The Fight for Tristan. Day 30.

The Fight for Tristan. Day 30. If you’ve been following us on the map and the IRIDIUM track, you’ll already have appreciated this little trick of ours—a tack north to 35 degrees south. No, we haven’t set off for Saint Helena; we’ve decided to fight for Tristan da Cunha. To do that, we’ll let a northerly gale pass over us, which should carry Lady Mary back to the 37th parallel. True, that means we’ll have to slow down and crawl 200 miles over four days, but we really do want to call at the loneliest island in the world. In terms of distance from any other inhabited land, it falls just slightly short of Easter Island, but when you remember that Tristan has only 270 residents and no airport, Easter Island starts to look very much like a hub of life and global tourism. In our view, Easter Island’s neighbour, Pitcairn Island, is far lonelier than Easter Island, but formally it is only about 700 kilometres from its nearest neighbours. You can, by the way, read about our adventures on Pitcairn on our website by entering Pitcairn or Bounty in the search bar. And right now, we’re making our way towards Tristan da Cunha. It’s hard going and taking a long time. We’ve already been under way for a month since the Strait of Magellan, weathered three severe storms, and lost half our solar panels to the ocean. Did I already tell you that a storm chipped off a piece of my tooth? A front one. On the bright side, I can now play Baba Yaga without make-up. .. .. .. And last night, a shroud snapped as well. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . A week of calm has ended, and it is as though someone swapped the ocean for a different one. Sleeping is impossible again, and everyone except our young sailor is suffering enforced insomnia. When you go flying across your bunk into your neighbour, you can’t help waking up. Though even yesterday, on my nearly becalmed night watch, I didn’t get any sleep: all night I kept nudging the helm so that the yacht would point not towards Antarctica or America, but hold a course for Africa. Which she duly did, at 1–2 miles per hour, thanks to the helmswoman’s light touch. By evening, a steady, comprehensible 20-knot wind had arrived, and today at five o’clock, at dawn, we took down the mainsail. In the process, we confirmed that our waterproof suits have entirely ceased to live up to that proud name. One good wave and you’re soaked to your underwear, trousers and jacket notwithstanding. Another item in the budget—or rather, three items. We can keep our young sailor off the wet deck, in which case we won’t need waterproofs for the child. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . The storm hasn’t even begun, and we’ve already suffered losses in the rigging. Before striking the sail, we carefully laid the torn-out main forward shroud of the mainmast along the side deck. It’s a good thing the deck was empty and no one got hit over the head by the steel wire. Before the main storm gets going, we’ll brace the mast in place of the shroud with a rope bearing the beautiful name Dyneema. It’s like Xerox becoming the generic name for photocopiers: the Dyneema brand has become the name for these ultra-strong, mega-expensive ropes. If necessary, it can replace a shroud without any loss of strength. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . During the calm spell, we managed to tidy the yacht a little, taking her one step further away from a bear’s den and closer to a cosy lair. Though it makes my hair stand on end to think how many minor, major and cosmetic repairs await our floating home in South Africa. The crew remains in good spirits; in the evenings we watch the inspiring programme Ice Age: Kids and enthusiastically do our exercises. We spent the whole quiet week baking pies, so some of us will need to get back into shape during the bad weather. We’ll tell you how the fourth storm goes in our next reports. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . Friends, thank you for your support, comments and letters. We’re sending you some of our warmth from latitudes that are already warm! . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . And special thanks to you, true members of our shore-based brotherhood, for keeping the expedition going through Yasobe.ru/na/TravelyFamily and Paypal.Me/TravelyFamily! Ivan D., you motivate us not to give up and inspire others to make their dreams come true! .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. You can follow the progress of the First Russian Three Great Capes Round-the-World Expedition with Children on our website under the Route tab, where the IRIDIUM track is displayed. The same map, with the track and weather, is available at bit.ly/iridium360