Jeanne Socrates Oldest Person solo RTW attempt

[Don C L]

SAT
S WINDS 30 TO 40 KT...BECOMING SW. SEAS BUILDING TO 15 TO
23 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS.

....and that is cold water too....

[groundtackle]

bleemus, you have done this coast? I have many times and so have others. Mid Nov where she is totally sucks. She will be just fine tomorrow.
We are all just watching and talking about it.
ce

[Polux]

Originally Posted by groundtackle

bleemus, you have done this coast? I have many times and so have others. Mid Nov where she is totally sucks. She will be just fine tomorrow.
We are all just watching and talking about it.
ce

I hope all goes well, but it is quite crazy to attempt that on a 40ft boat on this time of the year solo and with an over 70 year old sailor. Lots of risks evolved.

[boatman61]

I'd heave to on the W bound tack till the wind goes favourably to the W.. take the strain off the boat and myself.. it is just the start of a long punishing trip.. then tomorrow go for it.. great window ahead to make some ground and get further offshore as well.

[Bleemus]

I have done that coast and agree that Nov is no time to be sailing it but she has a goal. Also have done the North Atlantic from UK to RI and that is just as bad but has icebergs. No palm trees sadly. I hope her gear breakage is minimal and repairable. Fingers crossed.

[Paul Elliott]

Nereida - Saturday 9:00 AM PDT
Jeanne is in the high winds and big seas (20+ ft) that had been forecast. She tacked to the east overnight, as the wind shift would have had her sailing to the north otherwise. Things start easing this afternoon and then she has a good window to get south.

[Don C L]

I'm looking at the forecast for next week too. For anyone, it is not just the storm conditions, but the lack of sleep, the constant motion and the cold water that burns a lot of calories, the adrenalin spikes, and that it is going on for a week and probably another week ahead, and doing this alone at 75, makes her talent, skills and athletic ability all the more impressive.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Paul Elliott

Nereida - Saturday 9:00 AM PDT
Jeanne is in the high winds and big seas (20+ ft) that had been forecast. She tacked to the east overnight, as the wind shift would have had her sailing to the north otherwise. Things start easing this afternoon and then she has a good window to get south.

35k is the sustained wind. Most that would catch that wind would be talking about 50k because that will be the speed of the wind gusting. I use that site for sailing and the wind appear to be always considerable more than what they post due to that. Believe me, you don't want to be on the red part of the map. The orange is many times quite bad.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Paul Elliott

Nereida - Saturday 9:00 AM PDT
Jeanne is in the high winds and big seas (20+ ft) that had been forecast. She tacked to the east overnight, as the wind shift would have had her sailing to the north otherwise. Things start easing this afternoon and then she has a good window to get south.

Paul, thanks so much for the summaries, and clips of course and weather. Much appreciated. Just read her log from Day 1.

[Paul Elliott]

Originally Posted by Polux

35k is the sustained wind. Most that would catch that wind would be talking about 50k because that will be the speed of the wind gusting. I use that site for sailing and the wind appear to be always considerable more than what they post due to that. Believe me, you don't want to be on the red part of the map. The orange is many times quite bad.

Agreed. There can be quite a variation between the GRIB sustained forecast and the actual wind conditions.

A few years ago I was in the same area as Jeanne is now (well, I was about 50 miles offshore, and she is about 170 miles offshore), and the forecast was showing 35 kts sustained. We were actually getting 47 kts average, and 60 kt gusts. I am sure that Jeanne is experiencing worse than what's being shown on the chart.

[robert sailor]

I've been down that coast half dozen times and twice got a butt kicking, I like being about 150 miles off as there is next to no traffic. The first time was 40 knot winds gusting higher and our autopilot could not keep up so it was hand steering for over 30 hours. Had to haul the boat in San Francisco and have the rudder rebuilt and reinforced so I have no interest in modern under built rudder systems. That has been t he roughest sailing I've done in over 30 years fooling around crossing oceans. Not a nice area when it's blowing.

[Paul Elliott]

That southern Oregon coast sure got my respect when we were sailing south June 2014. I've described this trip elsewhere, but we had the winds and seas at our back (these are they typical prevailing conditions in summer). Jeanne is bashing into similar wind and waves.

Here are some photos, taken from the VALIS blog:









These are just the image thumbnails. For more see the blog: The Friday Harbor to San Francisco Delivery in Pictures « VALIS

[Paul Elliott]

OK, enough about me. Here's a Nereida update:

Nereida - Saturday 9:00 PDT
Jeanne is now really heading south in moderate to light winds. The seas have also eased, down to about 15 ft. If she makes good speed, things look promising through Monday, then she may be trapped in very light air for a day. Once she gets past Cape Mendocino she should have a great path to the south.

[Don C L]

Good to see Jeanne made it through that blast ok. Looks like she should be able to make some miles to the south in relative comfort until another lesser blast on Tuesday.

[lancelot9898]

Originally Posted by Don C L

I'm looking at the forecast for next week too. For anyone, it is not just the storm conditions, but the lack of sleep, the constant motion and the cold water that burns a lot of calories, the adrenalin spikes, and that it is going on for a week and probably another week ahead, and doing this alone at 75, makes her talent, skills and athletic ability all the more impressive.

She's not alone...God is with her.