‘What I’ve learned from sailing half way around the world alone’

I used to be a person obsessed. I longed to see the ocean, to sail quietly throughout its floor pushed solely by a puff of wind, to smash by way of the night time in a fantastic tempest. I had turn into seduced by the books I learn describing unusual distant lands, postcard-esque shorelines, overseas cultures and a whole absence of bumper-to-bumper rush hour site visitors.

William Albert Robinson’s 10,000 Leagues Over the Sea was the primary cruising ebook I learn, and it made me need to run away – or slightly sail away – from house instantly. Robinson circumnavigated between 1928-1932 on his 32ft ketch Svaap and wrote tales of exploring then-still-exotic Tahiti and spending time with headhunters in Papua New Guinea.

I went on to learn Harry Pidgeon’s ebook Across the World Single Handed. Pidgeon constructed his modest 34ft yawl Islander in 1917 on the banks of the Los Angeles harbour, not removed from the place I refit my very own boat, Triteia. Pidgeon was the second individual to ever sail solo world wide, 23 years after Slocum. Studying Pidgeon’s tales from my very own native waters, coupled with the mantra of iconic cruisers Lin and Larry Pardey – ‘Go Small, Go Easy, Go Now’ – was all of the inspiration I wanted to cost ahead with my very own dream.

The considered going with another person by no means even crossed my thoughts within the early days. On my fortieth birthday I used to be recovering from double pneumonia that almost took my life, and it was on that day I made a decision I needed to circumnavigate. Life is just too brief to attend on desires.

Self reliance

August twentieth, 202128° 52.019N 131° 20.984W

0200: The winds had vanished, and the boat was being tossed round in a ruckus that made the cabin sound like a field of dishes behind a pickup truck. I climbed out on deck and steered us again on the right track. The wind is so gentle it appears hopeless as a result of the windvane can’t steer with no wind.

Our course must be 240° on the compass. I steer her to 270° to try to get her transferring and all of the sudden Triteia is screaming by way of the water like a Nantucket sleigh experience, however after I carry her again to 240°… not a breath of air.

I began to marvel if I truly didn’t know the right way to sail, earlier than I remembered we have been 700 miles offshore so sooner or later within the final eight days I have to’ve recognized how…

This cycle went on for half-hour, with me largely sitting in my underwear within the cockpit. I might get Triteia transferring, climb again into my nest, then she’d wallow once more.

Lastly I’d had sufficient, placed on my foulies to climb out into the cockpit – solely to seek out that we have been crusing completely on 240° making advantageous pace.

The solo sailor, to a sure diploma, is all the time on watch, even while you’re off watch. There aren’t any different fingers to quiet the boat, to maintain her transferring effectively and on the right track. One of the best we will do is be affected person, preserve the boat balanced and trimmed and hope the squalls are sort to you once they arrive. The commerce off is you don’t have anybody else to complain when the wind and seas usually are not co-operating.

I departed Los Angeles and sailed for the Hawaiian Islands on my 1965 Alberg 30 sloop Triteia in August 2021. The passage ended up taking me 32 days on account of whole steering loss some 1,000 miles from the Hawaiian Islands. I resorted to steering by drogue for 18 days then proudly dropped the hook off the world-famous Waikiki Seaside on O’ahu.

Frederick sailed from Fiji to New Zealand and cruised the Bay of Islands with out engine. Photograph: James Frederick

Solo ocean crusing means you have to face all of the challenges alone, but it surely additionally means you don’t have to fret a few mate or crew member when all appears misplaced. I lay adrift for 2 days throughout that ordeal, making an attempt to dive on the rudder to lash a line, to no avail. A job I assumed could be a simple repair proved utterly unimaginable. I used to be confronted with solely two choices; name for assist and scuttle my beloved boat that I had spent the final 4 years getting ready; or discover a strategy to steer her to security.

I’ve a chilling reminiscence off imagining her filling with water as I scuttled her and climbed up a rope ladder on the facet of a cargo ship. I recall saying “Hell No!” out loud and realised for me, there was just one choice; to discover a means. And that’s precisely what I did.

If I’d not been alone, I’d have needed to think about the well-being of the crew, who would have possible been pushing for rescue when all appeared misplaced. Having the ability to see it by way of alone allowed me the time to determine an answer.

Was it simple? Completely not, all of the stresses of that state of affairs laid solely on my shoulders, the load was heavy and the results nice. However I prevailed. Hopefully I gained’t face future challenges of that magnitude, but when I do I do know I’ll discover a means. To sail world wide alone, you have to be mentally match and capable of management your feelings and nervousness.

Squalls on passage from Los Angeles to Hawaii. Photograph: James Frederick

August thirtieth 202124° 56.821N 142° 54.323W

2030: We’ve already completed 23.5miles since midday, that was yesterday’s total midday to midday run. The solar is golden and threatening to set and I’ve a 360° view of clouds that seem like they have been painted as a scenic backdrop for a western set in Monument Valley. However within the place of dusty plains and mountains is the regular rolling sea a lot additional than I can see.

We’ve had superb and fixed winds all day lengthy and have been charging alongside or browsing down waves since dawn. I had an exquisite customer right now – a White-tailed Tropicbird! He was majestic and exquisite and tried to land atop my mast, however its movement was too unruly.

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Anxious passage

After eight months cruising the Hawaiian Islands and making repairs to my rudder, I pointed my bow in direction of the Southern Cross and beat into the tradewinds to make sufficient easting to go to the ‘Harmful Isles’, the legendary Tuamotu archipelago in French Polynesia.

The space between Kona on the Large Island of Hawaii and Rangiroa within the Tuamotus was nearly the very same distance I’d sailed between Los Angeles and the Hawaiian Islands; 2,300 miles.

I used to be pretty anxious main as much as this passage, after what I’d skilled crusing to Hawaii. I carried sufficient water and provisions for greater than 40 days at sea, had outfitted the boat with new sails, bigger photo voltaic panels, lithium batteries and an all-electric galley whereas in Honolulu. I loaded up each spare I may handle, stowage on a 30ft boat being minimal at finest. I made one final journey to the grocery retailer the night time earlier than departure and hoped that I’d remembered every little thing.

‘To sail world wide alone you have to be mentally match’. Photograph: James Frederick

June thirtieth, 202214° 51.373N 152° 14.201W

1800: A sailor who chooses to wander the world’s watery surfaces in a small boat will need to have two traits; 1. The lack to tell apart between emotions of distress and luxury and a pair of. A really poor reminiscence, for if they may precisely recall the distress of their previous voyages they need to by no means set to sea once more.

The primary eight days of the passage have been the worst I’ve skilled earlier than or since. To go to the Tuamotus, I needed to beat my means east into the tradewinds earlier than reaching the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) to make my easting. It was abusive and exhausting, even in my full-keel boat which takes the seas properly.

As soon as I reached the ITCZ and crossed the equator I used to be capable of ease the sheets and had wonderful crusing all the best way all the way down to French Polynesia.

The Tuamotus ended up being well worth the beat. From exploring uncharted motus within the Lagoon of Rangiroa to swimming alone with manta rays at an deserted pearl farm on Tikehau, these sparsely populated atolls have been the spotlight of my time in French Polynesia.

I went on to go to the legendary island of Tahiti, dropped my hook at Mo’orea, surrounded by its otherworldly landscapes. I sailed on to Hauhine and visited its sacred blue-eyed eels and visited Polynesia’s most important non secular website, Taputapuatea on Raiatea.

I ended my time in French Polynesia with two weeks at Bora Bora the place my 30ft yacht was exempt from the anchoring restrictions (any boat below 10m is allowed to anchor and isn’t restricted to moorings) – an exquisite shock profit to seeing the world on a small boat.

Triteia anchored off the uninhabited islet of Motu Faama within the Rangiroa atoll, French Polynesia. Photograph: James Frederick

As I ready to sail for American Samoa I discovered I used to be actually trying ahead to the ‘brief’ 1,100-mile distance. I realised I had not one of the nervousness that had weighed on me on the earlier large ocean passages. I used to be much more snug now with so many miles in my wake. I knew the boat and what she was able to, and the second I cleared the cross at Bora Bora I set the sails wing-and-wing and loved a vigorous however quick 10 day passage.

I wasn’t freed from issues, however I discovered myself being much more assured and relaxed, even when issues broke or acquired loopy.

July twenty fifth, 202214° 58.156S 147° 38.293W

0700: I awoke because the solar was making his entrance. I popped my head out of the hatch and was greeted by a stunning dawn within the making.

Climbing out of my berth into the cabin, the story ebook clouds over the lagoon slowly started to glow pink after which orange. A $75million superyacht sat anchored astern of Triteia in deeper water. I noticed we each had the identical view. I additionally realised nobody was on the deck of the superyacht watching the dawn.

Life on an angle – meal prep in Triteia’s compact galley. Photograph: James Frederick

Heading east

Departing French Polynesia I ran earlier than the sturdy tradewinds to Pago Pago on American Samoa and on to Fiji. Once I departed Los Angeles for this circumnavigation I made myself a promise to say ‘Sure’ to any expertise that wouldn’t land me in a overseas jail.

For many of my life I’ve rigorously chosen what I might and wouldn’t do, to keep away from being in a state of affairs I didn’t need to be in. Now I discover myself in locations I might have by no means agreed to go to with my previous mindset. Typically they result in me being uncomfortable or are merely not enjoyable, however extra occasions than not I discover myself having superb experiences that I’ll cherish the remainder of my life, all as a result of I opened myself as much as saying ‘Sure’ and simply going with the circulate.

Once you’re solo that is simpler to handle and, if you end up stranded in the course of nowhere within the pouring rain, there isn’t any one else there to be mad at you. It’s often called ‘Sort 2 Enjoyable’.

Whereas in Fiji my engine started to fail, and although I acquired it operating lengthy sufficient to get Triteia exterior the barrier reefs of Fiji, it by no means began once more. Crusing south to New Zealand, out of the dependable tradewinds and into the variables I discovered myself battling low stress methods with sustained winds of 40-plus knots usually adopted by days of sunshine winds.

I sailed into the Bay of Islands of Aotearoa in a constructing gale and accepted samaritan’s provide for a tow the final mile to the quarantine dock. I spent the following three months cruising the Bay of Islands engineless, using out 4 tropical storms and one cyclone below anchor.

Reefing down prepared for stronger situations within the Tasman Sea. Photograph: James Frederick

Circumnavigating on a small boat forces us to maintain up a faster tempo, on account of our slower speeds. Bigger yachts with large sails and larger motors can linger in locations longer and make faster work of the ocean passages. Whereas within the tradewinds, Triteia averages about 110 miles a day on ocean passages with 138 miles being her document finest.

This implies I must set lifelike targets in relation to passage planning for the 12 months. Within the South Pacific, all crusing yachts should be out of the cyclone hazard zone by the primary of December. The space between Tahiti and the following cyclone-free protected harbour is 3,000 miles on the shortest line. I selected to sail south to New Zealand, whereas some boats continued west by way of the Torres Straits for Indonesia or the Indian Ocean.

A 12 months in Aotearoa

I had initially thought I might solely be in New Zealand for 4 months however was amazed at what an unlimited cruising floor it was, so determined to spend greater than a 12 months exploring each the North and South Islands. I visited 77 totally different anchorages in that point, the spotlight being Marlborough Sounds, an elaborate community of coves and inlets whose deep waters are populated with well-maintained mooring balls. (I joined Pelorus Boating Membership and acquired a printed information exhibiting the places of greater than 100 balls to select from).

A lot of the anchorages present 360° safety and, even with the extreme williwaws that blow down from the encircling mountains, the ocean state by no means packs a lot of a punch. However to get right here you have to cross the notorious Cook dinner Strait.

Triteia anchored in Kāne’ohe Bay, O’hau within the Hawaiian islands. Photograph: James Frederick

December seventh 2023,40° 47.810S 173° 52.086E

0300: I’m resting and licking my wounds. Yesterday’s crossing throughout the infamous Cook dinner Strait was spicy to say the least. Neptune gave me a wink and a nod as I crossed into the Roaring Forties simply to remind me what he can serve up.Yesterday’s forecast known as for 17-knot winds sustained.

What I noticed was nearer to 25 sustained with gusts of 35 and a few longer sustained gusts of 40-plus round midnight. Seas have been in proportion to the wind, so I’m guessing 2m more often than not with some 3m-plus thrown in on occasion, and all very brief interval, which is what makes them imply.

Cook dinner Strait is a supersonic acceleration zone. The Strait goes from being 60-miles broad to only 11-miles broad at its most slender level. Mix that with the mountains, and hills on both facet and the wind and seas are squeezed right into a slender slot. The depths additionally go from 3,000ft to 300ft in lower than 100 miles. That is like placing your thumb over the top of a backyard hose; the wind accelerates in pace, as do the currents, and the waves rise up because the seas drive into the shallows.

We had two low stage knockdowns yesterday. The primary one was a really massive wave that hit with nice power and threw Triteia on her facet. The whole lot from the port facet flew at excessive speeds to the starboard facet. I used to be sitting up within the regular spot when the hit occurred.

Each piece – and I imply EVERY piece of silverware – flew throughout the cabin, by some means didn’t hit me. I appeared down and noticed all 5 of my massive filleting knives, in sheaths fortunately, laying in my lap.

The second knockdown was gradual and quiet, principally only a large swell that rolled Triteia utterly on her facet. At that time there was nothing left on the port facet to fall so nothing went flying. I do know Triteia’s total backside was out of the water as a result of I heard it make a fantastic splash when the boat righted itself. I laughed at how absurd it was.

James Frederick is a solo sailor circumnavigating in his 1965 Alberg 30 sloop Triteia. Photograph: James Frederick

I departed New Zealand from Nelson and made my means out into the Tasman Sea. I’d been nervous about this explicit passage for greater than six months because the Tasman has a popularity for being a lethal critical stretch of water. I’d spoken to half a dozen Kiwi sailors who had ‘crossed the ditch’ quite a few occasions and all recommended I try to experience the highest of excessive stress methods all the best way throughout to Sydney.

Following this recommendation, I ended up having essentially the most nice ocean passage I’ve ever had, making my means north out of the Roaring Forties to finish the 1,200-mile passage in 13 days. I sailed by way of the Heads into the safety of Sydney Harbour at 2am smiling ear to ear understanding I had efficiently crossed the whole Pacific Ocean solo on a 30ft boat.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to at least one’s braveness,” wrote writer Anais Nin. I discover this sentiment to be very true in relation to seeing the world by sail. We should reside our lives to the fullest, and for me this implies seeing as a lot of the world as I can from my modest 30ft sloop.

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