Mauritius - Last Days
It has been really busy here in Grand Baie. I have been invited to do so many things but I can only do so much with all of the preparations going on here. I have been seeing some of the sites around town here including a catamaran ride out to the northern islands a few days ago that was fantastic. I had dinner with the American ambassador here in Mauritius who is an avid sailor so this time I had much in common with my host! The guys here at the yacht club have been fantastic and we have hammered out most of the repairs and preparations for my next leg. I have heard many a tale of the wild seas on this next leg and so being properly prepared is paramount. David has submitted his departure forecast and all looks clear for me to take off from Port Louis (where I will check out with customs) Tuesday morning which will be your Monday night. There have been reports that I have cut short my trip or that I have postponed it for awhile but that is definitely not true. I am rested and ready to go - hoping to be in Durban, South Africa within 2 weeks. Thanks for all of the emails and comments on the blog. I wish I had more time to respond.
Cheers,
Zac
Note from Mom:
The 2009 calendars are finally in! They are really professionally done with some amazing photographs from Jen Edney, Lisa Gizara and Mike Smith. If you ordered one at the LA Gathering they will be shipped out this week. If you haven't ordered one yet - check them out at Zac's Store. The link is just to the right on the blog here.
posted by Zac at
11:22 AM
45 Comments:
Thank you for the update, Zac. I have a question: What makes the passage to Durban and around the Cape so trecherous? Are there obstacles in the way? Is it the wind? Is it the choppie waters? I'm sorry for my ignorance but would like to know. Thanks for answering.
KG
Hey Zac,
I hope that you are mostly returned to good health now.
I also hope you can put up a photo of you and Intrepid before you set said again. I would feel better seeing that little ship with her sails back on.
I assume the tiller is also repaired or replaced, or are you counting on celestial/foot navigation until you get to Durban? :-)
I hope your journey to Durban is safe, uneventful, and memorable.
Nagaa
Hey, Zac. Sounds like you've recovered nicely. Just in time for one of your rougher legs. Stay as far South as humanly possible. We don't want any unexpected encounters!
Next stop, South Africa!!!
Scott
:-)
P.S. Happy Thanksgiving....three days early. Maybe a jumbo fish fry will jump on the Intrepid Thursday?
Zac, good to hear from you and that all is well.
Happy Thanksgiving and of course, a very Happy 17th. You have caught up to me as I am also 17. It is just that this is your first 17th and on November 3rd I celebrated my 50th 17th.
I was glad to note that in my absense the past two weeks that your haircut or lack thereof has been noticed.
In celebration of your beer, your long locks and your turning my age, I shall post a new auction sometime later on this post.
For the oldies and the newbies, the auction shall start as soon as it is posted and shall end at 6:00PM Pacific Standard Time on Monday December 1st. All monies raised by the auction go to Zac's Great Adventure. There are no administrative fees so $1.00 of every dollar you bid is used to further Zac's quest and hopefully there will be enough left over to pay for his haircut.
Thank you to Kodiak Mike, Anita in Waterloo, Karyn Newbill and Conrad Lopez for making the last auction so successful.
Bill Mann
bill@barstools4u.com
Hello. Welcome back Zac:
Great to hear from you and get assurances that preparations for the next leg are well under control.
Photos and your dad's blog post indicate that his visit was a pleasant and productive one. As a dad myself, I know that it was a joy for him to visit with "my friend, my son"!!
As we put the house to bed on Monday night, it will be with the knowledge that your Tuesday is just beginning along with the excitement of beginning the next leg. You will be in our minds, hearts, and prayers.
The next weeks will be an enervating time for both the Team Sunderland and the fans at home. I know that among you, Marianne, and Laurence we'll be kept up to date as much as possible. We'll be checking for updates multiple times a day, so keep us in mind and keep us posted. First of all, keep yourself safe. We're a patient lot out here!
Good weather and great sailing to you, man.
The Croaker
Great to hear from you Zac.....I can imagine the juggling act of trying to get stuff done on Intrepid and yet trying to fulfill others request and that desire to see the place whilst you are there. The catamaran ride sounds fantastic...and the visit with the American ambassador...imagine that.
So glad to hear that you are rested and ready for the next leg....we're ready with you...to be your unseen companions and your prayer warriors.
Durban, here we come!
UK friend
Just keep sailing, sailing (insert Dori's voice from Finding Nemo)...I don't know why but it popped in my head while I was reading your blog this am. Wishing you well as you head out again later today.
Zac,
Great to hear from you again. You sound ready to go...I hope you are feeling much better and the boat is back to 110%. 2 weeks sounds like a short leg so here is hoping for a fast sail that doesn't test the boat too much.
Go Zac, Go!
Steve
Birmingham, AL
Hey Zac:
I think your hair is about long enough to put in a ponytail. It would keep it off your eyes. Sail on young man.
Ron
west Fargo, ND
Hey Zac,
I'm SOOOOO glad that your feeling better and that you had a lot of fun in Mauritus, and also that everyone there helped you out so much. Will definitely be praying for you, ESPECIALLY tonight as you get one step closer to coming home. All of us around the world will be SO relieved once you do! Stay safe!
Lots of hugs!!
EmilyAnne
Fayetteville, NC
Hello Zac and the Pac,
It's nice to hear from you again. It seems like you have been very busy with all the repairs. I'm glad you had some time to tour the Island and also take that catamaran ride. After your journey so far you still take precious time to go sailing. Spoken like a true sailor who can never get enough. It's in your blood what else can be said.
You'll be leaving in less than 12 hours so please double check that list and make sure you're prepared for this next leg. We know this one won't be easy and I have all the confidence in the world that you'll do great and tackle those seas like a true professional sailor. I'll still light up a few new prayers for you on this next leg and also keep you in my daily thoughts.
Wishing you all the best of luck on this next leg. Stay alert, stay awake when needed, and drop a few lines only if it's possible and safe. Enjoy the journey to Durban.
Ready the Sails,
Douglas Pistone
MDR, California
Zac, I hope you're all set for the next leg and are able to leave as scheduled. It sounds like it was a very busy stop, but from the pictures and write ups it sounds like you at least had some good times and relaxation as well.
Stay safe and, of course, stay hydrated!
Cheers!
Willy
Milford, ohio
Hey Zac, glad your spirits and energy are up, they will be key for your leg to Durban… Energy, emotion, sharp thinking…
@ All – I Just wanted to take a moment and describe some of Zac’s conditions (at sea and in port) so we can maybe relate a bit to the difficulty in Zac “personally” posting to the blog in a consistent manner.
“TOP SIDE - AT SEA CONDITIONS” – When Zac is underway, with 25kts, 8-12’ seas, having the laptop up top is out of the question, it will for sure get salt spray, and likely a good dousing from a wave. Additionally, in those conditions, most things are a 1 handed job because you usually need at least one hand to stabilize yourself, even if you’re sitting. In really rough conditions, which Zac has experienced quite often as we know, you literally hold on with both arms and use your hands to do a job, e.g. reef the main, one are on each side of the underside of the boom trying to tie off the reef lines, which invariably, you get toss about 2-3 times before you can completely finish tying each line completely… So, a laptop topside is very much out of the question.
“DOWN BELOW – AT SEA CONDITIONS” – In rough weather, 80% of the people I know that go offshore sailing of fishing can’t go down below at all without getting sea sick, another 15% can go down below for very short periods, I’m talking like 30 seconds, throw something in the microwave, come back up for 2-3 minutes, go back down for 15-20 seconds to retrieve your sea-meal… Of the 5% that can go down below for extended periods (for some reason, I’m one of these, no idea why, but I don’t get seasick) it can be dangerous. When you’re down below, in heavy weather, nothing is flat, nothing is stable, the floorboards are at a 15 to 20 degree angle, sometimes, in really rough weather, you’ll have one foot on the floor boards and another on a sateen or cabinet edge, no joke… Worse, you can’t see the conditions outside, sure, you can feel, or the more likely sense the “groove” and “rhythm” of the seas, but you will still be caught off guard and tossed about down below, risking injury, EVEN IF you don’t get seasick. This is why you hear Zac talk about cleaning the boat for a few days in port. Sure he’s doing some actual cleaning, but A LOT of what he’s doing is more like cleaning up after a mini-tornado that has everything down below spilled out all over the place and you just don’t spend a bunch of time down below being what’s call in the US Marines; “a house mouse” cleaning and tidying up, not gonna happen...
So, no laptop upside, no time down below means calls to Marianne and Laurence for status, checks, etc,. is why we don’t get blogged from Zac directly… Remember, the trip from MDR to Hawaii was pretty calm seas, hence, we heard from Zac quite often, but after the first leg, the conditions have quite rough most of the time.
“IN-PORT CONDITIONS” – Okay, so, when Zac gets to a port, after the sheer exhilaration of actually seeing land, the boat sitting calmly and his alertness turns to enjoyment he’s going to step foot on land and feel teirra firma for the first time in weeks. After his wobbly legs gain footing (10-20 minutes, depending on the person) he’s just going to want to see 2 legged humans, seriously, go into a kitchen that isn’t slanted 15-25 degrees. Depending on how rough the conditions were on his last day, if he’s sailing into the wind, his ears will ring for a bit from the quietness… So, the very next thing he MUST do is make a list of everything that needs to while in port first, then it’s going down below and figuring out where everything that spilled out for 2 weeks needs to go, what go broken, what survived… 1-2 days… Then, there’s always repairs, always, then there’s always the safety checks, of everything he can topside, down below and below the waterline. When in port, I used to rub down my bottom on my 50’ vessel myself most of the time and it’s one hell of an exercise diving down and doing that, checking the shaft, prop, rudder, post, etc… Then, it’s time to being to do trip planning for the next leg, gain as much local knowledge as possible, ponder emergency actions, e.g. are there ports I can get into, or an island I can tuck into behind a storm, etc.. etc..
So, while it’s very important for Zac to hear from us, it’s less important for us to hear from him, well, as often as we would like…
Sure, we miss the intimacy of his typing his thoughts directly, but we’re not out of the loop, that’s for sure… So, when it’s Marianne or Laurence typing the blog update, GREAT, and when it’s Zac, then it’s SUPER GREAT right???
Take care everyone, sorry about the very long winded post…
Daveh & Skipper
Also, wanted to let everyone know that I have posted some info at the bottom of my Temphost101 site that covers highlights of circumnavigational history…
Daveh
PS – Mike Perham has gone into port in Portugal, so he’s restarting his unassisted attempt from there vs. Germany… Remember, what I said about Open 50’s being a temperamental racing machine… It’s a lot of boat to handle for very seasoned men, not that he’s not an accomplished sailor he is… But controlling that boat in a following sea in 40kts of wind isn’t easy at the hull speeds he’s going to experience… We should all wish him a safe passage as well…
Zac-
Sounds as though you've really had a wonderful time in port. You sound well rested and ready to move on. I wish you safe travels during this challenging leg of the journey.
@ Daveh-thanks for the "perspective."
Good to hear from you Zac, and glad to hear that you’re feeling better, enjoying some of your time on Mauritius, and have so much local help getting all your repairs & preparations complete. Hope that everything goes very well for the departure later today. If I don’t get it said on the actual days, Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Birthday! Holidays solo at sea, what a unique experience. I know I’m thankful for you and your family sharing your adventure! Peace, Your Oklahoma Well-Wisher
@ Daveh
Thanks for your post. You always bring the realistic perspective to the blog about Zac's challenges, even though sometimes it's a bit scary. I hope the bloggers who read the blog also read the comments. Sometimes I wonder about that, because so many questions are asked many times over, even though they've already been answered in the comments.
I looked at Ugrib over the next 7 days, and Zac could definitely have some challenging seas and winds. Those pink areas (heavy rain) and red feather marks (high wind speed) look ominous!
Our prayers and thoughts are with Zac and Intrepid!
Marilyn in Woodland Hills
@daveh.
So if we ever go sailing together I could do the cooking too cause I don't get seasick either. LOL I was always in charge of the cooking and dishes when it got over 20 knots of wind. I usually used my safetybelt to tie myselfe to the stove when it got rough. Worked perfect :-)
For Mike - looks like he is getting ready to hit port in Portugal for repairs. As you mentioned - he is running a big sled which requires a lot of attention. Look at the pic on his hp and look at that mast! I wish him all the best and hopefully a safe trip
Axel
heye@madisoncounty.net
Hi Zac,
Glad you were able to find time to do some sightseeing, enjoy a catamaran ride and dine with the American ambassador. All the help you received with boat repairs is just fantastic. Soon you'll be on your way to Durban and, as always, we'll be praying for your safety. Stay energized, keep alert and don't forget to eat. We wish you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Take care and Godspeed!
Davey,
Thanks for giving us a perspective on Zac's leg to Durban. We'll be praying for his safety.
Dick & Gin
Upland
Be careful ... as always.
Jesse Martin, the young Australian who circumnavigated in his Sparkman & Stephens 34, later wrote that the worst weather he saw on the trip -- even worse than rounding Cape Horn -- was off of Africa.
When in doubt, Reef Early. Or just leave the main down completely, and work with a small jib.
-- Grant Fjermedal, Seattle
Post Script: Mike Perham is preparing to take off again. The guy is an exciting writer. But reading his accounts of trying to control his Ocean 50 in high winds makes me concerned for his safety. He makes it sound like a lot of fun, but the bottom line is that he's essentially sailing a 50-foot racing dinghy. I'm glad Zac is on his 36-footer. I feel it is a more sensible boat for singlehanding. I posted a note for Mike suggesting he dial it way back on sail area and be super cautious. (Just what a kid wants to hear, right?) ;-)
Anyways, for the latest on his voyage you can go to www.totallymoney.com/sailmike and then click on the "Blog" button on the top of the page.
In my message to Mike I said I'd feel better if he were sailing a Westsail 32, which should make some of you sailors out there laugh when comparing it to what he is in. Actually -- Zac's Islander 36 is a solid compromise between the bullet-proof, ultra safe (but slow) Westsail 32 and what seems to me to be the over-powered and risky Ocean 50.
Hey, Cap'n! Safe passage to you! Glad to hear that you are feeling better and that Intrepid is ready for the next leg. Prayers are being lifted for you.
Happy Birthday and Happy Thanksgiving!
Go West, young man! On to South Africa! Blessings!
LA in MN
Thanks for the post Zac. So good to hear that you're meeting so many wonderful people and still getting everything done that must be done.
Thanks, too, Laurence for a great
bedtime story -- you gave me my laugh of the day -- your descriptions of transporting the boom had me howling.
Loved viewing Jen's pics and now think I understand Laurence's joie de vivre -- this inheritance from his mum shows in the photos on Jen Edney's website.
@ Daveh - I feel a little wooozy from reading your description of high seas and am very happy to wait patiently for Zac's book/movie to fill in the experiences he doesn't have time to describe while living them.
Best wishes, Zac, and lots of prayers as you set sail for South Africa. What an amazing adventure!
CindyinCincy
@Axel - That was funny... I'm always the galley winch, on my boats, on other boats... Oh well...
@Marilyn - You've become quite the Ugrib expert! The leg from Mauritus to S. Madagascar seems to be pretty good, 1-7 days out, Westward to Africa, that's some weather there...
@Grant Fjermedal - My sentiments exactly! I've been on a late model O.50, squirrelly, lose, fast, dicey, feather, screamer, are all words that come to mind and there were 7 of us on board! An exhilarating ride for sure, but…. Things happen SOOOO fast on them that you’re not even aware of it at first…
Daveh
Hi Zac,
good to hear that you had a good and effective time in Mauritius. And that you are in good spirits for the next leg.
I wish you especially fair winds to Africa.
All the best,
RK
@ Grant
I agree that Mike's accounts are exciting. Indeed, I'm impressed by both teenagers' command of the English language. Makes a refreshing change from the 'text speak' so many kids use these days. I hope they each write a book of their adventures.
Paul
Zac, this is really an awesome experience. I recommend that you spend some of the time crossing the atlantic thinking about your next adventures. With your age, courage, smarts, dedication, and family support, there are no limits. You can be an astronaut, cure cancer, invent energy sources, clean the earth. In this difficult time for our country, you are an American we can all be proud of.
@ DAVEH
Thanks for the post...having never been sailing...if reading your blog makes my stomach turn I would think that I'd fit in the 80% that can't go below? I can tell from your posts that you are not just reading the blog but are riding along with Zac. Any plans for another big trip? Have you been sailing locally a little more than normal. I appreciate the color that your posts add to Zac's trip.
One hand for the Boat, Zac and keep that lifeline tight!
Steve
Birmingham,AL
Hi Zac ..Thanks for living my dream. it would be great to see a vidio update of you at sea. i know you will be busy over the next 2 weeks, but if you are drifting due to no wind then pull out that camera and let us know what your day is like. i do understand that you might be too busy and i understand. gods speed and sail safe
Hello Zac, Sunderlands and Fellow Zac Pac!!
Great post Zac, good to know you are ready for the sail to Africa! Know that you are always in prayer and have God's angels about you!
@Daveh...Excellent post, I've come to expect nothing less from you!! :)
@ Grant: I'm with you...if you think you need to reef, then you need to reef!
@ Bill Mann: haven't had any 3:00 am emails; sleeping in?? LOL!
@ Axel: lucky you not getting sea sick! I can't go down below more than 2-3 minutes or my day is runied!
@ All Zac Pac and "newbies" Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Sail on Captain Zac
Hugs and many blessings
Anita M. Miracle
Waterloo NY
Captain SV "Wombat"
Dear Zac,
I'm excited for you as you leave Mauritius tonight!! Godspeed and safe sailing as you set sail for this most anticipating part of your adventure. I was anxious and nervous when you were traveling through the Torres Straits, and you got through it with flying colors! Now you are on to another leg that will be challenging. And for us Zac Pack nail biters,we will be waiting patiently (well maybe not patiently) for news of your progress!!
I too, so loved the pictures that Jen has taken, and can see the maturity in your face! Thank you for taking the time to write, it is always so nice to hear from you, and do appreciate it.
@DaveH your long blogs are always appreciated and gives us the much understanding of what Zac if going through. I pretty much knew it was hard for Zac to blog, in 5 story high seas!!! Dah!!! But thanks, it did paint a picture of his situation!!
And.....@ Laurence thank you too for your descriptive update!! I was crying with laughter with your description of your ordeal with getting the boom and the rest of the parts for Intrepid that Zac needed to Mauritius!! I just am glad my name is on that boom!!!! At least there is a small part of me with Zac!!
Much Love and Prayers are being sent your way Zac. We will say an extra prayer when we sit down for our Thanksgiving meal on Thursday for you and your wonderful family.
Happ, Happy Birthday Zac
Debbie
North Hills, CA
Hey Zac, I have been following your journey but have not made a comment here before. I just want to say how proud I am of you for forging on with your quest, and through the flu no less!! I am a mom of two sons one who is just a couple years older then you. I sail too but my boys didn't get that gene!! Its so much fun to check in and see where you are and whats going on. Actually reading about you helped me to reconnect to sailing again. It had been about 10 years since I set foot on a boat, but reading your adventure inspired me to go out and find a boat to crew on for some races. So thanks for that. Keeping you in my thoughts. Take care.
Hey, I'm back!!! There's so much that I've missed out on, that I'd get a headache trying to catch up on it all, but just wanted to say Hi.
Glad you're doing okay, Zac. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Um, sorry, but can someone tell me where exactly you are and where you're headed? It'll take me hours to figure it all out, so if no one minds...Thanks!!!
Good luck and Godspeed on your journey, Zac!! God bless!
Elissa R. Walther
Houston, TX (well, not really Houston, anymore; on my way to Idaho:)
This comment has been removed by the author.
Oh, I totally forgot, Zac: Happy 17th birthday!! Hope you are greatly blessed.
Good job on what you've accomplished so far. You are truly an inspiration.
Elissa R. Walther
OK, it's Monday nite here, so you must be getting underway for your next leg.
I hope you are feeling well now, and I hold my breath til your next safe port.
Dana
Santa Monica
For Daveh and Axel and Zac.....
I have a plan!
I am kinda scared of going out on the water but would sooo love to...HOWEVER....if Daveh, Axel and Zac were to be in charge of my boat...I would go right now!
How about it.
I absolutely know... 100%.. that I would be as safe as I could be!
Anyone else want to come?
Is that a plan...I would even come to Florida, Daveh!
Hey, Mike Pelham has come to say 'hello'.....a HUGE WELCOME Mike....I am following you too and wish you nothing but the very best in your endeavour.
This is amazing.
Three cheers for our awesome young men!
UK friend
I just want to wish you luck for the coming step...I take it that you are leaving from Mauritius by today...I have started to read a bit in the journals of other yachties who were here in Rodrigues, just to see how they made it to South Africa, personally I know of some who really had hard times and even lost their boats (not this season), but most of them arrived in one piece..just tired))...I will post something in the Rodrigues blog during the days to come...
Lot's of luck
Birgit from Rodrigues
@ Elissa R. Walther
If you would leave your email address (instead of just your name), I'm sure someone will send you the information via email, so you won't have to go through all of the blog comments. Also, may I suggest that you sign in as Elissa instead of "anonymous?" Better yet, sign in as a Google/Blogger and show your email address in your profile, and others can reach you that way.
Also, be sure and check out the FAQs. This is a way to catch up on the answers to most of the questions that have been asked and answered by Zac and his parents.
Just a helpful suggestion.
Marilyn in Woodland Hills
the comment removed at 8:51pm was from Mike Perham.... why was it removed? I saw it last night and clicked on his name and it went right to his site. All he said was "just checking in on you and wish you all the best".
?????
just wondering,
Rob Mc from LA
The comment from Mike Perham was posted. It appears that he removed it himself. "Comment removed by author."
No problem here.
Marianne Sunderland
PS Zac is at sea and doing fine - will blog later...
Thanks, Marianne! You're the best!
Suggestion for a New Feature:
Would be fascinating if someone could post a wind and weather report each day for the approximate area of Indian Ocean Zac is sailing through.
Mike Perham's site (www.totallymoney.com/sailmike)has a marine tracker feature that shows his current location, heading, and boat speed. (It doesn't provide wind speed, though.)
Would be very interesting to know -- even if Zac doesn't have time to post a report -- what is going on with the wind and sea.
Anyone know how to grab such reports off the Internet? Anyone want to volunteer to post them?
If nothing else it would guarantee that when people checked the site each day they would have something new to look at, and a clue as to what was happening with Zac.
Here's hoping he has a pleasant 15 knots of air all the way to Durban and to home beyond.
-- Grant Fjermedal, Seattle
@ Grant re: Weather
There is a really good NOAA free product that Axel found several months back.
Go to www.grib.us
Register for free
Install the software
On the Data Selector Tab, pick 7 Days, 24hr Interval
Click on the Select Area (red angeled F at the top)
Click and hold over the area where Zac is
It will download a file and switch to the Data Viewer Tab
At the top right, you can scroll through 7 days at 24 hour intervals...
When you mouse-over an area, you can see a translation of winds, rain, pressure...
Good luck!
Daveh & Skipper
@ Dave H and Axel - I did it! I got it installed and configured! Those winds coming up from the south sure are strong, I guess. Looks like up to 28 knots! I will be praying Zac doesn't have to fight those! That's a lot right?
From your novice virtual crew member - LA in MN
Hello Zac,
Do you still have the ear infection?
I hope you are feeling better.How far have you went so far in miles ?Good luck on the rest of your journey
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