Lionheart 4

THE day before rounding Cape Horn was one of the most memorable days of my life. I went outside as the sun was starting to rise and, to my delight, I was being escorted by dolphins. I watched them race each other as the forgotten warmth of sunlight made me feel human again. Then, when I turned around to look behind me, I was blown away by the sight of a rainbow. It was unbelievable, the perfect lead-up to rounding the Horn - like something out of a movie. I sat and took it all in with an iced coffee in hand, while the chill of the morning air seemed to magnify the sights around me. Thank you, God. The wind slowly faded out during the day and I was up all of the next night, partly because I was keeping the boat going but mainly because I couldn't sleep. Then, as the sun rose to another clear sky on the second day, I caught a glimpse of Cape Horn's unmistakable shape. I never thought a rock could look so beautiful. It took me all day in the varying winds until I finally rounded the Cape in mid-afternoon. I was a bit sad for some reason.

Perhaps because it signified the end of something. I felt I would have preferred to be miles away from civilisation, out where I felt comfortable, rather than this new frontier where the temptation of society meant I had to leave it once again. After a huge sleep I was physically and emotionally looking forward to the next part of the trip. One that would see calmer waters and warmer temperatures. I was back to my old enthusiasm. Apart from an annoying low that crossed me, there has been no swell all week. It makes the sailing so much more enjoyable. I got on with jobs that needed doing, especially tightening the windvane which had worked up about 2cm of movement. There are heaps more birds around and two consecutive nights I was woken by the radar which picked up a ship in my vicinity. One of them ended up passing only a mile to starboard. I can't wait for a couple of weeks when I'll be in shorts and T-shirt weather. I received a question from Nicole at Bethany Catholic Primary School who wanted to know how my family felt about my decision to do the trip. I must say that I am fortunate to have my family totally behind what I'm doing. My mum even mortgaged the house for me to buy the yacht. Everyone worked overtime to make sure I was ready in only three months, starting from scratch. That included finding a boat, installing all the gear, organising food and, most importantly, finding a sponsor. It was great to see everyone working for the same goal and it brought us together with one view in mind.

09.03.99

THANKS to everyone who wished me well and congratulated me on making it around Cape Horn. I thought the rest was going to be easy but little did I know that I was going to encounter more lows and little wind in between them. I'd much prefer the Southern Ocean where the wind is much more predictable. I had another knockdown and this time once we were upright again, I discovered half of the objects from the other side of the cabin lodged under my mattress. The frame supporting the solar panels has now got a kink in it, but nothing that I would call a problem. One of the frustrating things when we had no wind was that there was no sun either. I was just bobbing around in the middle of a grey overcast ocean with not much to do. I had a treat yesterday when I heard the blowing of some whales. They were passing about 100 metres or so to starboard. I got a winch handle and kept tapping on the winch to attract them over.

A few diverted from their course and one swam right under my rudder. I think they might have been pilot whales, but I'm not sure. The water color has turned to a dark green and sometimes looks black. The South Atlantic is certainly different to the Southern Ocean. The Herald Sun has been trying since I rounded the Cape to get a photo of me somehow. There have been a few leads but our best chance lay with the Royal Air Force on the Falkland Islands. They were going to fly out and take the photos, but by time things got organised I was too far away. The commander noted that it is ironic that a small yacht doing 6 knots has run away from a military aircraft. Today the sun has appeared and later on I'm going to put the fishing line out to try my luck - I wouldn't mind a bit of fish at the moment. The weather is getting warmer as well. Yesterday I had to take my jacket and overalls off as the cabin reached 20 degrees. Wooohooo!

Holly White at Seymour East Primary School asked me who I contact to find out what the weather is going to be. Roger Badham does professional yacht weather reports and did Kay Cottee's weather as well as for successful Whitbread racing yachts. I get an e-mail from him every day or so with a forecast for a few days ahead. Grade 5/6 at Ararat PS also wanted to know if I take the sails down when I go to sleep. No I don't. I use the windvane to steer the boat when I sleep and set the alarm for every hour to check that the wind hasn't changed and that we are still on course. I haven't been able to make contact for nearly a week with a buddy of mine called Peter who is another solo guy heading home to England. I think the area I am in is bad for radio signals because I haven't been able to make any radio calls either. I've got the iridium satellite phone which I can use and is a great back-up for when I'm feeling down and want to hear mum's voice. Isn't it amazing what satellites can do.

16.03.99

EVEN with my binoculars and a strict watch system I haven't been able to spot any Brazilian women sunbaking on the beaches. The closest I've come to anything from Brazil was a man-of-war jelly fish.

The headwinds I encountered swung around a few days ago and it seems I've passed out of the roaring 40s and the conditions are dying down. I could do with a bit of sunshine but I shouldn't complain.

The fishing line continues to trail behind and there are some birds hanging around, keeping an eye on the lure. I got a question from Glenn, at Haileybury College, who wanted to know how I learnt to sail. My brother and Dad wanted to do a sailing trip on a small catamaran from Cairns to Cape York in 1995 and so, before we left, we did a sailing course at Port Melbourne Yacht Club. Then we bought our catamaran. It was good learning on a small craft because I believe you learn the principles easier. Kylie Browne at St Leonard's Primary wanted to know why I am heading so far up into the Atlantic and why not cut straight across to South Africa. I have to go around the Azores Islands in the North Atlantic which is called my antipodal point. This means it is the exact opposite side of the Earth to Melbourne. Aleisha at Myrtleford PS asked how I have a bath in one cup of water. I'm sorry to disappoint a few people but I don't actually get into the cup (I tried at first, but my legs hung out too much!) I have a freshwater wash when it rains sufficiently so I can mop up enough water to squeeze over my head. The easier way of life means I have to start getting into some school work, though. The boat also needs a clean. All the mould has dried and turned to powder and my food bags need to be dried out. The jobs make me feel good as they keep me busy and give a sense of achievement. After a hard day's work I can lay my head down and enjoy the feeling of exhaustion. I am finding that time is passing quickly. I am only really conscious of getting through each day and enjoying it - the finish line seems like something in my imagination, a lifetime away. But it was pointed out to me that in only another six weeks I'll see my family at the Azores Islands. Already the halfway point is creeping up on me.

23.03.99

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