SAILING from Albany to Victoria (12.01-29.01.2000) AUSTRALIA After having waited for a few days in Albany where we expected the autopilote, which had a malfunction, to come back from Perth, we finally left to go to the open sea : the fearsome Great Southern Ocean. We, is, Alan, the skipper , and I. Both happy and excited to go sailing after too many days on shore. I knew it would be a tough journey. But what you think and what you experience is often a world apart. Still, I am happy to be where I am right now : On the yacht Wallaby Creek, in the fifth day of the trip, about 2oo nautic miles from our departure point. But I am also looking forward to landing somewhere in Victoria. The thing is that I got quite seasick. The first day, we left about noon, I vomitted for the first time ( but not the last...) overboard, a couple of hours later. You've got this thing inside you, kind of anavoidable ball in your throat which is playing yoyo. All of a sudden, your mouth is full of acid saliva. And that's it. You just have to let it go...out. You can't control it. It is stronger, smarter and much meaner than you. It is the unrestable ocean, the wind, the waves, which make you - or me - feel like this. Now , I've learnt to look at the Big Blue right into the eyes, without any fear nor friendship. Just like this, the way it presents itself to you a day of gale or of calm seas. I think we're taming each other. Then , was I saying, we left on a sunny day about noon. The first night, the brand new autopilote broke down. Then came the clouds, the cold, the rain, the wind blowing against us, the failure in the engine, the torn jib number three, followed by the number one, the boom which made a big boom above my head while I was asleep, and, eventually , the entangeled halyard around the mast.The last thing happened the second day and it was also my first (ah-ah!...) action as a sailor : I went on deck and helped. The forth day, I felt a bit better and for the first time I have been able to make Alan a cup of coffee and diner since we left shore. Alan is a excellent sailor. He can fixe anything and swear very badly. He is even rude to me sometimes, but is a lovely husband too. He takes good care of me when I am not feeling well. And when I am feeling well. I can talk a lot and laugh a lot with him. I think , he brings plenty of good things into my life. Well, all this to say that today, Monday, fifth day of the journey, I am sick again. Now, I vomit in the sink, because the sea is often to turbulent for me to rush out to empty my stomach. Each movement I do asks me a big effort. I have to force myself to sit, stand up, walk out, eat, drink, take a pen and write,... This trip is also a moral challenge. Life and death can be so close to each other. I am now in love with Life and want to fight for it. I am happy and want to share my happiness. I've noticed that during the easy days I had on shore, I have neglected my best friend: God. I am thankfull to Him for giving me such a good life. Today that things are more uncomfortable, I look at Him again with more enthousiasm....I need Him to show me the way. I need Him to bring light, joy and faith into my life. When the waves are high, huge, crashing and smashing against the boat, the ship seems to be like a wallnutshell in a mountain river. The ocean can be so dark and fearal. A giant so strong. But when, through the clouds, the sun let one of its ray shine, what a wonderfull scenery. Yesterday, we saw Elvis, our friend the albatross which came two days ago too. It is amazing and beautyfull with its wide deployed wings that it hardly ever flaps. Day six This is a really nice day. And we are lucky because today we have to steer by hand. One hour each during day time and two at nightwatch.I feel pretty good and I am pround of being able to make a fresh tomato soup for lunch!When I got on deck for my second watch at two am, the sky was clear and you could admire plenty of stars. I have been able to witness the sunset , the moonset and some albatrosses flying around. We were doing good progress with the wind with us and we were zooming across Australia. I had my safety harness on for the waves being quite big. And you know that you can always be surprised by the thirteenth wave (which is twice the size of the others) or even by the ten thousandth one (which is really huge). I took the tiller and Alan went to fUrl the jib for me to steer the boat more easily. Probably because I couldn't keep the boat into the wind for a few seconds at this stage...the jib got entangeled and a big bubble stayed at the top. Our speedrun stopped there. Alan balanced the boat and fixed the tiller with a couple of ropes and we went to bed. It was frustrating. We were doing so well and would have been able to cover much more miles still... At least we are going forward. Day seven Since yesterday and for a few more days we can afford to let the boat steer itself and stayed inside. Which is good as the weather remain gray and cold. Since we went to bed , we are in Wallaby Creek like in a shaker. The bubble is still there at the top of the "fore-mast" . We think of going up there to tide it with some more ropes as it could force the mast to break. Suddenly, it stops shaking: the jib has been torn. The skipper is relieved. The sail is destroyed. The waves are like the day before, very big. Some of them skratched into the cokpit, through the hatch , and poured the cabin. Everything is wet, damp. The carpet,the charttable ,the boxes which contained the bread and some other food, the clothes. It becomes difficult to find any comfortable place or piece of cloth. Anyway, this can't stop us to go in the backcabin, our bedroom, and make sweet love. Naked, under the cover. This evening I had my first whole meal since we left (steak, potatoes and onions), cooked by my lovely skipper! Day eight The wind is weaker but we can still let the boat steer by itself and lay in bed. We could go out and set the main sail up. We are now using the staysail only as the two jibs are torn and useless. Outside it is cloudly and chilly...for a change...and the air full of humidity. What dosen't really appeal to stick one's nose out! Well, we are going slow but forward. Day nine We took advantage of a calmer sea to...have a shower! Luxury...necesary! In a bucket laid in the toilets, we put a whole kettle of hot water and some cold water to make it just at the perfect temperature....We used a plastic glass to take the water from the bucket and wet ourselves. We are under a hot spring waterfall ! At night time a cargo ship crusing to New Zealand called us by radio. It was nice seeing it, its lights in the dark, and having a casual chat with him! Day ten It is Saturday and this morning we past the "half-way" line!!! Today is party day! We are having french-toasts for breakie! It is hard to believe that we might have ten other days on sea . Today we also quit Western Australia and are now in South Australia. The time is two hours and a half forward. Day eleven We were supposed to have a picnic on the front deck for lunch but the weather is rough again. Midday: mal de mer got me again and I am now stocked in bed. We are going off course because the wind is coming right against us, from East. Day twelve Sick in the morning, I stayed in bed all day. My main activity consists on dreaming and thinking about my family and friends. Amazing to think that you can spend days like this! Day thirteen Patches of blue sky. Cold. Saloon couches wet, wet, wet now. We had the last frozen pizza for diner. Day fourteen A little bit of sunshine. I am sick again. It is a boring day. I want to see land. I want to be there. Alan has been cooking the last four days. We played a couple of games of backgamon and he didn't even swear once...must be depressed too !... Day fifteen I am feeling better. Sunshine and clouds are playing together. The temperture in the cabin is 16.3 degrees Celsius. We have 250 nautic miles to go. We have been motoring the last two days. I haven't really helped with the boat until now. Since the autopilote broke down, we left the sails more or less in the same position. Alan makes some adjustments sometimes. I am glad that we don't have to take turns to steer yet. Day sixteen This time we have to steer by hand as we are getting closer to land. We are sailing on calm seas and with sunshine. It is a nice day to be outside. At my great surprise and pleasure , a school of about a dozen of dusky dolphins gave us company for a while. Five of them stayed longer and played just a few centimeters from the bow. I could even hear them! They probably preceeded us to show us the way. Now I am sitting on deck, my hand on Alan's knee, who is steering. I am living a really privileged moment of my life. It feels so good to be just between sky and sea, both blue, both wonderfull, and with someone to share this with me. When you live such intense moments, you forget about the rough days you have been through. And you just think they were worth going through! Our friend Elvis is faithfull to us and is here too, to acompain us for the last miles. We are going at a reasonably good speed and should be in Portland tomorrow before dark. Miracleously, the autopilote is working more or less again, and we won't have to steer tonight ! We will just have to do the watches, two hours each. I am in bed and hear the "nok-nok" on the window above my head indicating to me that it is my turn to go out. It is hard to get up, to leave the warmth of the nest I am in ! Two am to four. It is my watch. After I finished, I went back in and ....slept until 7.30 am! I got up and sticked my head outside : What can I see??? Land! My beloved sailor had finished the night and lead us close to shore. At about noon, the same time we had left Albany seventeen days before, we anchored in Portland! The sky is gray but it is not too cold at least. A fur seal welcomed us into the harbour, it is so cute! Tomorrow , we will start cleaning and fixing the boat. She looks pretty worn... We have done it, we crossed all South Australia, more than 1200 miles! in the Great Southern Ocean, the Roaring Forties... Yahoo!!!!