10 December — Across the Pacific on a Schooner
Andrey has gone to sea for two months. He is sailing as chief mate on a 37-metre sailing vessel (the same size as Duncan) across the Pacific Ocean, from Australia to South America.
Our only contact with him is via Bysky messages, because some component in the satellite modem has packed up. But our captain took the tracker with him—the one that had served us faithfully aboard Lady Mary ever since Cape Horn. The vessel is now heading towards the Cape from Australia, across the Pacific.
They have one stop along the way. Follow them on the tracker. We’ll tell you more about this expedition and the vessel a little later.
For now, here are the reports from the ocean, compiled from the captain’s messages:
30 Dec
I’m on watch; everyone else is asleep. The autopilot isn’t working, so I’m hand-steering. Not everyone felt like having dinner 🙂
We tore the staysail in the wind because of an old sheet. Tore the foresail while hoisting it.
31 December
We repaired the autopilot by evening, and the night passed peacefully.
Follow our captain (who is currently the chief mate) in real time here: https://www.iridium360.ru/guest/journey/8db92642
Our brave Rockstar Iridium-360 satellite tracker from MVS Telecom is still hard at work there.
⛵
Meanwhile, in Siberia
The girls and I are at home, in a snowy fairy tale of mountains and forests.
Getting on with everyday life.
I’m writing a book. We all miss him terribly. There has only been one previous New Year like this, without the captain in the village—seven years ago. Andrey was preparing our Lady Mary for her circumnavigation in the Canary Islands, while we didn’t fly out to join him in September because I needed medical treatment.
And on New Year’s Day 2015 itself, I was laid up with a temperature of 40.5°C while the children wandered around the village.
Things are easier now. And we are stronger. Behind us lies a dream come true, two circumnavigations, a mountain of difficulties overcome, a million discoveries and miracles, and people we love all over the world.
Ahead of us are big plans. And hope for peace and goodness. May they prevail within each of us.
And we will be reunited with our captain, husband and dad. We definitely will.
Although there was plenty of good in 2022 on a personal level, globally it was a hard year for us.
May 2023 be better.
Happy New Year to everyone!
We wish you the fulfilment of your most cherished dream! Believe in yourselves! Stay healthy, stay close to your loved ones, and above all, may you live under peaceful skies.
Australia — South America
Andrey is approaching New Caledonia (a little piece of France in the western Pacific Ocean).
This time we have no email for communication, only the real-time route map and messages from the Rockstar Iridium-360 satellite tracker.
Chronicle of the Australia–South America passage: New Caledonia aboard a 37-metre sailing vessel.
⛵
“On New Year’s Eve
The cook is preparing three salads and two geese. Two cases of champagne aboard. It’s raining; we’re patching the mainsail, which chafed against the deckhouse. Staysail No. 2 and engine. Speed 3.5 knots. We’re going around the cyclone to the north.
2 Jan
I’ve already been on watch on the bridge for 15 hours. The captain spent the whole day sewing the sail, so I sent him to bed. I hope I can hold out until about two.
There are eight of us. The captain and me, two engineers and the cook. The bosun is sewing. Two are on night-watch duty. I was relieved at one in the morning, and we woke the captain at eight.
4 January
I’m on a long watch again. We’ve finished sewing the sail. Calm. Motoring. We caught a wahoo weighing about five kilos!
We’re approaching New Caledonia. They won’t let me ashore without a visa. We’ll try to leave again within a day.
5 January
Good morning! We could already see land this morning.
What is the captain sailing on, and why is he doing it without our crew?
A 37-metre gaff-topsail schooner left New Caledonia a week ago.
It is the latest addition to the RusArc fleet. The schooner will be called Elsi. Daniil Gavrilov, RusArc’s commodore, will serve as captain as far as Cape Horn and then onwards to Antarctica.
And here is the schooner in the photo below. Isn’t she a beauty?
Schooner Elsi. Australia — South America
Elsi is armed to the teeth. Her mainmast and foremast carry a staysail and three jibs. The colour of the sails is called scarlet. Not O’Hara :). After a partial crew change in New Caledonia, they are continuing with a crew of six: captain, chief mate, engineer, cook, and two riggers/sailors.
#captainslog again
“For now, Dan and I are standing watch. Six hours each, in turns. We’ll bring the sailors into the watch system soon.
7 January
We covered 800 miles from Brisbane to New Caledonia. Another 5,800 to Ushuaia via Cape Horn. Estimated time: 40 days.
We rounded New Caledonia to the south and for now we’re motoring east, trying to slip through ahead of a storm coming down from the north, catch a ride on its tail and fly into the southern latitudes. Closer to the strong following winds of the Roaring Forties.
11 January
We’re motoring into the swell; we’ve taken down the sails. We’re trying to cross ahead of the cyclone so that afterwards we can ride it south.
12 January
The wind has died, and we’re under engine and staysail. We’ve crossed the 30th parallel. It’s getting less hot. Something big has just snapped the fishing line with the silicone squid lure.
13 January
We’re preparing for the headwind to strengthen tonight. For now, we’re motoring without sails. We’re doing deck carpentry. Happy birthday to my dear mother-in-law!”