People you speak with every day are crossing oceans and sailing around the world. It starts to feel like this is a regular thing to do, such as going to the supermarket! I have become so accustomed to the atmosphere and activities surrounding the race. It all feels like a natural sort of activity…until you reach a beautiful landfall like Cape Town and start telling people about it. Their reactions have renewed my perspective of the big picture.
Yesterday I decided to go away to the seaside town of Muizenberg for two whole days on my own. It is my first time off the boat in solitude since August – over 3 months ago!
I am staying at a beautiful guest house called Blue Canyon, and began to tell the owner about my trip. Her reaction brought me back to reality. She said, “I am 49 years old, and you are the first person I met who is sailing around the world!” I am reminded that this Clipper experience is truly unique.
I’ve got a handy set of brochures on Cape Breton, which makes it easier to describe where I’m from, and how I ended up sailing into Cape Town. People have shown so much enthusiasm and interest in the race. One woman stopped by and left me a message – she used to live in Sydney 30 years ago!
To step away from the Clipper environment has allowed me to reflect back on the progress to date. Eight thousand miles later, here I am in Cape Town!
One of the most common questions people ask is, “What was the difference between Legs 1 and 2?”
The biggest contrast was the weather. During Leg 1, we struggled to get every bit of speed in the light wind conditions. The temperature was so hot, we had to design a “wind sock” to funnel air through the living area. Night watches were a treat to sit out in the cool air. Helming required a very light touch, with only small adjustments to keep course. Minor trim changes gave us that extra 0.1 knots of boat speed.
Leg 2 started out with 20 knots sailing upwind – against the wind and waves. It was exhilarating to be out in the elements again. Foul weather gear was donned for the first time – although it wasn’t cold enough to break out the boots. Eventually I had to give in. Firstly, my (new) Teva sandals were falling apart at the seams and the other crew were getting cold just by looking at my bare feet!
Quite a number of crew were seasick for the first couple days, but it didn’t last long. Just when we thought we were lined up for a fast ride to Cape Town, we landed in another light wind patch. Not far enough south to catch the low pressure system, boat speed was down to three knots…the boats north and south of us pulled ahead. The only good part – it was my mother watch day, so I managed to prepare the crew’s dinner without destroying the galley.
Eventually, another weather system passed through, and we were on our way again. Some top speeds were marked surfing down waves. I describe it as spectacular sailing. Finally some decent size waves in the right direction.
We never did catch up with the fleet after the initial light wind patch. The other Clippers had good winds and speeds as well. However, it was a successful passage in every other respect. The crew did a great job sailing the boat, sails were all intact on arrival in Cape Town, and our manoeuvres ran safely. All in all, it was a very enjoyable trip.
Crew morale was very positive throughout the crossing. The impatience people seem to get during light wind conditions did not have a chance to creep in. We had good winds for most of the trip. Our three watch system also allowed for more time to interact with the other watches. We had a really interesting group of people. I particularly enjoyed hearing stories from Aleks – she grew up in Vanuatu, where I spent time sailing a few years ago. I’ve been fascinated by the place ever since, and can’t wait to return one day.
My personal goal for the journey was to spend more time following the weather systems and analyzing the changes. It was a really interesting leg for this, watching the weather systems pass below us, and trying to get the best position for favourable winds. Helming was another favourite aspect – finally some swells and waves!!
I’m looking forward to our departure on Sunday for Australia – home of my early sailing adventures, and one of my favourite places in the world. We’ll round the Cape of Good Hope, and set out on almost a month at sea. Leg 3 is expected to have some of the best (ie: the biggest) swells – can’t wait to do some sailing again!
Next report to follow will be from the ocean….
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