The invisible landmark is a conveniently timed boost for the solo skipper after a tough week of sleep deprivation, unpredictable squalls and soaring temperatures.
Tuesday marked the end of two weeks of sailing off the breeze when an “enormous cloud” moved in and Dee suddenly found herself sailing upwind. Winds were building up to 30 knots but, “the take-down line was preventing the indexsail sliding down the track,” so she was left overpowered and urgently looking for a solution.
“I tried every option to avoid having to go up the rig myself,” wrote Dee, admitting she is not a fan of heights, “…but my next black cloud was bearing down on us and I knew I wouldn't be happy until I could have control of the indexsail.”
“In my mind my first ascent would be in perfect conditions,” she continued, “typically it was raining and we were doing 9 knots.” But Aviva held course and the job was done, clearly serving as another important personal victory: “By the time I got down I was on fire. I was chuffed to bits that I had tackled adversity and won.”
The conditions gave her little time to celebrate though. The wind direction was shifting between 190 and 40 degrees and the speed varying from 10 to 30 knots, demanding constant attention to the sails to avoid costly damage.
“For the most part, it was almost too much wind, as she headed dead south in gale force conditions created by a tropical storm cell that we had tracked all the way from the West African coast,” wrote weather specialist Mike Broughton. “For a while it looked like she might make it through all the way by the good services of one potent cloud cell, but it was not to be.”
By Tuesday evening, Aviva was left wallowing and becalmed. “How things can change,” wrote Dee. “There I am sailing everywhere between 8 and 10 knots and then suddenly it was as if someone put the brakes on … the evening came and the wind died … Frustrating doesn’t even come close.”
Her feelings were understandable considering her position. Mike calculated that Dee had made it 95% of the way through the doldrums and the precious wind she needed to continue her journey was just 15 miles south of her position!
On Wednesday, light appeared at the end of what could have been a long and slow tunnel. Dee said the breeze had started to rise along with the sun and an email update to Mike in the early hours of Thursday sounded promising:
“Progress indeed! Touching 8 knots when the wind swings and now heading 185 degrees. The wind has filled in to 11 knots from 127 degrees. It has been SE all day as it has built. I do hope that is a good sign.”
Mike crossed his fingers in the hope that she would soon make it through and be, “safe in the knowledge that she has escaped a real doldrums nightmare.”
Finally, the doldrums were conquered and Dee was sailing steadily in SE trade winds, heading closer to the equator and her toast with Neptune. “As the equator loomed it was easy to stay awake, despite it being hours since I last slept” Dee wrote as the GPS ticked away.
Eventually, she described “the emotional moment” as she entered the Southern Hemisphere: “I grabbed my southbound equator bottle of champagne, sat on deck while we were sailing along at 8.5 knots and made a toast, for those that have been before and for those that will follow, may Neptune grant Aviva and I a safe passage South”.
“I will look forward to thanking Neptune when we cross again northbound” she continued, “but now I need to get my head around the Southern hemisphere and remember that depressions go the other way round!!”
For now, she will be leaving the problems and challenges of the Northern Hemisphere behind and focusing on the journey south to Cape Horn.
Second Audio Programme goes live
Dee’s second programme with Elaine Bunting of Yachting World has been posted on the audio section of www.avivachallenge.com. In this programme, Dee admits to suffering from sleep deprivation as frequent squalls interrupt her routine and says she’s been finding the searing Equatorial heat hard to bear.
Elaine investigates how satellites and some of the world’s biggest supercomputers have revolutionised weather forecasting and finds out how Dee and her weather expert, Mike Broughton, are using this technology to help keep Dee’s record bid on track.
Personal Coach Harry Spedding also looks at the week ahead and foresees a change of pace for Dee, with cooler weather and life at an angle not far away.
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=32
New Feature on Official Aviva Challenge Website
Another new feature has just been launch on www.avivachallenge.com – you can now view all the latest photos taken by Dee as she continues her epic voyage. View the latest images which accompany Dee's diaries, including a spectacular shot of Dee’s recent ascent up the mast, by logging on to the 'Follow Dee' section of the site now.
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=48
Quick Links
“Frustrating doesn’t even come close.” Read Dee’s account of life in the doldrums:
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=6&thisDay=8&thisMonth=12&view=day
Read Mike Broughton’s latest analysis of the weather:
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=6&person=mike
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