some photos; and then for the sake of safety decided to put some distance between them and the island before it got dark and the level of danger increased.
Lee describes the island as incredibly beautiful, the sea is a beautiful turquoise color and there were a large number of seals that decided to accompany them for a while. The ladies celebrated this wonderful achievement by popping a bottle of champagne. Lee says that she had the best sleep in a long time after those two glasses.
Lee was getting ready to go on watch while we were talking and unfortunately was gearing up for a very busy few hours as once again the wind has died down. No wind obviously means that Bertie stops pulling his weight and the two ladies have to do his work as well.
By the time we spoke (11pm) they had only travelled two minutes away from the island and the volcanic crater was still looming black against the sky.
Now as the ladies sail away from this milestone it is with the knowledge that they are very nearly halfway and have reached their only midway goal. The next goal and land they see will be the glorious coastline of Australia which they hope to reach in 30 – 35 days.
Finally Lee, Sasha and Kwela have achieved their first goal and that was to reach St Paul. They reached St Paul on Tuesday at sunset. They spent some time sailing fairly close to the island and taking some photos; and then for the sake of safety decided to put some distance between them and the island before it got dark and the level of danger increased.
Lee describes the island as incredibly beautiful, the sea is a beautiful turquoise color and there were a large number of seals that decided to accompany them for a while. The ladies celebrated this wonderful achievement by popping a bottle of champagne. Lee says that she had the best sleep in a long time after those two glasses.
Lee was getting ready to go on watch while we were talking and unfortunately was gearing up for a very busy few hours as once again the wind has died down. No wind obviously means that Bertie stops pulling his weight and the two ladies have to do his work as well.
By the time we spoke (11pm) they had only travelled two minutes away from the island and the volcanic crater was still looming black against the sky.
Now as the ladies sail away from this milestone it is with the knowledge that they are very nearly halfway and have reached their only midway goal. The next goal and land they see will be the glorious coastline of Australia which they hope to reach in 30 – 35 days.
Monday, 16 January 2012
Brave Bikini Babes
Position 39S 71E
News from Kwela and it’s two brave passengers has finally turned positive on all fronts. I had a lovely conversation with Lee last night and it is so good to hear that things are going well. The atmosphere on board the boat is upbeat and both ladies are both feeling very positive with regards to the remainder of the journey.
Sunday turned out to be a good day with repairs to the mainsail finally being completed. The mainsail was hoisted and average speed went up from 2 or 3 knots to a maximum of 5 knots for a brief period. The sea was flat, the wind was positive and both ladies were able to have a decent wash / shower. Lee said it felt like heaven to actually wash with warm water, clean her hair and finally put on some clean, fresh clothes that were not feeling damp and / or salty.
Due to the fact that they have decided to head back north and continue the journey on the planned route at 38deg south, things have got a bit warmer, tempting both ladies to put on their bikinis and let the rays hit the skin. I think you’ve got to grab any bit of therapy that you can, and an extra dose of sunshine always does well to boost morale. The best was that they weren’t encumbered in all the cold weather gear and were able to feel a bit freer. Alas, this did not last long and when the sun started to go down, they were reminded that they are still fairly far south and out at sea, so back it was to warm weather gear and the need to preserve body heat.
A discussion between Sasha and Lee has resulted in the decision to follow their original plan of action and stop over at St Pauls. They are hoping to reach it sometime tomorrow (Tuesday) on day 33 – only 13 days behind schedule. This has seemed to buoy them tremendously and the fact that the mainsail is now fixed, seems to make them both determined that they can still complete the second two thirds of the journey in the original plan of 30 – 35 days.
Thank you all for your prayers and support over the past while. They are much appreciated. Lee says hi to everyone I would like you to know that she really appreciates the little messages that you ask me to relay to her.
Until tomorrow, when I speak to Lee again, we wish them smooth seas and trailing winds.
News from Kwela and it’s two brave passengers has finally turned positive on all fronts. I had a lovely conversation with Lee last night and it is so good to hear that things are going well. The atmosphere on board the boat is upbeat and both ladies are both feeling very positive with regards to the remainder of the journey.
Sunday turned out to be a good day with repairs to the mainsail finally being completed. The mainsail was hoisted and average speed went up from 2 or 3 knots to a maximum of 5 knots for a brief period. The sea was flat, the wind was positive and both ladies were able to have a decent wash / shower. Lee said it felt like heaven to actually wash with warm water, clean her hair and finally put on some clean, fresh clothes that were not feeling damp and / or salty.
Due to the fact that they have decided to head back north and continue the journey on the planned route at 38deg south, things have got a bit warmer, tempting both ladies to put on their bikinis and let the rays hit the skin. I think you’ve got to grab any bit of therapy that you can, and an extra dose of sunshine always does well to boost morale. The best was that they weren’t encumbered in all the cold weather gear and were able to feel a bit freer. Alas, this did not last long and when the sun started to go down, they were reminded that they are still fairly far south and out at sea, so back it was to warm weather gear and the need to preserve body heat.
A discussion between Sasha and Lee has resulted in the decision to follow their original plan of action and stop over at St Pauls. They are hoping to reach it sometime tomorrow (Tuesday) on day 33 – only 13 days behind schedule. This has seemed to buoy them tremendously and the fact that the mainsail is now fixed, seems to make them both determined that they can still complete the second two thirds of the journey in the original plan of 30 – 35 days.
Thank you all for your prayers and support over the past while. They are much appreciated. Lee says hi to everyone I would like you to know that she really appreciates the little messages that you ask me to relay to her.
Until tomorrow, when I speak to Lee again, we wish them smooth seas and trailing winds.
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Rats and Homeless
I had a bonus conversation with Lee last night as she had forgotten what day it was and when she was supposed to phone. It was good to hear her voice and she sounded fairly well.
New from the yacht is once again not good with mother nature turning on them and deciding to take away the wind. The result of all these windless days is the following:
1. The crossing was planned to take 55 – 60 days with them reaching St Paul or Ille de Amsterdam at around day 20, sleeping there for 2 days and then sailing on for the remainder of the distance.
2. The adventure has now entered day 29 and St Paul is still a good distance away.
3. The “supposed to be” dog tired adventurers have had so many still days that they don’t need to stop for sleep anywhere as the weather has given them enough days to catch up on any missed sleep.
4. They are further south than they originally planned; firstly to find the wind and secondly to decrease the distance that has to be covered; so sailing to St Paul would result in a route change.
5. At the current speed and conditions, they calculated that they will be arriving in Adelaide in another 52 days – right on the border of their food rations. Doubt this will be a problem as they are not eating a lot due to second round of seasickness a few days ago. This once again played havoc with the taste buds and their culinary wants.
6. Water is scarce but they have it under control and it does not seem to be the incredible worry that it was a while ago. They have stopped washing with fresh water completely and a wash now consists of a pot of hot sea water.
Lee says that it is currently very VERY cold and they are spending as much time as possible in their bunk space. Lee has named hers the “hidey hole” because if you can’t see her, that’s where she will be. It’s the place that the warmest on these freezing cold days that they are experiencing; its where she can catch up on her much needed sleep; it’s a little bit of comfort (soft mattress) on a yacht that seems determined to ensure that both of them hit every part of their body against every part of its structure; it’s where they are thrown around the least when the sea is rough as there is not much space to travel in those little areas that they have to crawl into and they are able to pad it up with cushions and pillows.
Lee was laughing as she relayed the story to me that she feels like a rat and a homeless person / tramp all in one. Exactly like a rat, because she crawls out of her hidey hole to fulfill whatever task needs to be completed and then dashes back at the first need for comfort or sign of danger. Like a tramp, because she feels dirty and wants to shower and put on clean clothes and wash her face and those things are luxuries that are just not available. She said you know it’s bad when you smell yourself and your nose starts revolting against the body that is hosting it.
So to end it all, yesterday was spent rushing out of the hidey hole to put Bertie (the automatic navigator) back on track as the wind was not strong enough to help him do it on his own (all you ladies out there are most probably saying that if that navigator was a woman, things would be very different – hey???) and then rushing back into the bunk to get warm. They managed to sail a grand total of 40 miles yesterday (140 the day before and almost the same on the previous day); and they once again facing the fact that they will be bobbing around and being mid ocean company for migrating birds for the next day or two.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and I look forward to updating you on Monday.
New from the yacht is once again not good with mother nature turning on them and deciding to take away the wind. The result of all these windless days is the following:
1. The crossing was planned to take 55 – 60 days with them reaching St Paul or Ille de Amsterdam at around day 20, sleeping there for 2 days and then sailing on for the remainder of the distance.
2. The adventure has now entered day 29 and St Paul is still a good distance away.
3. The “supposed to be” dog tired adventurers have had so many still days that they don’t need to stop for sleep anywhere as the weather has given them enough days to catch up on any missed sleep.
4. They are further south than they originally planned; firstly to find the wind and secondly to decrease the distance that has to be covered; so sailing to St Paul would result in a route change.
5. At the current speed and conditions, they calculated that they will be arriving in Adelaide in another 52 days – right on the border of their food rations. Doubt this will be a problem as they are not eating a lot due to second round of seasickness a few days ago. This once again played havoc with the taste buds and their culinary wants.
6. Water is scarce but they have it under control and it does not seem to be the incredible worry that it was a while ago. They have stopped washing with fresh water completely and a wash now consists of a pot of hot sea water.
Lee says that it is currently very VERY cold and they are spending as much time as possible in their bunk space. Lee has named hers the “hidey hole” because if you can’t see her, that’s where she will be. It’s the place that the warmest on these freezing cold days that they are experiencing; its where she can catch up on her much needed sleep; it’s a little bit of comfort (soft mattress) on a yacht that seems determined to ensure that both of them hit every part of their body against every part of its structure; it’s where they are thrown around the least when the sea is rough as there is not much space to travel in those little areas that they have to crawl into and they are able to pad it up with cushions and pillows.
Lee was laughing as she relayed the story to me that she feels like a rat and a homeless person / tramp all in one. Exactly like a rat, because she crawls out of her hidey hole to fulfill whatever task needs to be completed and then dashes back at the first need for comfort or sign of danger. Like a tramp, because she feels dirty and wants to shower and put on clean clothes and wash her face and those things are luxuries that are just not available. She said you know it’s bad when you smell yourself and your nose starts revolting against the body that is hosting it.
So to end it all, yesterday was spent rushing out of the hidey hole to put Bertie (the automatic navigator) back on track as the wind was not strong enough to help him do it on his own (all you ladies out there are most probably saying that if that navigator was a woman, things would be very different – hey???) and then rushing back into the bunk to get warm. They managed to sail a grand total of 40 miles yesterday (140 the day before and almost the same on the previous day); and they once again facing the fact that they will be bobbing around and being mid ocean company for migrating birds for the next day or two.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and I look forward to updating you on Monday.
Friday, 13 January 2012
News Directly From Lee
Things on board Kwela are going well. It is apparently very cold at the moment where they are; and once again, there is not a lot of wind. They went from completing 140 miles for two consecutive days, to only doing 60 miles yesterday. Once again, they are down to spending a lot of time to manually steer the boat as the wind is not strong enough for “Bertie” the navigator to do his job properly.
These are excerpts from an email that Lee sent on Tuesday that I have just received.
Just a quick update, I cant type for long, as it makes me really giddy.Please don't lose sleep worrying about us my love. Trust that we are fine and in Gods hands.
PSN 41:38S59:30E
We have finally made 2000nm!!! Yay! We still have many more to go, but glad to have put some behind us. Sash and I have both been feeling awful today. I think it is the lack of sleep and a bit of angst that we had the last couple of nights. However we are hanging in there. There seems to be a new noise quite often on the boat which is obviously a concern always, but so far - so good. We are doing our best to fix what we can as we go along.As I said to you last night, everything on a boat seems to be extreme. You go from highs to lows but from one end to the other! No wind - to raging storms, warm days - to freezing cold, standing still - to being flung across the boat with the rocking, (last night a wave hit us from the side so hard it sent me crashing against the wall that I feel as if my femur is bruised let alone just my thigh! I actually cried it was so sore), and everything is a mission! From brushing your teeth to climbing into bed! Hopefully my core strength is improving daily! I am looking forward to a warm, quiet still bed and a hot bath!We have decided not to go to ST Paul. As much as we would love to see it, with the weather conditions we have had, the risk that it would add another 10 days onto our journey is too great. We thought to rather get to Adelaide sooner. I am pleased, as much as I would like to see St Paul, I think to press on would make more sense. I must just correct my error, Adelaide is not actually much closer in nautical miles than Hobart, because it is much further North than Hobart is. The reason Sash wants to go to Adelaide, is because she is not going to carry on to NZ on this trip - it is too much, so she wants to leave the boat and fetch it later in the year. Her dad lives in Adelaide, so it would be better for her to leave it there than Hobart as he can keep an eye on it...
I have a constant headache too... I think it is from the smell of this engine room right next to my bed all the time, and also a bit of the lack of sleep. We spend most of our time in bed because it is the smallest place to stop the rocking and the falling.We read a lot... We work watches, so in the off time, there is not much to do after chores are done, so we read or if possible - sleep. I have read 6 books so far and am now on Shantaram, it is beautifully written and I am enjoying it so far.
I cant believe we have been on this boat 23 days! I am not feeling depressed or cabin fevered yet, just a little frustrated at times with things, but nothing major. I think today has been mine and Sash's worst day so far, we are both feeling awful and strangely both of us were seasick last night. The thought of another 30-40 days of this is quite daunting, but I try not to think of it like that, I am just living every day in the moment and enjoying the time out from the rat race.
For interest sake, it you look at the stats on my blog, can you see how many hits I have had? Sash has had 8000 on hers (doubled since she began the trip)
Other than that, life carries on and the days are passing quite quickly. Please know that I love and treasure you with all that I am and am longing to see you!
These are excerpts from an email that Lee sent on Tuesday that I have just received.
Just a quick update, I cant type for long, as it makes me really giddy.Please don't lose sleep worrying about us my love. Trust that we are fine and in Gods hands.
PSN 41:38S59:30E
We have finally made 2000nm!!! Yay! We still have many more to go, but glad to have put some behind us. Sash and I have both been feeling awful today. I think it is the lack of sleep and a bit of angst that we had the last couple of nights. However we are hanging in there. There seems to be a new noise quite often on the boat which is obviously a concern always, but so far - so good. We are doing our best to fix what we can as we go along.As I said to you last night, everything on a boat seems to be extreme. You go from highs to lows but from one end to the other! No wind - to raging storms, warm days - to freezing cold, standing still - to being flung across the boat with the rocking, (last night a wave hit us from the side so hard it sent me crashing against the wall that I feel as if my femur is bruised let alone just my thigh! I actually cried it was so sore), and everything is a mission! From brushing your teeth to climbing into bed! Hopefully my core strength is improving daily! I am looking forward to a warm, quiet still bed and a hot bath!We have decided not to go to ST Paul. As much as we would love to see it, with the weather conditions we have had, the risk that it would add another 10 days onto our journey is too great. We thought to rather get to Adelaide sooner. I am pleased, as much as I would like to see St Paul, I think to press on would make more sense. I must just correct my error, Adelaide is not actually much closer in nautical miles than Hobart, because it is much further North than Hobart is. The reason Sash wants to go to Adelaide, is because she is not going to carry on to NZ on this trip - it is too much, so she wants to leave the boat and fetch it later in the year. Her dad lives in Adelaide, so it would be better for her to leave it there than Hobart as he can keep an eye on it...
I have a constant headache too... I think it is from the smell of this engine room right next to my bed all the time, and also a bit of the lack of sleep. We spend most of our time in bed because it is the smallest place to stop the rocking and the falling.We read a lot... We work watches, so in the off time, there is not much to do after chores are done, so we read or if possible - sleep. I have read 6 books so far and am now on Shantaram, it is beautifully written and I am enjoying it so far.
I cant believe we have been on this boat 23 days! I am not feeling depressed or cabin fevered yet, just a little frustrated at times with things, but nothing major. I think today has been mine and Sash's worst day so far, we are both feeling awful and strangely both of us were seasick last night. The thought of another 30-40 days of this is quite daunting, but I try not to think of it like that, I am just living every day in the moment and enjoying the time out from the rat race.
For interest sake, it you look at the stats on my blog, can you see how many hits I have had? Sash has had 8000 on hers (doubled since she began the trip)
Other than that, life carries on and the days are passing quite quickly. Please know that I love and treasure you with all that I am and am longing to see you!
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Bad Sense of Humour
Shortly after my previous conversation with Lee on Friday night the wind started to pick up. Clearly mother nature has a cruel sense of humour because within the space of 6 hours, they were in the middle of a storm that has raged on around them until yesterday. Wind and sea coming from all directions has once again caused them to be thrown around a bit and have some harrowing experiences where it appeared that mother nature herself was trying to push the boat over. Fortunately the sails never got water logged on any of these occasions and kwela was able to fight back and right herself time after time.
My last sms from Lee-Anne was that the worst of the storm had passed by the middle of Monday afternoon, it was thankfully calmer and they were still moving. Lee also said that they have managed about 2hrs sleep in that time. Seems like I am following suit here as I am struggling to sleep with everything going on. Better to be awake and productive than to toss and turn all night worrying about things that I cannot change or improve.
My last sms from Lee-Anne was that the worst of the storm had passed by the middle of Monday afternoon, it was thankfully calmer and they were still moving. Lee also said that they have managed about 2hrs sleep in that time. Seems like I am following suit here as I am struggling to sleep with everything going on. Better to be awake and productive than to toss and turn all night worrying about things that I cannot change or improve.
Windless and Desperate
Sunday 08th Jan 2012
The latest position for Kwela is 41S 50E. From a longitude point of view, they have just gone past the same longitude line that we find the most eastern point of Madagascar.
There is absolutely no wind at the moment and they are starting to get very despondent on board. The latest weather reports show that the only wind blowing is way down at 45 degrees south, right with the beginning of the ice bergs. The only problem is that they have no wind to get there and truthfully, they don’t want to be taking on a Titanic adventure.
It’s now been the third day with no wind and the sea looking like a duck pond on a Stellenbosch wine farm in the middle of a windless summers day. This has caused the ladies to finally get really despondent. Out of sheer desperation, they turned the diesel engine on and started motoring towards their destination in a vain attempt to try and motor into some wind. This did not last very long as a sane mind and the need to preserve diesel ruled the day and they settled down to bobbing around on the ocean.
Lee says that in any other situation, it would be ideal. The sea is flat and all day long they have birds settling in the ocean around the yacht to keep them company. The air is beautiful and the stars at night are stunning.
These wind still days are causing a lot of consternation on the yacht and they are starting to become worried about the situation on board. The calculated amount of time that they appear to be facing and the amount of water on board is not working out correctly at the moment. Every day they are now hoping for wind and rain. I pray that they remain calm and trust that nature will be kind and give them the wind they require.
On that note, I leave all of you to have a great day and for those facing work tomorrow – good luck.
The latest position for Kwela is 41S 50E. From a longitude point of view, they have just gone past the same longitude line that we find the most eastern point of Madagascar.
There is absolutely no wind at the moment and they are starting to get very despondent on board. The latest weather reports show that the only wind blowing is way down at 45 degrees south, right with the beginning of the ice bergs. The only problem is that they have no wind to get there and truthfully, they don’t want to be taking on a Titanic adventure.
It’s now been the third day with no wind and the sea looking like a duck pond on a Stellenbosch wine farm in the middle of a windless summers day. This has caused the ladies to finally get really despondent. Out of sheer desperation, they turned the diesel engine on and started motoring towards their destination in a vain attempt to try and motor into some wind. This did not last very long as a sane mind and the need to preserve diesel ruled the day and they settled down to bobbing around on the ocean.
Lee says that in any other situation, it would be ideal. The sea is flat and all day long they have birds settling in the ocean around the yacht to keep them company. The air is beautiful and the stars at night are stunning.
These wind still days are causing a lot of consternation on the yacht and they are starting to become worried about the situation on board. The calculated amount of time that they appear to be facing and the amount of water on board is not working out correctly at the moment. Every day they are now hoping for wind and rain. I pray that they remain calm and trust that nature will be kind and give them the wind they require.
On that note, I leave all of you to have a great day and for those facing work tomorrow – good luck.
Friday, 6 January 2012
Storms and Dogs
Sorry for the delay in this update, but I have wanted to include a lot of thoughts and updates so that a complete event is described and no one is left in the dark as to what is happening or what progress is being made.
What a day (yesterday)!!! Third day into the new year and already things are hectic. For the first time since Lee’s been gone, I can look back on the day before, admit that it was a struggle and be thankful that it has passed. Thank goodness the weekend is around the corner and I can regroup and restructure. I have been worried about Lee, Sasha and Kwela and how things are going out there on the big blue ocean. My hopes and prayers is that journey continues to be an adventure for them until they reach their destination - Adelaide, Australia. It would be soul destroying for it to turn into a journey where all they will remember is the struggle they constantly endured to finally sail into a second or third choice destination.
My second to last conversation with Lee was on Monday evening. I have to confess to omitting news from that conversation. When sharing news on an open platform like a general email or the blog (which this email will appear on as well – http://leesodyssey.blogspot.com ), I tend to consider the repercussion and fallout of what I am saying and how it is going to interpreted and felt by all the people reading it. Now I know that there are people reading this blog that only want to know that Lee is ok and are not really interested in what is happening out in the ocean as it will cause them to worry and lose focus on the fact that Lee is all right. I am unable to continue protecting the “few” by keeping the news from the “masses”.
On Sunday night, Kwela sailed through an incredibly huge and violent storm, and Lee had to confront one of her fears head on. Lee was on watch when the storm struck and was responsible for steering the yacht while the storm raged around them. I am proud to say that while Lee was swept off course for a while, she was able to stay focused, face her fear and get Kwela going back in the right direction. Lee said that she had never been so scared and I am hoping that it did not take too big of an emotional toll on her. Thankfully, Kwela sailed out of the storm undamaged.
My last conversation with Lee was on Wednesday evening. I had been given instructions on who to phone for their birthdays that day, so I thought it would be a nice surprise if the person who answered the phone also happened to be one of her good friends (also a birthday girl on the day). When I was finally able to wrestle the phone away from Lynnie, it was to bombarded with questions about Samurai’s incident on the beach. On our normal evening jaunt (Tuesday), we arrived at the beach just as the nippers were finishing their training. The coach told them to put their boogie boards down and being little boys, they all tried to outdo each other with the noise they could generate in this simple action. Samurai thought this was a great game to get involved in and before I could say anything, he ran into the mob, looked around for someone who looked like fun, and nudged him in the back of the leg. Obviously all the parents standing nearby had a heart attack and I am the irresponsible owner of a vicious dog. The boy in question did not even know what had happened – one of his friends had to tell him. Anyway, everything’s back to normal - Samurai still goes to the beach every evening, the nippers throw their boards on the beach and the parents are ever so vigilant for vicious dogs.
Due to this I was not able to get much news from Lee, except that the wind had once again been very quite over the last two days and they had travelled less than a 100 miles in that period. There is obviously a lot of time which they have free, as Lee had just finished her 5th book in 18 days. Not bad for someone who seems to be either bobbing around on the ocean or being thrown around the cabin by the sea. I was told that the wind had started to pick up late in the evening but that it appeared it was bringing another storm.
Lee sent love and greetings to everyone and wanted me to tell you that she is still happy and enjoying herself, though they would really like a bit of wind.
Obviously I spent the evening wondering about what was going on out there in the middle of the ocean and if the storm prediction was actually going to be correct. I received a welcomed sms yesterday morning to say that they had spent most of the night in an electrical storm, that it had been extremely frightful, they were both exhausted, but safe. Very few of us have ever had the privilege of experiencing an electrical storm like that. Some of us might know what a good old Highveld thunderstorm is like, and we all have our stories to tell of lightning striking rather close to us. Bully for us. A Highveld storm is the matchstick, the south Indian ocean storm is the whole freaking tree. Lightning streaks across the sky (most electrical storms at sea are from cloud to cloud) for kilometers. The bolts are so big that it appears as if you could reach out, get on one and actually ride it. The sky turns an electric blue and you can see as far as the horizon as if it was broad daylight. It lasts for so long that you actually start to think that the sun is out. Suddenly it switches off and plunges you back into the black pit of night, no stars, no moon, just the expectation of another lightning bolt streaking across the sky. The noise is deafening, imagine standing in front of the noon day gun when it salutes midday and then that just goes on and on.
I stood there and as frightened as I was, I was inspired and filled with awe.
My next conversation with Lee will be tonight. I will endeavour to send out the update timeously tomorrow morning. Until then, stay well.
As always, I will let Lee know that your wishes and thoughts are with her as she sails across the ocean, carrying a bit of all our personal desires and dreams with her as well as a tinge of envy.
What a day (yesterday)!!! Third day into the new year and already things are hectic. For the first time since Lee’s been gone, I can look back on the day before, admit that it was a struggle and be thankful that it has passed. Thank goodness the weekend is around the corner and I can regroup and restructure. I have been worried about Lee, Sasha and Kwela and how things are going out there on the big blue ocean. My hopes and prayers is that journey continues to be an adventure for them until they reach their destination - Adelaide, Australia. It would be soul destroying for it to turn into a journey where all they will remember is the struggle they constantly endured to finally sail into a second or third choice destination.
My second to last conversation with Lee was on Monday evening. I have to confess to omitting news from that conversation. When sharing news on an open platform like a general email or the blog (which this email will appear on as well – http://leesodyssey.blogspot.com ), I tend to consider the repercussion and fallout of what I am saying and how it is going to interpreted and felt by all the people reading it. Now I know that there are people reading this blog that only want to know that Lee is ok and are not really interested in what is happening out in the ocean as it will cause them to worry and lose focus on the fact that Lee is all right. I am unable to continue protecting the “few” by keeping the news from the “masses”.
On Sunday night, Kwela sailed through an incredibly huge and violent storm, and Lee had to confront one of her fears head on. Lee was on watch when the storm struck and was responsible for steering the yacht while the storm raged around them. I am proud to say that while Lee was swept off course for a while, she was able to stay focused, face her fear and get Kwela going back in the right direction. Lee said that she had never been so scared and I am hoping that it did not take too big of an emotional toll on her. Thankfully, Kwela sailed out of the storm undamaged.
My last conversation with Lee was on Wednesday evening. I had been given instructions on who to phone for their birthdays that day, so I thought it would be a nice surprise if the person who answered the phone also happened to be one of her good friends (also a birthday girl on the day). When I was finally able to wrestle the phone away from Lynnie, it was to bombarded with questions about Samurai’s incident on the beach. On our normal evening jaunt (Tuesday), we arrived at the beach just as the nippers were finishing their training. The coach told them to put their boogie boards down and being little boys, they all tried to outdo each other with the noise they could generate in this simple action. Samurai thought this was a great game to get involved in and before I could say anything, he ran into the mob, looked around for someone who looked like fun, and nudged him in the back of the leg. Obviously all the parents standing nearby had a heart attack and I am the irresponsible owner of a vicious dog. The boy in question did not even know what had happened – one of his friends had to tell him. Anyway, everything’s back to normal - Samurai still goes to the beach every evening, the nippers throw their boards on the beach and the parents are ever so vigilant for vicious dogs.
Due to this I was not able to get much news from Lee, except that the wind had once again been very quite over the last two days and they had travelled less than a 100 miles in that period. There is obviously a lot of time which they have free, as Lee had just finished her 5th book in 18 days. Not bad for someone who seems to be either bobbing around on the ocean or being thrown around the cabin by the sea. I was told that the wind had started to pick up late in the evening but that it appeared it was bringing another storm.
Lee sent love and greetings to everyone and wanted me to tell you that she is still happy and enjoying herself, though they would really like a bit of wind.
Obviously I spent the evening wondering about what was going on out there in the middle of the ocean and if the storm prediction was actually going to be correct. I received a welcomed sms yesterday morning to say that they had spent most of the night in an electrical storm, that it had been extremely frightful, they were both exhausted, but safe. Very few of us have ever had the privilege of experiencing an electrical storm like that. Some of us might know what a good old Highveld thunderstorm is like, and we all have our stories to tell of lightning striking rather close to us. Bully for us. A Highveld storm is the matchstick, the south Indian ocean storm is the whole freaking tree. Lightning streaks across the sky (most electrical storms at sea are from cloud to cloud) for kilometers. The bolts are so big that it appears as if you could reach out, get on one and actually ride it. The sky turns an electric blue and you can see as far as the horizon as if it was broad daylight. It lasts for so long that you actually start to think that the sun is out. Suddenly it switches off and plunges you back into the black pit of night, no stars, no moon, just the expectation of another lightning bolt streaking across the sky. The noise is deafening, imagine standing in front of the noon day gun when it salutes midday and then that just goes on and on.
I stood there and as frightened as I was, I was inspired and filled with awe.
My next conversation with Lee will be tonight. I will endeavour to send out the update timeously tomorrow morning. Until then, stay well.
As always, I will let Lee know that your wishes and thoughts are with her as she sails across the ocean, carrying a bit of all our personal desires and dreams with her as well as a tinge of envy.
Monday, 2 January 2012
Wind at Last - Gone Again
Thank goodness for a bit of wind… that lasted for 3 days and seems to have gone to lie down again. Lee and Sasha are doing well on board Kwela and had 3 great days of sailing; just over 100 miles on the 31st, 111 miles on the 01st and 140 miles on the 2nd and then the wind just died in the late afternoon and left them bobbing around again. Lee said that this has caused both of them to feel a bit seasick again (nausea but no vomiting) and they hope that the wind picks up again in the very near future.
Lee apologizes for not writing as much as she originally planned, but the communication systems are really a hit and go situation, and she admitted last night that every time she tries to type, she gets really nauseous.
With regards to the torn sail and how they are managing – they are currently sailing with the storm mainsail as well as the other sails that are used on a yacht. The proper mainsail has been glued and patched and they are busy sewing the patches on. According to Lee, it is a huge job and their hands are getting really sore.
Lee and Sasha are both doing really well and Lee’s spirits are still up, though she says that she is missing her animals tremendously. Hope they are missing her as much, but being animals, as long as their creature comforts are met, I don’t think they care. Shylock still gets on the bed every night and screams for a place to sleep, sees that Lee is not there to lie on and gets off. Somewhere in the middle of the night, he sneaks back on and sleeps with me, but we won’t tell Lee that. Samurai doesn’t care who is there or not, as long as he can get on the bed to go to sleep. Without Lee there he has a whole half of the bed to himself and still tries to push me over and claim more of the bed. Tiggie, as always, gets on and goes to sleep next to me – no problem there.
The time on the ocean is not getting to her as much as she originally thought that it would, but she does admit that it had only been 16 days so far and they still have at least another 30 to go. They are definitely sailing to Adelaide. This will take about 3000 miles of the journey and they are therefore still on track to make land towards the end of the first week of February 2012.
The last position update is from the 01st January and is 40 50S and 41 36E.
For those that I have just added to the mailing list, the other blog being regularly updated is the following:
Sasha’s blog is http://sailingsash.blogspot.com
Enjoy the last short working week until the end of March, and the next update should be distributed on Thursday morning.
Lee apologizes for not writing as much as she originally planned, but the communication systems are really a hit and go situation, and she admitted last night that every time she tries to type, she gets really nauseous.
With regards to the torn sail and how they are managing – they are currently sailing with the storm mainsail as well as the other sails that are used on a yacht. The proper mainsail has been glued and patched and they are busy sewing the patches on. According to Lee, it is a huge job and their hands are getting really sore.
Lee and Sasha are both doing really well and Lee’s spirits are still up, though she says that she is missing her animals tremendously. Hope they are missing her as much, but being animals, as long as their creature comforts are met, I don’t think they care. Shylock still gets on the bed every night and screams for a place to sleep, sees that Lee is not there to lie on and gets off. Somewhere in the middle of the night, he sneaks back on and sleeps with me, but we won’t tell Lee that. Samurai doesn’t care who is there or not, as long as he can get on the bed to go to sleep. Without Lee there he has a whole half of the bed to himself and still tries to push me over and claim more of the bed. Tiggie, as always, gets on and goes to sleep next to me – no problem there.
The time on the ocean is not getting to her as much as she originally thought that it would, but she does admit that it had only been 16 days so far and they still have at least another 30 to go. They are definitely sailing to Adelaide. This will take about 3000 miles of the journey and they are therefore still on track to make land towards the end of the first week of February 2012.
The last position update is from the 01st January and is 40 50S and 41 36E.
For those that I have just added to the mailing list, the other blog being regularly updated is the following:
Sasha’s blog is http://sailingsash.blogspot.com
Enjoy the last short working week until the end of March, and the next update should be distributed on Thursday morning.
New Year's Eve on Kwela
Sun 01st January
Happy New Year to all you avid followers.
Finally I am able to give an update that is a bit more upbeat and positive. Unfortunately there is not much news, but what there is, is penned in this short email.
Lee sends wishes to everyone from 40S 40E. They finally have the swell behind them, so Kwela is going to be a little more comfortable to sail. For the near future, the boat won't be tormenting them and pitting itself against their will and tenacity. There should be very little occurrences of the ladies being thrown about and hopefully the bruises they currently have will be able to move through the correct sequence of colours and start to heal. Pots will stay on the stove and not continue to be a hazard of being in the cabin. Kwela will not have the opportunity to launch them across the cabin as she is no longer beating into the next swell, but is now sailing down the swell. Lee reported that the wind is not incredibly strong but it is finally blowing from the correct direction. Hopefully in these better conditions, they will be able to effect the necessary repairs to Kwela, have a decent shower and get some much needed sleep.
Last night they had reason to celebrate. They cracked the 2nd of 3 bottles of champagne (xmas, New Years and arrival) and were able to watch the stars on a calm ocean and revel in the fact that they had covered more distance yesterday than on any other previous day. They managed to do just over 100 miles. This seems to have been a turning point for their spirits which are at their highest since my conversation with Lee on Christmas Eve.
Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. They were all forwarded to Lee. I tried to find out if she had received all the messages sent, and it would appear that this communication system is definitely out to try my patience and ability to abbreviate words so that I can get the most amount of information into 160 characters. The latest problem around this is that if Lee does not download / read a message before the next one is sent, all the messages after the first one are seen as extensions to the original and the ladies onboard only get the first 160 characters. This happened yesterday, so my conversation with Lee was done at high speed as I tried to relay all the people's names that have sent her love and wishes. Rest assured that Lee appreciated each and every one of them.
Lynnie, on that note, Lee and I followed instructions and looked at the moon at midnight. Lee was able to look at the moon; while I, being a "city boy" had to look for the moon. It's a bit of a calming thought that looking at the moon allows us to realize that the person we love and miss so much is able to look at the sky and see exactly the same moon at the same time. This obviously won't be able to go on for much longer as they sail further east, so one day I will have to pass on that responsibility to her sister June.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and enjoy the day off tomorrow if you are still a member of the working class. For those that are on leave, enjoy the time and have a good rest. 2012 promises to be another challenge which will demand a bit from all of us. Rise to the challenge, give it your all and make it a great year.
Happy New Year to all you avid followers.
Finally I am able to give an update that is a bit more upbeat and positive. Unfortunately there is not much news, but what there is, is penned in this short email.
Lee sends wishes to everyone from 40S 40E. They finally have the swell behind them, so Kwela is going to be a little more comfortable to sail. For the near future, the boat won't be tormenting them and pitting itself against their will and tenacity. There should be very little occurrences of the ladies being thrown about and hopefully the bruises they currently have will be able to move through the correct sequence of colours and start to heal. Pots will stay on the stove and not continue to be a hazard of being in the cabin. Kwela will not have the opportunity to launch them across the cabin as she is no longer beating into the next swell, but is now sailing down the swell. Lee reported that the wind is not incredibly strong but it is finally blowing from the correct direction. Hopefully in these better conditions, they will be able to effect the necessary repairs to Kwela, have a decent shower and get some much needed sleep.
Last night they had reason to celebrate. They cracked the 2nd of 3 bottles of champagne (xmas, New Years and arrival) and were able to watch the stars on a calm ocean and revel in the fact that they had covered more distance yesterday than on any other previous day. They managed to do just over 100 miles. This seems to have been a turning point for their spirits which are at their highest since my conversation with Lee on Christmas Eve.
Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. They were all forwarded to Lee. I tried to find out if she had received all the messages sent, and it would appear that this communication system is definitely out to try my patience and ability to abbreviate words so that I can get the most amount of information into 160 characters. The latest problem around this is that if Lee does not download / read a message before the next one is sent, all the messages after the first one are seen as extensions to the original and the ladies onboard only get the first 160 characters. This happened yesterday, so my conversation with Lee was done at high speed as I tried to relay all the people's names that have sent her love and wishes. Rest assured that Lee appreciated each and every one of them.
Lynnie, on that note, Lee and I followed instructions and looked at the moon at midnight. Lee was able to look at the moon; while I, being a "city boy" had to look for the moon. It's a bit of a calming thought that looking at the moon allows us to realize that the person we love and miss so much is able to look at the sky and see exactly the same moon at the same time. This obviously won't be able to go on for much longer as they sail further east, so one day I will have to pass on that responsibility to her sister June.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and enjoy the day off tomorrow if you are still a member of the working class. For those that are on leave, enjoy the time and have a good rest. 2012 promises to be another challenge which will demand a bit from all of us. Rise to the challenge, give it your all and make it a great year.
Repairs at Sea
Friday 30th December
I once again had my 2 minute conversation with my courageous wife last night and I am beginning to feel rather anxious for her / them. While things are slowly starting to improve on Kwela and they are managing to repair the necessary broken items, it would appear that they are not managing to repair the hole that leaving loved ones behind creates within each of our hearts and souls.
I remember from my trips away that there are certain days where missing your loved ones is overwhelming and most people experience them at around the same time: Day 4, Day 12 – 14, Day 28 – 30. Today is day 14 on the ocean for Kwela and it’s precious people, and I think that both Lee and Sash have gone through an incredibly rough emotional time in the last 3 days. Lee, I obviously speak to and can hear her voice and heart, while Sasha, updates her Blog (http://sailingsash.blogspot.com) and you can read the heartache that she is feeling and fighting with.
Kwela’s last updated position was this morning and she is now at 40 16S 36 11E. It would appear that the swell has turned and is now running with them and hopefully the wind follows suit. The rain catcher needed some running repairs, which were done yesterday, and it was once again installed, ready to work. Lee says it’s not doing much, because a rain catcher obviously catches rain – which isn’t falling at the moment. At least it is working and up. They have managed to start fixing the main sail, which would appear to be considerably damaged. Gluing and patching is done and now the sewing has to start. Once that is done, hopefully they can hoist it and catch the wind in the right direction.
As you will all be able to see from Sasha’s blog, the destination of this journey has altered from Hobart, Tasmania to Adelaide. It would appear that it shortens the journey a fair bit and with a bit of luck and some wind they should still arrive in time for the 1st birthday of Arix (Sasha’s son) on the 11th Feb 2012.
Thank you for all the messages that I am receiving and heartfelt wishes that accompany them. I am unfortunately not able to respond to everyone on an individual basis. Yesterday there was no news – therefore I had nothing to distribute to all you news hungry followers of this epic adventure. If you felt left out in the cold, imagine how I felt – no news, last position update was day after Christmas and the last communication was Tuesday saying that it was the worst day of the trip so far. To put the cherry on the top, I then receive 5 emails, 2 phone calls and 3 sms’s yesterday asking why there’s no news and if everything is ok. Bear with me. As soon as I have any news, good or bad, I will let everyone know.
My next scheduled communication with Lee will be just before Midnight tomorrow (New Year’s Eve) so I will send something out in the course of the morning on New Year’s Day.
To those travelling our roads over the coming weekend, please be safe, don’t drink and drive and make sure that you see the new year in surrounded by the people that you love and appreciate.
Lee misses everyone terribly and sends love to you all, especially her Mom and Dad, her grootsus and Lieffies, and lastly Samurai her boy. I ask that you remember her in your prayers and thoughts over the next few days.
I once again had my 2 minute conversation with my courageous wife last night and I am beginning to feel rather anxious for her / them. While things are slowly starting to improve on Kwela and they are managing to repair the necessary broken items, it would appear that they are not managing to repair the hole that leaving loved ones behind creates within each of our hearts and souls.
I remember from my trips away that there are certain days where missing your loved ones is overwhelming and most people experience them at around the same time: Day 4, Day 12 – 14, Day 28 – 30. Today is day 14 on the ocean for Kwela and it’s precious people, and I think that both Lee and Sash have gone through an incredibly rough emotional time in the last 3 days. Lee, I obviously speak to and can hear her voice and heart, while Sasha, updates her Blog (http://sailingsash.blogspot.com) and you can read the heartache that she is feeling and fighting with.
Kwela’s last updated position was this morning and she is now at 40 16S 36 11E. It would appear that the swell has turned and is now running with them and hopefully the wind follows suit. The rain catcher needed some running repairs, which were done yesterday, and it was once again installed, ready to work. Lee says it’s not doing much, because a rain catcher obviously catches rain – which isn’t falling at the moment. At least it is working and up. They have managed to start fixing the main sail, which would appear to be considerably damaged. Gluing and patching is done and now the sewing has to start. Once that is done, hopefully they can hoist it and catch the wind in the right direction.
As you will all be able to see from Sasha’s blog, the destination of this journey has altered from Hobart, Tasmania to Adelaide. It would appear that it shortens the journey a fair bit and with a bit of luck and some wind they should still arrive in time for the 1st birthday of Arix (Sasha’s son) on the 11th Feb 2012.
Thank you for all the messages that I am receiving and heartfelt wishes that accompany them. I am unfortunately not able to respond to everyone on an individual basis. Yesterday there was no news – therefore I had nothing to distribute to all you news hungry followers of this epic adventure. If you felt left out in the cold, imagine how I felt – no news, last position update was day after Christmas and the last communication was Tuesday saying that it was the worst day of the trip so far. To put the cherry on the top, I then receive 5 emails, 2 phone calls and 3 sms’s yesterday asking why there’s no news and if everything is ok. Bear with me. As soon as I have any news, good or bad, I will let everyone know.
My next scheduled communication with Lee will be just before Midnight tomorrow (New Year’s Eve) so I will send something out in the course of the morning on New Year’s Day.
To those travelling our roads over the coming weekend, please be safe, don’t drink and drive and make sure that you see the new year in surrounded by the people that you love and appreciate.
Lee misses everyone terribly and sends love to you all, especially her Mom and Dad, her grootsus and Lieffies, and lastly Samurai her boy. I ask that you remember her in your prayers and thoughts over the next few days.
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