SailBlog

Huge sigh... The night was a long one... with light winds just fussing all night long... but the early morning hours were rewarding as I was finally able to connect with the Patagonia Chilean Net, Wolfgang still as the host...and he even remembered me from my last time through...It was great to be heard, though my signal was light, it was clear enough that I was able to pass on my position and get their email address to give them more information. What fun...this is the part of the journey I have been so looking forward to ...I am hoping to connect with the Net on the Falkland Islands too. It is somehow very uplifting to talk to folks who are in the different parts of the world...living there... especially Patagonia. It is such a wild and harsh environment yet so so very beautiful beyond imagination, the colors of the skies, the smells of the earth and mountains midst the sea, the wildlife is astounding and there is just so much to see, the mountain glaciers ...it is so so ve ry hard to pass by and not stop, but not this time...another time though one way or another.

So by 0500 I was well awake and my day got underway ... it has been long. I am going to be short tonight and continue tomorrow with the day... I am just too sore and exhausted, burning the candle at all ends, staying up too late with last emails, and the endless alarms to keep me on course. Then the radio check ins start near midnight and again by 0500 at this area of the world. i am nearling another time zone so will be in Central time tomorrow.

I had a slow progress day by miles, but managed to get all of my sail inventory out and flew every sail today...meaning I dropped each sail, flaked it on deck, put up antoher sail...got is sailing on the whisker pole...only to try the next sail.... Nothing feels just right... and there is so much new territory... for instance, the newer but lighter working jib has a lower clew so to use the whisker pole, i have a lower fitting on the mast so that the pole is level with the clew, but it also means that it is in the way, at all different angles to set up...I found myself banging my head over and over and just having the whole deck feel clumsy... not a great feeling considering the conditions ahead. I need to feel at ease with moving around and getting the sails in place and rigged.

So...tomorrow is another day to write...today was a day to work...I finally got things put away after tearing the boat apart to get to the Vberth lazarette... The forecast is coming together with steady strong winds and at least one signiifcant gale in the way at this point. The other fronts seem to be coming at manageable levels even as far south as I am getting, nearing 46*S.

Bob McD passes on sea and air temps...they are getting lower by a degree or more a day of celsius..more like 2 *F... getting to temps in the mid 40s but much lower with wind chills, but today was still a pleasant enough day to be moving around deck and working at a comfortable temp...that means that my hands were warm ... and I was down to wearing layers of clothes but no foul weather gear... I have one more day of preparations before the winds really start to pick up and then we will be on a roll all the way to Cape Horn. 38* to go to Cape Horn... and we were 1636nm away this morning...

Keepin On Sailin On Caring.... Sleep Well my friends... I am going to,I pray...the winds are to be steady, just light so the banging comes and goes....I will have to write a song in my head with a bit of percussion thrown in to enlist the sound effects around me. ...thank you Scott and Kitty and Paul for all your input on heaving to that works... yes..I am with you on all that...have done the same... Bob has begun copying some of the comments to me... TEss...in Ireland... such big hugs and Judy N...such enouragement...Duane and June, I so have been wanting to email you but somehow don't have an email on board, can you get it to Bob...? Lisa!!! so great to hear from you..what a blessing you are. I can't wait to get in touch with Women Sailiing!! There are so many I dont know but so appreciate all of your following wishes and prayers, encouragement . Thank you ...

The beauty of simplicity... I am counting on finding a simple sail plan to manage the upcoming days and, as with such wisdom, Ron, you offered... "once I master heaving to my boat in the gale winds, watch my anxiety fade away... "Oh, I love it.

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

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