Southern Ocean Vignettes…: It’s been a while since we checked in on Ellen and the Vendee Globe. But both she and Mike Golding are deep into the grind of the Southern Ocean, and both recently provided reports which give just the slightest sense of how lonely and difficult it is to race across that grey expanse of dangerous ocean. Here’s Ellen:

“Sitting here at the chart table soaked again… Already changed clothes twice in the past 10 hours – thank goodness for Arry the air cooled generator (as i type this he’s stopped for the third time in 20 mins -nback in a mo)… It’s been another very hard slog… yesterday winds much lighter than predicted – so more sail changes, and the stress of hoping that when you pull the reef out you won’t be putting it in just an hour later. Yesterday evening it became evident that there was a storm brewing to the west that weas going to hit us hard again – and as the hours ticked by it appeared worse than the xmas storm…. it was right…we’re in it – had gusts over 45 knots, and the sea is pretty damn bad. waves breaking all over the place – and the 15m2 storm jib looks gigantic. It’s been a non stop night, afternoon and morning. though looking at the clock it’s now lunch time local! Just after dark i put up the storm jib, and spent half an hour adjusting the 3rd reef. both done, bearing away to avoid the risk of full on hits with the waves – though there’s always the odd one which catches us out.. i got a full frontal [wave] which completely winded me whilst i was rearranging the gennaker in it’s bag – and now the protective nettings gone, there’s a lot more cold spray to hit the face… Storm jib went up without too many probs – then it was down below to tackle the now three hour charge trying to keep other batteries up.. genny stopped again – hold on ok on.. i guess if my stomachs in my mouth each time we fall off a wave then i can’t begin to think what’s happening to the fuel and oil in there.. just one more washing machine cycle… i got the batteries up to about 70 percent which under the circumstances was not bad i thought – then set about checking on deck again.. unfortunately the main had filled with a pocket of water – so next stage was another bear away and a 40 minute fight to pump the water out with the bilge pump. i could harldly stand up on deck let alone hold the pump down and work the handle.. it took about 20 goes but on my last one it worked, and i managed to get the sail back on the boom – no longer loaded down with 100 kilos of water

trying to rip it apart. on coming below i managed to get an hour or so on the floor after changing clothes again… at least i slept – then woke feeling hungry – but this time chose to ignore it – and laid my head back on the damp

fleece to snooze again. on awakening there was another 2 hours list of tasks, i bailed out the area beneath the pilot arms – but couldn’t work out where the water was coming from.. finally i discover its from the old main engine bay – and there’s about half a ton in there coming down the old exhaust which needs to stay open as the air for the generator cooling comes from there. so – i pumped till it was gone – about half an hour – then final part under the floor again.. (generator stopped again, and a wave just thudded on top of the coachhouse) back again!.. so i’m here now having stuffed as much ceraeal in as i can… drank my sports drink dry – and will now spend the next three hours tending to the generator… engineer back on duty! I’m really exhausted, but drying out the boat, and creating that list of jobs for after makes me feel a bit better… later on then.

ex”

I’m exhausted just reading it, but it reveals why Ellen is such an incredible solo sailor. She simply never stops, never gives up, never lets the job list get out of hand, never lets repairs and maintenance slip to the next day. That takes iron will and superhuman determination in those conditions. And Ellen has both in spades…

Next up, Mike Golding, who’s trying to sneak into second place in the Vendee and stay in touch with leader Jean Le Cam for the run up the Atlantic which will follow the Cape Horn rounding early next week. Golding is in the middle of the Pacific leg of the Southern Ocean and about as far away from land, rescue and the rest of humanity as a human can be on this planet. That prompted some interesting thoughts, which I’ve excerpted from a story on always excellent The Daily Sail:

Not only is [Golding] well out of reach of the rescue services, but it is also the place which over the last decade has claimed the lives of Harry Mitchell and Gerry Roufs.

“It is a pretty wild place. I have just been out on deck and the moon is out and there is a patch of clear sky and some stars which I have to say is like a breath of fresh air because it is so oppressively overcast here 95% of the time. So when the sun comes out, or the moon or when you see clear sky it feels like the weight is lifted off your shoulders frankly.”

There you have it. The SOuthern Ocean. Four years waiting to get there, and then weeks of desperately wanting to leave it behind. Which proves these guys are sort of sane after all..



The Wet And Wild View From Hellomoto…

(Photo: Conrad Humphreys)