SailBlog

Vessel Name: Inspired Insanity
Vessel Make/Model: Southern Cross 28
Hailing Port: Virgin Islands
Extra: First American Woman to Solo Sail Nonstop Around the World
Home Page: www.donnalange.com
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10 July 2016 | Bristol RI
15 June 2016 | 35 00'N:75 05'W, Another wild few days ahead... deja vu.
13 June 2016 | 30 00'N:79 35'W, in the Gulf Stream off Jacksonville Fl
01 June 2016 | 41 24'N:71 25'W, Just arriving in Lake Worth... leaving again tomorrow in my car back to RI
29 May 2016 | 41 24'N:71 25'W, Bristol RI: Herreshoff Museum Dock
26 May 2016 | 41 24'N:71 25'W, a day to tidy up...
25 May 2016 | 40 54'N:71 52'W, starry night sky, farewell dance for now...
25 May 2016 | 40 28'N:72 30'W, ?? Arrival to bay tomorrow afternoon: 2 days to events
25 May 2016 | 40 28'N:72 30'W, ?? Arrival to bay tomorrow afternoon: 2 days to events
24 May 2016 | 39 47'N:73 16'W, 4 days to arrival..incredible to imagine...
23 May 2016 | 39 11'N:74 00'W, 4 days to arrival..incredible to imagine...
22 May 2016 | 38 10'N:73 30-'W, 4 days to arrival..incredible to imagine...
21 May 2016 | 36 37'N:74 03'W, 5 days to arrive... made 157nm yesterday..only 300nm to go
21 May 2016 | 36 37'N:74 03'W, 5 days to arrive... made 157nm yesterday..only 300nm to go
20 May 2016 | 35 15'N:74 45'W, 6 days to arriving!!!
20 May 2016 | 34 27'N:75 19'W, 7 days to arriving!!!
18 May 2016 | 32 12'N:77 32'W, 8 days to my arrival... keep an eye on the tracker!!
17 May 2016 | 30 26'N:79 01'W, 9 days to my arrival... keep an eye on the tracker!!
16 May 2016 | 27 45'N:79 48'W, 11 days to my arrival... keep an eye on the tracker!!
16 May 2016 | 26 'N:79 48'W, 11 days to my arrival... keep an eye on the tracker!!
Recent Blog Posts
10 July 2016 | Bristol RI

Journeying On

The summer has barely begun in Rhode Island and the mornings already seem to be cool, almost a scent of autumn air… How is that possible? There is so much to do. Each day seems to begin and end with a sense of having been floating on air, my feet barely touching the ground. “What is it like now, [...]

15 June 2016 | 35 00'N:75 05'W, Another wild few days ahead... deja vu.

Passing Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras!!!

There was no warning�... the day touting varying winds from the SE to SW, the sails trimmed in and let back out over and over to keep us moving as fast as we could, the engine called upon when we weren�'t moving fast enough. I was making breakfast when Bob went up on deck responding to a sound�... next [...]

13 June 2016 | 30 00'N:79 35'W, in the Gulf Stream off Jacksonville Fl

Offshore once more: SV Calyspo is heading north!

It seems endless, the need to keep pressing, keep moving, from one point to another, the whole world of details needing to be dealt with upon returning after so long offshore, after having completely detached from the world system. Yet, there is a dream state that wants to believe I would not reattach�... [...]

01 June 2016 | 41 24'N:71 25'W, Just arriving in Lake Worth... leaving again tomorrow in my car back to RI

the MISSING BLOGS: are coming

Hang in there... I am enroute to Florida to get my car... a busy week. I am getting the 'missing blogs' going. I just realized that I didn't write any blog the days I was knocked down...though Bob did an incredible job of keeping you updated and with the details...He was totally accurate and you all [...]

29 May 2016 | 41 24'N:71 25'W, Bristol RI: Herreshoff Museum Dock

Magnificent Welcome Home

PHOTO: after knockdowns at Cape Horn and heading for Panama WATCH FOR NEW BLOGS : FROM FEB.14- MAR 28�... HANDWRITTEN UNDERWAY AFTER MY COMPUTER BROKE, TO BE TRANSCRIBED AND POSTED OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS�... STAY TUNED!!!

Inspired Sanity

02 November 2015 | 43 30'S:31 50'E, SeaMadness reprise II
Donna:: CPM 18 110215 2400
Inspired Sanity SeaMadness reprise II:

The wind was suppose to come up last night according to the Grib and started to, I set the pole, we were moving along on a E course, then my two hour alarm went off and I looked at the compaass and we had a heading of nearly due north, and in no wind; Breathlessness out there, again.

I have no idea where the wind is.. but it is a pretty sunny morning and it may warm up a bit from 45* wtihout the wind but that is no consolation for making no progress..The birds will have to help me through the day. I am trying not to be discouraged...if I can average my old norm of just a hundred miles a day overall than it will take the 4 or so months I had allocated to get to the Horn...I was hoping to do better than that...but...at this point even that is looking hopeful.

The thought of being home is huge now...though it is too early to be so ready to be there. But, somehow, I will allow the days to pass....right now, it is not the passing of days though. They go by quickly...it is making any progress during those days...I had another less than a degree day...way less. I made 20*N and 30*E...mostly drifting.

A few days ago, I did email Chris Parker, a professional meteorologist who works with yachts in passage. He is able to get a long term outlook on weather patterns that I need. I got a response today, giving me a run down on the present patterns in the Southern Ocean.

It isn't pretty. There is no tradewind belt at all at this point. The lows are far south of the 50S and the no wind belt is just north of 40S...Where I am now, somewhere between 40* and 45*S is the best place to be, he suggests 42*S, in order to avoid the higher winds from the south fronts, and to stay out of the windless areas that are vast north of 40*.

Every seven days or so there is a Low coming south out of the Indian ocean that seems to be traversing the ocean West to east and crossing from 30*to 50*S which will cross my path. My conditions will be all about timing as far as where it catches me each week and it can bring me 30kt headwinds...I remember moments of this before...I think that these fronts are followed by northerlies I can sail but they can be full on gale force. And then there are frontal boundaries from fronts from the south that will continue to move west to east creating the same pattern I have been sailing with NW to SW winds, followed by lulls in between. There are still the possibilities of actual cyclones as well that can cross into the Southern Ocean.

so...It isn't terrible...just not a fast tradewind type sail or pace...I can dream about more of those 900nm weeks like I had from the Azzores to the ITC zone...and I may get one or more...it is possible, even probable. But not this week. And I will have to beat feet if a true storm is in my path.

It is good to have Chris's eyes now looking at the trends to give me a realistic view of what is ahead. Last time, it wasn't this slow, but I did several huge gales along the way as well, especially as I approached Australia. The winds were steadier somehow or maybe it is just my memory that is steady. It will improve some once I am past the Africa effects. I am still feeling the convergence of the oceans here.

But what needs to happen for me personally, is that I can't be all worked up about any of it...I need to just go with the flow, grateful that I am safe and sound and making my way. Acceptance and Balance...Let it be and do my best without killing myself trying to make headway on the lightest winds...driving myself crazy. These are the life lessons I came here glean from. The ocean is faithful to mentor me.

So, I have come to just set my alarm for two hour intervals at night and I let myself rest and stay warm between...and there is only so many sail changes I can make..pole up and down...especially in this cold. I tend to set less sail if it is squally at all. I have come to sailing with just the main if need be downwind to stay on course instead of switching the pole incessantly or taking it down in the middle of the night. I did it last night. The winds shifted and died so I rolled up the jib which had been set on the pole, left it hanging, and just sailed on the main, wallowing through the rest of the night.

As today progressed, I had a transforming midday...the sun did warm us up and with the real becalming, it was glassy flat out. I think I listened to the sea's encouragement...I found myself on the deck sitting on that ole' Pelican box. Spontaneously, without any thought about it, I just started to breath through my exercises, my energy becoming aroused...within a few minutes, I had all my over layer clothes off, down to my leggings and tops... I did my entire yoga routine on the bow...in the sun...it was amazing...it felt so good to move and get warm from the inside out.

It is the way in Ireland and New Zealand...places where the winters are just like this...a wet soggy 45* cold in the nights warming into the 50's during the days...I stayed with a lovely lady at one point in the country north of Cork City, in Ireland. It is a trend, when a country has a climate that gets cold, but not cold enough to freeze and break water pipes...they don't value heat...especially central heating...it is a waste of money.

In Ireland, it was amazing to me how may homes and offices had no central heating and it was rare rare days that anyone used their space heaters...they all had fireplaces; old fashioned open flue fireplaces and burn peat bog logs, wood, or coal to heat with. It is the enchantment of the pubs in Ireland where all year round there is a fire burning and folks huddle around and play music sessions...

So, to stay warm they all know the value of doing some kind of exercise to warm themselves and get their 'blood' moving in the mornings. This lovely friend would strip down to bare minimal clothes, first thing in the morning, cold, drizzly days even, and do her postures and exercises outside on the porch. I was appalled and amazed at the same time. And she thought that my boat was too damp and cold...it was a whole lot easier to heat my boat with my propane stove, than her house or even a room with an open flue fireplace.

Of course, all my children have worked outside most of their lives in upstate New York as carpenters of one kind or another, and they somehow manage to work long days outside in the cold...I just have never been one to do that. I have Renaud's syndrome... cold hands don't work for me...so it is interesting that I have put myself in this environment in the Southern Ocean...I was quite sure that given I was coming into the summer season, I would be clear from too cold of weather...and it probably will still be the case, this bout of time seeming a small inconvenience in the overall memories of my sail...I hope so.

Being able to be on deck and exercise is the gold leaf lining in the becalm days which I have to appreciate...like I had the treat of going 'for a swim' in the North Atlantic...here I can do my yoga on deck...The becalm days are restorative...I will get going...I am quite sure I will. In the end, the averages will pan out. I am thinking that I will make the Caribbean in time to be amidst the Atlantic Rally on the way north.

Today, I also realized that the calms are part of timing and I can accept that the ocean is creating my timing by adjusting my pace...I am just going to have to trust for the overall journey. If I had been going full speed since I crossed the Cape, I would have been right in the middle of this huge storm that is coming south from Africa today...so...I avoided it by being delayed. If I hadn't been delayed I would be sailing SW, backtracking to avoid it. So...I need to accept the pace I am making. It is OK...in fact it is perfect given that it IS...

I am encouraged by my recent conscious clearing work on myself...and I can write. WRiting is the thing that passes the time. Hours disappear. I wish the computer was easier to type on, but I am finding that if I slow down, it helps. I feel almost ready to tackle life on land again ... though it is an overwelming insecurity that I will work on daily here so that I will be centered when I return...

The wind has come up out of the NNW. I am moving...heading to 42*S for a front on the 6th with harsh East winds below 43*.. Then I think that is the latitude I am going to try to stay at...According to Chris, it is the middle of the road for missing lower high winds and upper large areas of calm.

The birds were amazing too...It was like watching a situation comedy this morning...In the calm, they were all congregating on the water. What a noise they make as a group, then they would all take off together...a strange dance to watch as the sound would escalate just as they would all take off. I tried to record it but I doubt it will come out. There were two black, larger petrels in the gang too, and one Albatross..they all congregated together. I watched them go through this pattern...congregate, chatter, take off and then congregate again...all around me.

The Prions are getting way to familiar with flying close to the boat.. the wind generator is surely going to hit one...They aren't always here and it is worse when I am still, and then the wind gen doesen't work anyway. I will have to see what I can do. Right now the Solar has been keeping up with the longer daylight hours and high sun. If I don't use the stereo, and turn the Aurora tracking off when I am not using the satellite, it may be do fairly well with just solar for the most part.

Will have to see.

It has cooled off with wind and now the clouds are coming in ..so back to plan A...stay warm. If I consider the difference between 45*N and 42*N...I may find that it will warm up a little as I go even just a degree or two north. It is the dropping into the 40s that is so biting...

It is interesting how my family all manage my long time away...They all are so busy with their lives and I have never lived near by so as to be a part of their normal daily life activities. They are all used to not seeing me for long periods.

But for Bob, it is another story. Everywhere he goes, our friends all inquire on how I am doing? My sail manages to come up, if not monopolize some of the conversation. He is managing all the tasks of moving our world from RI back to Florida without me there to even carry my load...he is managing my 'stuff' too. Plus it has managed to be a very busy season with unforseen delays all around...Calypso was damaged in a late season storm in Bristol Harbor requiring major rebuilding of the steering system...Bob is my hero as he manages it all...keep him in your prayers please as they head out to finally deliver Calypso to Florida in late season conditions. Finally the migration will be complete.

There are so many day to day pleasures that Bob and I normally share. I will take nothing for granted I hope after being away so long..I so enjoy being able to go into the Bristol Bagel Works shop...it is such a great energy there...Hi to Rob and Kristin and Bridgette and all there. Great sessions at Aidens with our wonderful sailing camarades...big hellos to all.

So the SeaMadness continues to try to take hold...but being centered and present does help me tackle my incredible impatience wanting to get on with it and get home...Otherwise, the banging and clamouring of the calms will make me insane, not sane.

I considered turning around...I have to give myself permission to do so, I feel...I have to choose to go on. And I do. Though it is harder and harder with the continuing stalls. I could just turn around and take the trades back home...it is tempting, but not really...it isn't. I have the same confidence that I had when I first knew it was time to do this sail. I have too much to gain by pressing on that I can gain no other way...I want it.

I have decided to rename my boat when I return...It is time to allow myself and II to have a new identity...She will be SV_Inspired Sanity....interestingly, her acronym will be IS...How approapriately present IS that.

Keepin On Sailin On a Dream... From Inspired Insanity to Inspired Sanity...It has taken a lifetime of being willing to Keep On striving for the time for my identity to be rooted in Sanity, Conscious Awareness revealed... That is faith...the substance of things hoped for.

Fairest of Winds and the Love of the Ocean Only Gratitude Donna

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