Summary
The conditions have finally eased and given Dee Caffari the chance to recuperate from her post-halfway mark low that hit hard when she realised the enormity of the voyage ahead.
“I am the unusual bearer of good news in the Southern Ocean,” said weather forecaster Mike Broughton today, “Dee is reaching along at around 9 knots in relatively mild northerly steady winds. We have been looking to aim for this particular place for the last two or three days to achieve this so today will probably be the best run for the last few weeks.”
“The wind is forecast to ease,” wrote Dee on Wednesday. “My jobs list is large and we shall be busy getting ready for the next section of sailing. It will also give me a chance to move around Aviva in a relaxed state rather than using my muscles just to exist down below deck.”
The first of these jobs was to check the speed transducer; which meant making a “2-inch hole in the bottom of the boat” according to Dee. “And yes I was very nervous,” she admitted. “I needed to pull it from the bottom of the boat to inspect it … There is something quite surreal about pulling something from the hull that when absent leaves a hole.
“All was well and I found the transducer had a friend attached to it. I wasn't sure if it was animal, vegetable or mineral and not being one for little ‘nasties’, I extracted whatever it was from the paddle wheel using a screwdriver … and ‘hey presto’ the speed suddenly started to work again.”
The calmer conditions allowed her to tackle many more jobs on a growing list that had been playing on her mind, including a comprehensive deck check, but after 95 days at sea it is understandable that, “having a shower and changing some clothes,” made the solo skipper “feel better than anything.”
Dee also had a chance to relax and enjoy her surroundings without the violent motion of the yacht through big seas demanding her attention, which has helped restore her morale. Latest reports from the Shore Team describe Dee in ‘good spirits’ compared with her emotional low at the start of the week.
And the outlook for the next couple of days is also good. “On Saturday there’s a small low-pressure system moving from a position about 200 miles south of Perth,” said Mike, “so we want to avoid getting caught on the north-western quadrant of this system.
“This system is moving at 30 knots in a south-easterly direction coming straight towards us, so if we sail too high we’ll hit the strong winds. If we head south we will avoid a pounding from it. The plan today is to bear away by around 10 degrees or if necessary we will go straight through the middle to avoid the strong headwinds.
“The resulting reaching conditions will actually be quite windy and she is likely to be blast reaching in up to 30 knots, so it is looking good for progress west over the next 32 hours.”
Quick Links
Read Dee’s latest log:
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=6
See the latest photographs sent back from Aviva:
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=48
New video footage from Dee and Aviva: Check the Multimedia Locker tomorrow (Friday 24th February) for new footage of Dee’s incredible journey so far:
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=31
|
