A Respite
Latest Position: 11/06/08 0232Z 19 07.755S 64 04.689E (48 miles from Rodrigues Island)
I just spoke with Zac via sat phone and he is doing very well. The wind has died down to a manageable 12-15 knots and the crippled genoa is not flogging at all. The swells have died down to a modest 6 feet. Zac says it feels like a lake after the past days! Interestingly, the weather forecasts all say he should have 19-23 knots and 8-10 foot swells. He had a great night's sleep.
He is on course and on schedule for Rodrigues Island. The Customs/Coast Guard is aware of his situation and will stand by in case he needs anything. He should be fine to enter the bay and drop the anchor but is a bit concerned what will happen when he takes the main sail down. He plans on spending today day cleaning up the boat and preparing the anchor etc. before arriving around 4:00pm. His plan once safe in harbor is to remove the damaged genoa and furling drum, reattach the forstay and thoroughly inspect the entire boat, especially the mast and rig. For those of you who were wondering, he will not use the genoa on the way to Mauritius. He will use his main sail and stay sail (small forward sail).
Thank you again for your kind thoughts and words of encouragement, especially Bonnie Craddick who not only brought a freshly baked chicken pot pie and chocolate chip cookies for the kids and I for dinner, but also a note with the following:
Fear not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will help thee, I will strengthen thee. I will uphold thee with my right hand of righteousness. Isaiah 41:10
With great joy,
Marianne
I just spoke with Zac via sat phone and he is doing very well. The wind has died down to a manageable 12-15 knots and the crippled genoa is not flogging at all. The swells have died down to a modest 6 feet. Zac says it feels like a lake after the past days! Interestingly, the weather forecasts all say he should have 19-23 knots and 8-10 foot swells. He had a great night's sleep.
He is on course and on schedule for Rodrigues Island. The Customs/Coast Guard is aware of his situation and will stand by in case he needs anything. He should be fine to enter the bay and drop the anchor but is a bit concerned what will happen when he takes the main sail down. He plans on spending today day cleaning up the boat and preparing the anchor etc. before arriving around 4:00pm. His plan once safe in harbor is to remove the damaged genoa and furling drum, reattach the forstay and thoroughly inspect the entire boat, especially the mast and rig. For those of you who were wondering, he will not use the genoa on the way to Mauritius. He will use his main sail and stay sail (small forward sail).
Thank you again for your kind thoughts and words of encouragement, especially Bonnie Craddick who not only brought a freshly baked chicken pot pie and chocolate chip cookies for the kids and I for dinner, but also a note with the following:
Fear not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will help thee, I will strengthen thee. I will uphold thee with my right hand of righteousness. Isaiah 41:10
With great joy,
Marianne
posted by Zac at
7:08 PM
29 Comments:
You lucky thing, Gambrani Island looks amazing. Remember to put a bit of time aside for sightseeing,
Good luck with the rigging and everything
Anna, 17, Australia
Hang in there, you can do it Zac!!
Thanks for the posts Marianne, love them
Greg
So happy to hear good news..i wish i was closer to help too..if your ever in the Palm Desert, Bermuda Dunes area please let us know..we cook a mean BBQ..that goes for all the Zac packers too.. nothing but good thoughts and lots of prays as we start tracking our Captains trip home..
Laura
Bermuda Dunes Ca.
Oh, thank goodness~~It was good to hear he got some rest. I hope there is not too much damage to his sails and rigging. 6Ft. swells are like a lake? Wow, hard to imagine that!! Thanks again Marianne, for the good news, at least putting us a little at ease for the moment. I think we all will be on pins and needles until he gets to Mauritus. This has to be so hard, from a Mothers perspective, for you not to be there to help him. Heck, I wish I could be there to help him!!
I will send positive energy, so that Zac gets Intrepid back in good working order.
Zac, I will be waiting anxiously until we get the word from you or your Mom,(or Dad!) that you are safely at anchor In Rodriques Island Bay.
Hugs and Prayers as Always!
Debbie
North Hill, CA
Marianne,
Thank you, with all that you have to do in your life for keeping us "watchers" and holders of good prayers up to date. It feels good that Zac is stopping to access and get the sails sorted out. Wow...so much growing and learning, how expansive. I hold you all in my heart with love. Deb
I think I speak for us all when I say we can all breathe a lil easier right now. I know we are in no means out of the woods but the last few months have been pretty dramatic at times and its nice to have a sigh of relief after the past week or so ...and as an offical Zac Pac'r I have not only became close to this story and journey but to Zac, his family, their friends, and all of you bloggers out there too who are on this magnificent journey. I feel like we are all in this together!
Zac soooo many people are thinking about you and have been thinking about you these past few months. Keep on truck'n man!! You are always raising the bar!
TAKE A DEEEEP BREATH....YOU'RE HALFWAY
Thanks so much, Marianne! Wonderful, wonderful news.
Praise God!
So glad that Zac got some rest.
"A great nights sleep." Fabulous! Hope that he is eating and staying hydrated. Need to stay healthy to stay strong and alert.
Hopefully Zac can get all the repairs done that he needs on Rodrigues Island.
Our prayers continue.... always!
Blessings,
Jennifer and Ben
Sherman Oaks, Ca
Thanks for the update Marianne. Am glad to hear that Zac is close to Rodrigues. I'm hoping that the weather cooperates and he makes it to anchorage safely.
Seems you have another angel in Bonnie Craddick. I know the last few days have been exhausting. I hope you were able to take a moment to take a breath, enjoy your dinner, and be comforted by Isaiah's encouraging words.
Sleep well, my dear. Also know that we are here in spirit to share your burden. I, too cannot wait for your "guys to be together again."
I am relieved to read that Zac is in better weather and will be able to do the repairs soon. Am I correct in understanding that he did or will have to loosen and tilt the mast so the rigging cable will attach to the anchor plate on the bow?
How much of the main sail can he use while he is using this temporary fix on the boom? Can he put the sail up fully now?
Thank you Marianne for updating us.
BBQ
Northern California
Fantastic news... Especially if he can arrange a pilot vessel for the channel in and the hook set...
Daveh & Skipper
and EXHALE.........
Great to hear of a safe and restful day for Zac. Marianne, we love to hear those scriptures they must be such an encouragement for a mother's anxious heart and weary mind. God is good to give us his word.
Blessings,
The Baker's
Hi Marianne. Thanks for the updates. Know that my thoughts & prayers are with Zac. We'll all breath a little easier once Intrepid is on the hook and the repairs can be safey completed. She's a great boat and is taking care of her Captain.
Jeff
MDR via Santa Clarita, CA
Woohoo! Rodrigues is a beautiful place, you'll like it Zac :)
I'm Sooo glad he'll get a chance to fix things and that the weather seems to be behaving. Good call !!
I've made a few updates to the TrackZac Map.
1) I added a new catchup mode. For newcomers, the TrackZac map is an easy way to catchup on Zac's story with an interactive map integrated directly with Zac's Blogs. The catchup mode allows new users to see a quick summary of the blog entry in a map popup by clicking an icon or list. (To use: disable the Quick Link option).
2) I updated the Half Way point
According to its calculation he is 11878 nM down with 12005 To Go, so he'll cross his 1/2 way point 15 miles after leaving Rodriguez Island.. what a milestone!!
3) I added Rodriguez Island with the anchorage location and a link to Wikipedia.
4) I created a smaller version. It is not fully interactive but it will automatically update the map position (if available) and blog link (bottom left) when a new blog post is made. You can also see a detailed view of Zac's positions reported in the last 10 blogs by clicking on the map.
You can even email, IM or add to your website or blog by visiting I'm Tracking Zac.
Zac is nearly half way home and there are lots of great things the Zac Pac is doing to help support the Team. Now we need to start spreading the word, beyond the resources we have all ready applied, to help get new supporters for help with the second half of the adventure.
Hopefully this will help spread the word, and please don't send it to Omaba, he's got enough on his plate!!
Comments are always appreciated!!
Enjoy
Chris
Zac,
As the rivulets follow the waves to the sea,
So may his blessings, follow thee.
Flora B. Mann, 1906-1975
Zac Pac
Now more than ever, Zac needs your prayers and your support. Thank you to all who have placed bids on this week's auction items. If you have not yet done so, you may see the items at www.barstools4u.com/zac.htm
If you have any questions about the auction, drop me an email.
Bill Mann
bill@barstools4u.com
It looks like another young sailor is vying for the youngest to circumnavigate: Until Mike Perham joined the "race", Zac merely had to complete his journey by January 2010 to become the youngest circumnavigator - now he will have to finish before March next year, Mike's intended finish time, to claim the title. As Mike is 108 days younger than Zac, even if Zac arrives first his record as the youngest circumnavigator could be very short lived. If Mike arrives first Zac will never achieve his title goal. From: Sail-world.com. MORE: http://www.sail-world.com/cruising/index.cfm?nid=50335&rid=11
All of us coastal sailors take a step back when we hear six foot swells being referred as calm...puts a whole new perspective on what the open ocean is capable of.
The time in Mauritus, even with the needed R&R, there still must be a total going over of the boat, from stem to stern and everywhere in between. Guess it's great that Dad will be there.
Coming from this Dad, to be totally honest we are having emotional problems with our son. So I can only say, Laurence, (and while I'm sure you won't need the prompting), take the time to hold your son, tell him what fantastic things he has accomplished, tell him how much you love, respect, and believe in him.
And Zac, take the time to respond to your Dad, with the same feelings and acceptance Dad gives to you.
What an amazing family!
Good news in this post, Marianne. It's now almost 6pm where I am, and I am hoping by now that Zac will have been able to get safely to anchor by now.
I was thinking of how good it was that Zac got that boom fixed, at least as well as possible, while at Cocos Keeling. I recall that one of the options had been to go on to Mauritius on the Genoa alone.
There must have been a higher power looking out for Zac, and helping those who were in a position to recommend or make decisions about a temporary repair that it was the right thing to do.
As it turns out, the boom has certainly been needed in the last few days.
I continue to offer my prayers for fair winds and safe home.
It's about 6PM Zac time... Let's hope he's in the harbor and snug on the anchor..............
Daveh
Hello Marianne, Zac, & Pac,
Thank you for the great update. I'm sure Zac is enjoying the calmer seas especially if he's able to sleep much better now. Good sleep will allow him to look at things differently with his mind and body well rested.
Good luck getting into Rodrigues Island Zac. Make those repairs and double check everything. You might want to make a list of things you must do in Rodrigues Island before arriving and then check them off before you leave. We don't want you forgetting anything that needs repairs or your attention. I know your mind must be clouded with a million different thought right now. We'll be praying for you.
Good luck with those repairs and please don't get frustrated!!!
Sail On,
Douglas Pistone
MDR, California
Good to hear. Hope everything goes well with looking to Intrepid. Don't forget to have fun...
~Jessica, Westlock, Alberta, Canada
Marianne,
Thanks for sharing the good news. So happy to hear that Zac's conditions have improved.
Continued good thoughts and prayers to Zac and Team Sunderland daily.
Mona
Tucson, AZ
Sounds like many prayers have been answered :D
@ davejb-
Thanks for sharing your concern about your own son. Adolescence can be an extremely trying and confusing time for both parents and children. I have two teenage boys and have had my share of ups and downs with them. All in all they are both very good boys.
I, personally, rely on my faith to get me through difficult days. That doesn't mean that everything turns out the way I want it to, it just helps to give me some perspective and clarity, as well as the comfort in knowing that my higher power is there with me.
While I don't know the particulars of your situation, professional counseling is also an option and I'm sure you are aware of that.
Just wanted you to know that I'm thinking of you and hope that you can look back at this difficult time as a memory rather than a reality.
@ everyone else: I haven't seen Peter on the blog lately. Has anyone heard from him? I really enjoyed his posts and input.
Sir Captain Zac, YOU ARE THE MAN..
WOW fifteen miles after leaving out from "Rodrigues" and you tick the half way point, just think, it might have gone by unnoticed...
after 146 days from the beginnning of this journey, but now we get to rejoice with you at this
"milestone"...
super thanks "BB", great imput as always in the trackng...
Yeah,Zac by now you should be on the hook...assessing all that
"Intrepid" needs...,
not all bad to get a real good nights rest, sleep on the solutions and we'll be praying for wisdom for you..
especially after you get some real good food in you, (actually heated)...
things "will look" so much
better in the morning,
and your mind so much "clearer"...
thanks zoran for your great explanation...
and Bonnie C...real sweet
and the other Mann, man...for all your continued hard work...
I am sure we can all get some items together to you, to be donated for the on going auctions...
for the Zac Pac... great website
Pbase.com its a Photo site... clic
on "the world" pictures... then "Mauritius"
their flag is
red blue yellow green...
(for those of you in AWANA, the perfect flag,LOL)
a little eye candy for the Zac Pac
and what awaits Zac and Laurence... "Whew,what a place"
gonna be a great Thanksgiving there
Marianne, you're doing GREAT and all the prayers are being answered..."ALL"...
"I will extol YOU, Oh LORD
for you have lifted me up"
psalm 30:1a
" Weeping may last for the the
night
But a shout of JOY comes in the morning" psalm 30:5b
selah LORD selah
davejb you're in our prayers and so so true what you shared, your heart refreshing to us all...
and YES tomi YES...
"HE delights" in that...
mark n adino vicksburg, mississippi
@Bob Wyka: I wrote to sail-world, that there might be a confusion about the record attempts, especially the notion that they kind of have to race each other.
As I understand it, they both try to set similar but different records. And when both are back safely in their own schedule, Mike and Zac both have got their records.
RK
@ Chris
Thanks for your work! I trust what you have to say because you have real experience. LOVE your blog and read it regularly. You are a VERY experienced sailor. Though I have only sailed in the BVI's, I do have a boat in SW Florida. How's Turkey?
You do have a windvane. Use it, but every few hour checks are mandatory on CNs. Best of luck!
-- Trev
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