The Roaring Forties

A day like we experienced yesterday was an example of how challenging this leg of the race has been so far: we prepared for a predicted 40 knots wind storm, which started on our watch at seven in the morning. The morning ended up giving us over 80 knots of wind and the gusts apparently went over 115 knots!!!! The swell was enormous, we had hail, (the previous day we even had some snow), rain coming horizontally at us, the noise was overwhelming, and the bashing about on the deck was just crazy! At some point we had to move to the foredeck to bring down the stay sail, moving about being clipped on all the time. But my fingers were so frozen that clipping and unclipping as I had to crawl forward was painful. At times the waves would totally lift you up and bash you back down on the hard surface again, and as the bow moved through the waves we got submerged to the core. The force of nature was overwhelming and humbling.

Taken from PSP Logistics Skipper's Reports

Most of the time we would sit on the deck (we always need a minimum of four people on deck, so we take 30 minute turns to defrost below deck) in the icy cold wind and rain, with waves being dumped on us every couple of minutes, and the wetness creeps into every little fold of your clothing. The foul weather gear can only keep so much out, and no pair of gloves or seal skin socks are proving to be water proof. So after each watch you just get out of your wet gear, get into your damp sleeping bag and hope that your base layers dry out a bit (but inevitably they don't), and then you get up 3 hours later to put your soaked gear on again.

During the storm I got hurt quite badly - second time on this leg. The first time I fell backwards three metres while trying to climb to the high side of the boat during a storm, bashed my head and landed with my neck rather twisted. I had a very slight concussion and a stiff neck for a few days. Yesterday a big wave threw a few of us onto each other and through the air with me being crushed between a fellow crew member and the winch. I was totally winded and got my ribs badly bruised.  I came off lightly so far - some people on other boats have broken their collar bones, ribs and other serious injuries. The Southern Ocean and Roaring Forties are living up to the reputation of being brutal. No pleasure cruise this!

But through it all I will still describe this experience as awesome! Looking at those angry waves, hearing the wind howl with such fierce force, watching the albatrosses gracefully glide, feeling the clean crisp air on your skin, tasting the salt on your lips, the sun on the bluest sea, the full moon reflect on the water, and a warm voice ask if you're okay, makes this worth it (even though I do have to admit that I constantly question my own sanity!). To experience such extremes makes you feel completely alive. Surely that is the meaning of life!