Ken Gourlay Circumnavigation - Pt 9

Pooped out

As I walked around the deck of Spirit the miles were starting to show. Gooseneck barnacles were on her topsides just above the water line on both sides now and living a healthy life on the water flowing past them.

My mainsail had now shredded along with the No. 3 and I had now fitted my spare mainsail and my No. 4. My spare mainsail was my brother's. He had insisted that I take it as a backup, just in case. This sail was a lot smaller than my original main and was probably equivalent in size to mine with three reefs in it. I was very pleased that I now had this sail, not only on board, but up.

Spirit Silver Edition has done a marvellous job and has not put a foot wrong in all these miles. We have been through a bit now. We were about halfway across the Indian Ocean and it was proving to be the hardest sailing leg of all. We have now passed the Kerguelen Islands.

There is no chance of relaxing or letting your guard drop at all.

On day 153 the winds started to build again and the weather gribs promised more winds with gusts into the 50s. I have worked farther north to lessen the amount of time that I'm in these winds and hopefully lessen their strength.

ROARING FORTIES
After discussions with Roger Badham I decided to stay around 40º South all the way across the Indian Ocean to seek better weather because of my rig and sail problems. This meant that I would sail a lot longer distance than required to complete my circumnavigation, but, as I have said before, I have set priorities and the record, while I want it dearly, is the last on my wish list.

My total extra miles would possibly be as high as 1000 as my detour to Isla de Trinidad had added an extra 400nm back then. My daily runs had improved remarkably and I now needed around 122nm per day for the record again. We were not out of it yet.

The wind stayed up over the next few days and the autopilot was having trouble big time trying to steer. I set the boat up so that she was hove to and I changed the power supply wire to the pilot motor. This made little or no difference. I would have to do more and more hand steering.

My day's runs were still good with runs like 155, 148 and 150nm consecutively.

On one of these days the swells and sea state were atrocious and Spirit got the biggest wave impact on her side to date for the journey. This hit was so big it physically swung her round. Again, I was pleased Spirit had been built so strong. Good steering, bad steering, mast or no mast, I always felt that I would get home.

As I logged my 21,000th nautical mile the wind swung to the south and came in with a vengeance. It blew consistently 30 to 40kts with gusts into the 50s. I had the mainsail up and down during the night as the preceding fronts came through before it came to stay. I had made enough tuna pasta the previous night to have some left over for lunch. When the wind was on the beam the autopilot found the going much easier. My day consisted of reading and hanging on.

The next day all the fun was gone. The wind swung to the west and maintained its intensity. The pilot just gave up as it couldn't cope at all. With gusts into the 50s and from the west, the workload for the ram was just beyond its ability. I changed the ram over to the last spare and the story was just the same. I was back steering.

When the wind swung round to the southwest it gave me a better angle to experiment with getting Spirit to steer herself. This would be a godsend if she could.

I found that in the hove to position, but with the jib sheeted on its correct side, I could lock the helm in a position that sailed her just a little fine up to the wind. As she would head up slowly she would luff slightly and fall back filling the sails again and pick up her speed.

In these strong winds and with just the hurricane jib set, this became a way to rest me and my aching back while still making ground. In further experiments I found that with the jib sheeted in more or out more and subtle changes in the amount of helm on, then I could have some control over the angle to the wind that she sailed at. As long as the wind was not from the west I could find a course that gave me some easting.

IN THE HOME STRAIGHT
The first full 24 hours gave a result that was very pleasing for the amount of work involved. Spirit did 129nm. Of this we achieved 114nm east. On this day my distance to get home dropped under 3000nm. If this was the way I was going home then so be it.

The next day I steered all day except when I stopped to send my daily email. It was hard work, but my back was starting to get fitter and life was a little easier.

On the morning of day 160 it was a real effort to drag myself out of the bunk.

I had steered till 8pm the night before and Spirit had not made much progress by herself overnight. Spirit had made 40nm north and only 30nm east. My body was sore and the motion of the boat was very uncomfortable.

ONE MAN'S JOURNEY
Ken Gourlay's book One Man's Journey is now available for $29.95 plus $8 for package and handling.

The book can be purchased by visiting Ken's new website www.kengourlay.net or by phone on 0417 366 612.

Gourlay's circumnavigation has raised $130,000 for the Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust, which has been established to facilitate the creation of a ‘world class' medical research institution in Northern Tasmania.

He was Tasmania's representative and finalist for this year's Australian of the Year Award won by country music singer Lee Kernaghan.