JesseMartin.Net
09 March 1999
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.