Windhorse Sailing

For all those wondering, no, I haven’t been lazy, quite the contrary. I have been busy with a number of trips and preparations and as a result, writing has been on the back burner. Now that I have found some free time, I am ready to fill my readers in on a couple of things. First and foremost, I would like to let you know who will be a part of the next portion of the journey and where we are now.

As you may know from previous logs, Steve is no longer with us. This fact has never seemed like a bad thing to me and indeed it has turned out to be good thing. As for Francis, he has remained silent on the subject. Our crossing from South Africa took far longer than any of us anticipated, and as it dragged on certain conflicts began to develop. Francis is always more comfortable at sea as seen in the many smiling pictures of him. I myself enjoyed the journey, but at sea like on land, I am as comfortable as those around me. I think because of this trait I was acutely aware of Steve’s growing reservations. He never buckled and indeed made things pleasant for all with some great cooking. Steve made it look especially easy with the great array of provisions he expertly put together at the outset, provisions that never ran out. But I think he started to think about the seasonal job he usually applies for at this time of year and felt that his future might be better served if he returned to the states sooner rather than later. I sensed that to be his wish and could never fault anyone for that.

If you sense that things did not end well between Steve and me, I will say that you are wrong and I will define “end well.” We were out at sea for 57 days and we had expected 45 days at the most. The three of us made our home on a 10-meter sailboat. We all brought with us what we needed to make ourselves individually comfortable, but we couldn’t bring more space. When an architect designs a prison he allows for a minimum of space per inmate at capacity. Unfortunately a boat designer has to make compromises between shape, weight and stability. Long on stability, Shangri-La might be short on space as a result. Regardless the assumption is that we were all there voluntarily… until day 45. After such time one begins to question the commitment and the meaning of the quest - for Francis and me it is Cape Horn. For Steve, Cape Horn just didn’t hold enough meaning, thus his change of plans and because of our confines and our immediate task still at hand, true discussion would have to wait for land.

Understandably, the pink elephant in the room created tensions. Differences in ideologies, political or philosophical became kryptonite because we no longer believed in a common goal. We reached land and Steve left. I wanted him to leave. Beyond that, he has wished Francis and me a safe journey and I have wished him well in all his future pursuits. We probably won’t include each other in the long list of people who love us, but I think Steve is a good guy and I will remember our crossing together as great adventure.

Joining us soon is Gavin McClurg of OffshoreOdysseys.com. Francis and I sailed with Gavin in the South Pacific last year where Gavin runs a sailing charter. We both consider Gavin a great friend and great sailor, who we have learned a great deal from over the past year.
I called Gavin in Australia to find out what he was doing. As an American he was unable to attain a work visa in Australia. He worried he would have to wait out cyclone season aimlessly sitting about. I asked Gavin what he thought about joining us around the Horn, he responded, “I have always wanted to round Cape Horn. I can’t think of anyone else I would rather do it with than you and Francis.” Welcome to Shangri-La, Gavin McClurg.

We are in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We have been here for four weeks now. In that time Francis and I flew down to the city of Ushuaia in the Beagle Channel near Cape Horn. We took advantage of cheap Argentine flights to inspect the local conditions in the Austral winter. We talked to charter operators and local sailors who all encouraged our endeavor.

Yacht Club Argentino, where we pulled in as we first arrived.

Later Francis made a week-long trip to Brazil and I traveled home to New York to see my family and girlfriend whom I have missed tremendously.

Although a bit homesick, I am now back in Buenos Aires ready to write and work. Expecting Gavin’s arrival in a few days, we are preparing the boat for the next leg – sanding, priming, and painting rust spots; inspecting sails and rigging and provisioning. We will also conduct engine maintenance and install our navigation software. Our hope is to have everything ready for final inspection when Gavin arrives. Then we begin our journey south 1,600 miles to the Beagle Channel and Cape Horn.

Puerto Madero, where we are as we wait for Gavin to arrive.