I had not heard from Michelle this week. Having a look at her tracker, it seemed that she had some challenges she may have be dealing with. That said, I also thought I could be totally wrong, and it could be a strategic move on Rogers part to send her into the right water to finish the job.
Well it turns out I was wrong. Michelle has made contact and updated us on her challenges. This is what she had to say.
We’re doing it tough.
I’m sitting on my storm drogue whilst we wait for this high wind to pass through. As a result, I am being pushed south and east and off course and I want to go south and west. There’s about to be another 36 more hours like this as well. At the moment I’m locked in my cabin, it’s been raining, there’s big seas, big winds and nothing I can do about it. I just have to wait out the storm. I’m going backwards, doing a lot of easting that I will have to make up when I get back out on deck.
Mother nature is throwing some tough times at me. Mentally I am confined to the cabin which I’m unable to even stand up, I have to lie down.
I realised, I’m quite boring after 163 days. I don’t have a lot more to offer myself in terms of conversation, so I’ll just do some guided meditations.
On a positive note, it’s been forced recovery, forced rest of the body. So, all I’m doing right now is eat, sleep, rest.
I’m safe thought, which is the main thing. I’ve just got to ride out the storm and mop up the mess afterwards This will add some days onto my finishing time, and right now I’m keen and eager to get home. I just want to get home. I’m so close. 1600 miles away but it feels so far because I’ve got days ahead that will be tough.
Apart from this storm, it’ll be a tough path where we’ll need to make some decisions after this storm passes. We can either come across top of Vanuatu or if I get pushed too far south of this storm then we miss the opportunity and I have to go down and run parallel to Vanuatu and come out the bottom of it. Before lunchtime tomorrow I’ll hit the peak of the storm
There are so many uncertainties right now. We’ve just got to go with the flow.
So many lessons here, lessons of patience, lessons of resilience, lessons of acceptance.
My food supplies have run very low. Fortunately, I’ve got loads of Chief bars which are great nutrition, 16g of protein in every bar, and no fillers – no rubbish in them just good nutrition.
I’ve run out of muesli bars and chocolate bars, Cherry Ripe, Snickers, Mars bars, they’re all gone! They’re usually good ready snacks. No more lolly’s left either. Oh wait, there are about 4 packets of Mentos, 2 mint and 2 Fruiti-Tooti flavoured, so I’m rationing them so I can suck on a lolly when I get to bed. There’ll be no scoffing them down like I have been. I have to allow myself to have one at a time.
I really want a Betty’s Burger, I want a Bento Box, I really want to be hanging off a wall in the climbing gym with my trusted bloody warrior friend who is my climbing partner.
Track Michelle here : https://yb.tl/greatpacificrow22
Michelle is grateful to all her sponsors;
The Quays Marina LTD Southern Seas Marine Dunbier Trailers Fibre Marine Boat Repairs Simrad Yachting Survitec Group Ltd. Deep Cycle Systems Chief Nutrition Speedo Sharkskin Tiller and Kites CAMPERS PANTRY Pty Ltd Crewsaver Australia One Party Silva Method Australia
