My emotions have been running high after having to gear up for the original start date, then down for the delay, then back up for the start yesterday. It began what has been the oddest combination of variables for the start of a leg that I can remember. I have been very emotional compared to the start in France. I am apprehensive about going back down to the big noise in the south and I miss my wife, Meaghan, and my children very much… which has led to a bit of an emotional funk.
It didn't help at all when Tate, Wyatt and I all had to wish each other Merry Christmas on the dock as I left on December 16th! It is one thing to wish Meaghan as a grown up Merry Christmas; but missing the kid’s Christmas is making tears well in my eyes even as I write this.
So we were finally able to escape South Africa in a weather window that wasn't guaranteed carnage, yet it was still South Africa. Talk about “Full Noise or No Noise,” our team’s motto! The fleet starts in light fluky up and down breeze in Table Bay and by the time we get ten miles offshore, BAM, the forecast shows 15 knots of wind on the nose and is blowing 30+ knots instead. This lends more justification for holding the race start off when they were forecasting 40+.
Then it goes light! Very light. And now Derek, Gutek and myself are all drifting along in sight of each other coxing what we can out of 2-6 knots of breeze for the last 18 hours or so. This too is very odd. The Aghulas Current is a warm water current that wraps around Africa and really makes the entrance to the Southern Ocean a warm paradise for sea life. I have only seen this place sailing at full speed like most people; but wow is it different when you’re going 3 knots. I have had yellowtail swimming in the shadow of the boat, weird eddies of swirling debris, jelly fish everywhere, flying fish and 23 degree Celsius water temps.
Is this the calm before the storm? All the above is happening while I struggle to work my way south to the frozen sea scape of the Southern Ocean which is only a mere couple hundred miles from here. Like I said… weird! Hopefully all of this is a good omen that will deliver a good Christmas experience and the South will allow our fleet safe passage!
Regards and Happy Holidays to all,
Brad
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Upwind in Lots of Wind
After the a morning of very light wind making our way out of the shadow of Table Mountain, everything changed and now I am bashing upwind in 25-35 knots of wind. It has been about 5 hours of this, and I am hoping the fleet makes it through this unscathed. I have a 3rd reef in the mainsail and the staysail up for now. Going from the docks and mellow start into these conditions is intense to say the least. Le Pingouin seems to be taking the punishment well. I am certain the delayed start was a good idea, as I can’t imagine what this run would have been like a few days ago. It is supposed to lighten up and I may be parked Fri-Sunday, which will be equally frustrating. I am anxious to head east! Thanks for checking in.
Cheers,
Brad
Cheers,
Brad
The Start at Last
The forecast was disappointing and it became obvious quickly that starting Leg 2 of the VELUX 5 OCEANS on Sunday, December 12, was going to be dangerous. Severe weather conditions at the Cape of Good Hope and in the Agulhas Current would bring damage to my boat or others. I find it a difficult place to be. I’m ready to go. The boat is ready. It has been strange being geared up and ready to go and not being able to take off. I’ve been trying to stay in the groove and remain mentally fired up to start, especially considering it is a leg of the race that will send us into heavy weather. I’ve been waiting for the word from race admin to go and it finally is here today.
It appears we will have light conditions. It is no secret that the entire fleet will aim to get south as quickly as possible. I look forward to hitting the westerly winds that prevail in the Southern Ocean. The extended forecast looks pretty good for the first week with consistent westerlies. The huge storm that prevented our original start last weekend has moved off now to the west leaving mellow conditions for the next few days.
One of the nice things about the delay in starting out of Cape Town is that I got to see the wedding of Jeffrey Wargo, my Project Manager and friend, who tied the knot yesterday in the winelands of Stellenbosch. Congrats to Jeffrey and Lizzie!
Stay tuned for more news as I leave the dock and sail south. Cheers,
Brad
It appears we will have light conditions. It is no secret that the entire fleet will aim to get south as quickly as possible. I look forward to hitting the westerly winds that prevail in the Southern Ocean. The extended forecast looks pretty good for the first week with consistent westerlies. The huge storm that prevented our original start last weekend has moved off now to the west leaving mellow conditions for the next few days.
One of the nice things about the delay in starting out of Cape Town is that I got to see the wedding of Jeffrey Wargo, my Project Manager and friend, who tied the knot yesterday in the winelands of Stellenbosch. Congrats to Jeffrey and Lizzie!
Stay tuned for more news as I leave the dock and sail south. Cheers,
Brad
Monday, December 6, 2010
A Look Back Before I Look Ahead
I have some good stories to tell you about my time in South Africa, but before we go there I thought a brief recap of Leg 1 from La Rochelle, France to Cape Town, South Africa might be of interest. My wife Meaghan posed these questions to me, in her best attempt to egg-on my communications of the lifestyle aboard an Open-60 alone at sea for 28 days. Here goes…
Best Moment?
The start and finish
Worst Moment?
The start and finish
My answer to these questions comes for different reasons. The start in France was amazing and a big “wow” moment for sure, but it was also hard to get my head around being alone for a month. The finish in Cape Town was also hard because I really enjoyed being out there. It was the end of a special experience with Le Pingouin, getting to know her and creating a relationship with a boat I will spend thousands of miles on alone.
Favorite Meal?
AlpineAire is my staple whenever I am offshore. It is a great product that offers what the solo racing environment requires – light, compact, easy-to-use energy. I brought a variety of their dehydrated meals (about 80 bags to be exact) but here are my favorites…
On a special day (maybe once a week or a Sunday morning with mellow breeze) I like to customize the Bandito Scramble. It is the only AlpineAire product I take that actually needs to be cooked, but it is a great one. I add some water to the egg powder and the potatoes and peppers are already in there. I have been known to add a little onion and chorizo if it is onboard. My regular favorites for dinner include Leonardo da Fettuccini or Forever Young Mac and Cheese. All I have to do is heat some water with my little camping stove, throw it in the AlpineAire bag and let it sit for 12 minutes. I picked up some miniature packets of spicy oil used for pizza in France that adds a nice touch.
My typical breakfast is Grawnola, which I discovered right before departing Charleston. This adds diversity to my diet and is a raw, yummy, fiber source that helps my whole messed up digestion process function offshore. The Grawnola bars are super convenient if it is rough and I need to be on deck, but the regular Grawnola in a cereal form is my favorite.
Treats?
When we were in La Rochelle, France the Mayor held a ceremony to welcome us and recognize the Eco-60 Class and goals of sustainability. In the process he gave me a bottle of Cognac (lucky for me!). Once in a while offshore I would have a small shot or sip of the Cognac in the evening. I have to say the biggest treat while sailing offshore is yet to be had. JC Caso is part of our small team and his parents live outside La Rochelle in France. They are some of the sweetest people I have ever met and knowing I was headed off for the long race, they cooked several homemade dinners from their farm raised products in the country and canned them specifically for my journey. This is not your Chef Boyardee canned food but homemade dinners like Beef Bourguignon. Of course cans are heavy so I cannot justify taking many, but I am planning one per week in the Southern Ocean.
Forgot?
Music. I am not that into music, but when you don’t have any for 28 days, it is painful.
Packed too much?
Nothing. There were no extras onboard.
Biggest difference from last race?
The biggest difference I can identify is that in general I don’t feel the pressure to win as much as I did in 2002-3. I am having fun with it and genuinely enjoying being offshore. Don’t get me wrong. I am racing as hard as I can, but I am enjoying the experience more.
I am busy preparing for Leg 2 which will set off on December 12 from Cape Town and send me south into the Southern Indian Ocean headed for the next port of Wellington, New Zealand. Thanks for checking in and taking part in the adventure.
Cheers,
Brad
Best Moment?
The start and finish
Worst Moment?
The start and finish
My answer to these questions comes for different reasons. The start in France was amazing and a big “wow” moment for sure, but it was also hard to get my head around being alone for a month. The finish in Cape Town was also hard because I really enjoyed being out there. It was the end of a special experience with Le Pingouin, getting to know her and creating a relationship with a boat I will spend thousands of miles on alone.
Favorite Meal?
AlpineAire is my staple whenever I am offshore. It is a great product that offers what the solo racing environment requires – light, compact, easy-to-use energy. I brought a variety of their dehydrated meals (about 80 bags to be exact) but here are my favorites…
On a special day (maybe once a week or a Sunday morning with mellow breeze) I like to customize the Bandito Scramble. It is the only AlpineAire product I take that actually needs to be cooked, but it is a great one. I add some water to the egg powder and the potatoes and peppers are already in there. I have been known to add a little onion and chorizo if it is onboard. My regular favorites for dinner include Leonardo da Fettuccini or Forever Young Mac and Cheese. All I have to do is heat some water with my little camping stove, throw it in the AlpineAire bag and let it sit for 12 minutes. I picked up some miniature packets of spicy oil used for pizza in France that adds a nice touch.
My typical breakfast is Grawnola, which I discovered right before departing Charleston. This adds diversity to my diet and is a raw, yummy, fiber source that helps my whole messed up digestion process function offshore. The Grawnola bars are super convenient if it is rough and I need to be on deck, but the regular Grawnola in a cereal form is my favorite.
Treats?
When we were in La Rochelle, France the Mayor held a ceremony to welcome us and recognize the Eco-60 Class and goals of sustainability. In the process he gave me a bottle of Cognac (lucky for me!). Once in a while offshore I would have a small shot or sip of the Cognac in the evening. I have to say the biggest treat while sailing offshore is yet to be had. JC Caso is part of our small team and his parents live outside La Rochelle in France. They are some of the sweetest people I have ever met and knowing I was headed off for the long race, they cooked several homemade dinners from their farm raised products in the country and canned them specifically for my journey. This is not your Chef Boyardee canned food but homemade dinners like Beef Bourguignon. Of course cans are heavy so I cannot justify taking many, but I am planning one per week in the Southern Ocean.
Forgot?
Music. I am not that into music, but when you don’t have any for 28 days, it is painful.
Packed too much?
Nothing. There were no extras onboard.
Biggest difference from last race?
The biggest difference I can identify is that in general I don’t feel the pressure to win as much as I did in 2002-3. I am having fun with it and genuinely enjoying being offshore. Don’t get me wrong. I am racing as hard as I can, but I am enjoying the experience more.
I am busy preparing for Leg 2 which will set off on December 12 from Cape Town and send me south into the Southern Indian Ocean headed for the next port of Wellington, New Zealand. Thanks for checking in and taking part in the adventure.
Cheers,
Brad
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Restless Sleep, Fresh Food,Family & Fellow Racers
Since arriving in Cape Town I have been enjoying relatively long nights of restless sleep. After 28 days of severe sleep deprivation offshore, my dreams have been pretty wacky since offered a more “normal” overnight rest. The transition is a bit tricky. I am always restless overnight, partly out of habit and partly because I really don’t want to get out of the groove of the offshore environment. It may seem like we have a lot of time on land, but December 12 is right around the corner. I attempt a nap each day to try and stay in the groove, but it does not always work out.
I have also been enjoying red meat, fresh food, and spending time with my family. We went up Table Mountain over the weekend, which was the first time I have ever done it despite being here twice before. We are going to try and get away together as a family and explore South Africa for a few days, which will be a total escape from my work on the boat.
Jeffrey, JC, and Nitro are busy going through the boat work list that I prepared before my arrival. I am spending most of my time on the electrical side and heading up the charging system modifications. We are changing how the hydro generators and the rest of the charging system keep the batteries charged on the boat, to provide the electricity for the autopilots and other important electronics. I’ve been working closely with B&G to make sure the autopilot and instrument package is fine tuned for optimum performance in the Southern Ocean.
I have learned a lot about the B&G system and I must say it is absolutely amazing. There are so many variables; it is like you can keep making the system better and better as you go. They auto-learn, so they adjust their own parameters as I encounter different conditions. My time on this is critical as I need the autopilots to drive through anything and everything. Over the first leg of the race I’ve been learning the system, and it has been learning itself – both great assets for the upcoming Southern Ocean legs.
I’ve also really enjoyed being onsite to greet the other competitors as they have arrived Cape Town. It is a race tradition to greet your fellow competitors, and inherently the time in port creates great bonds and friendships. I cooked a steak on the dock for Derek, which he promptly enjoyed with South African wine at a small table beside his boat with his wife. CSM arrived yesterday and we all went to the local pub for a beer.
My focus right now is trying to get the boat work sorted enough for me to take off on a short walk about with my family. Thanks for checking in,
Brad
I have also been enjoying red meat, fresh food, and spending time with my family. We went up Table Mountain over the weekend, which was the first time I have ever done it despite being here twice before. We are going to try and get away together as a family and explore South Africa for a few days, which will be a total escape from my work on the boat.
Jeffrey, JC, and Nitro are busy going through the boat work list that I prepared before my arrival. I am spending most of my time on the electrical side and heading up the charging system modifications. We are changing how the hydro generators and the rest of the charging system keep the batteries charged on the boat, to provide the electricity for the autopilots and other important electronics. I’ve been working closely with B&G to make sure the autopilot and instrument package is fine tuned for optimum performance in the Southern Ocean.
I have learned a lot about the B&G system and I must say it is absolutely amazing. There are so many variables; it is like you can keep making the system better and better as you go. They auto-learn, so they adjust their own parameters as I encounter different conditions. My time on this is critical as I need the autopilots to drive through anything and everything. Over the first leg of the race I’ve been learning the system, and it has been learning itself – both great assets for the upcoming Southern Ocean legs.
I’ve also really enjoyed being onsite to greet the other competitors as they have arrived Cape Town. It is a race tradition to greet your fellow competitors, and inherently the time in port creates great bonds and friendships. I cooked a steak on the dock for Derek, which he promptly enjoyed with South African wine at a small table beside his boat with his wife. CSM arrived yesterday and we all went to the local pub for a beer.
My focus right now is trying to get the boat work sorted enough for me to take off on a short walk about with my family. Thanks for checking in,
Brad
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Finish in Cape Town
I felt like I had the boat totally prepared for the finish. Not so. I was hit by 40 knots of breeze last night. It was upwind conditions in 40 knots of breeze with a following Southern Ocean swell. Not what I was looking for in the final hours of my 27+ day voyage.
Welcome to Cape Town! The weather systems are notably unpredictable and challenging. Following the chaos offshore was a painfully slow approach. All the noise stopped. It took one hour to go from 40 knots to nothing. And I do mean nothing… I think I could swam faster than the boat edged along off the coast of Greenpoint headed to the finish.
The joy of seeing Meg, Tate and Wyatt was awesome. Velux delivered a cold beer and burger, which was much appreciated. Thanks to all that have followed the journey this far. I need a shower and a bit of sleep! More tomorrow…
Cheers,
Brad
Welcome to Cape Town! The weather systems are notably unpredictable and challenging. Following the chaos offshore was a painfully slow approach. All the noise stopped. It took one hour to go from 40 knots to nothing. And I do mean nothing… I think I could swam faster than the boat edged along off the coast of Greenpoint headed to the finish.
The joy of seeing Meg, Tate and Wyatt was awesome. Velux delivered a cold beer and burger, which was much appreciated. Thanks to all that have followed the journey this far. I need a shower and a bit of sleep! More tomorrow…
Cheers,
Brad
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Le Pingouin seems to be less of a bird and more of a raging bull!
Le Pingouin seems to be less of a bird and more of a raging bull! It has been full noise out here trying to keep up with this front and shaking Gutek. Cracking along at 20-25 knots on this thing is something else. The other night the forecast was 28 knots, but it piped up to 40+ knots. I wish I could have captured footage of those few hours on video, but it was pitch black. From the air this boat must have looked like a mast and sails sticking out of a surfacing submarine! It was nuts and a whole lot of work with no sleep, food or water. All I could do was hang on to whatever I was working on at the moment.
All is well and it feels good to be within 1000 miles of Cape Town, even if I will have to sail more miles than that to actually get there. Thanks for keeping up with the action offshore and stay tuned for the finish in South Africa, which I am hoping for on Sunday/Monday.
Cheers,
Brad
All is well and it feels good to be within 1000 miles of Cape Town, even if I will have to sail more miles than that to actually get there. Thanks for keeping up with the action offshore and stay tuned for the finish in South Africa, which I am hoping for on Sunday/Monday.
Cheers,
Brad
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Gutek the Hunter on my Tail
It has been constant sail changes and working non-stop to keep my slim lead on Gutek. He has been hunting me down, and doing it at Mach 2 speed with precision. Thankfully I am hauling right now on a tight reach. A satellite pull on the boat earlier today had me trucking along at 22+ knots. I’m averaging 14-15 knots and it looks like the weather pattern is pretty good for the foreseeable future. I was really frustrated that I had to work my way around the high pressure system and Gutek was able to cut the corner, devouring my hard fought lead. It will now be a full-on drag race with an unknown outcome.
The data you see online shows a margin of about 100 miles between Gutek and I, yet remember that is based on distance to finish in Cape Town. The reality is we have both chosen a lane. Gutek has been forced to try and come down closer to my latitude. I have a slight advantage on him… let’s say VERY SLIGHT. My advantage is of course being in front. I have a strategy and I’m sticking to my plan. My disadvantage is that I am being hunted. Gutek can come up with tactics to crush my plan.
The St. Helena high is a series of high pressure systems that form and come off the Brazilian coast. They tend to march toward Cape Town and I am hanging on to one the best I can. When it gets out in front of us, we’ll have to start gybing. This will offer up tactical opportunities and passing lanes right to the finish. The situation will keep me very busy, but should also make for exciting racing!
Thanks for checking in. Don’t forget to view some of the videos at www.velux5oceans.com.
Cheers,
Brad
The data you see online shows a margin of about 100 miles between Gutek and I, yet remember that is based on distance to finish in Cape Town. The reality is we have both chosen a lane. Gutek has been forced to try and come down closer to my latitude. I have a slight advantage on him… let’s say VERY SLIGHT. My advantage is of course being in front. I have a strategy and I’m sticking to my plan. My disadvantage is that I am being hunted. Gutek can come up with tactics to crush my plan.
The St. Helena high is a series of high pressure systems that form and come off the Brazilian coast. They tend to march toward Cape Town and I am hanging on to one the best I can. When it gets out in front of us, we’ll have to start gybing. This will offer up tactical opportunities and passing lanes right to the finish. The situation will keep me very busy, but should also make for exciting racing!
Thanks for checking in. Don’t forget to view some of the videos at www.velux5oceans.com.
Cheers,
Brad
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Free of Doldrums, Crossed Equator and Cruising in Trades
Hello from Le Pingouin,
I am trucking along in the southeast trades off the coast of Brazil making some miles, but it is not comfortable sailing as it is almost upwind and very wet on deck. Everything with the boat seems in order and the autopilots have now had enough mileage in all conditions that their never ending auto-learn software has the boat so wired that it makes me look average at steering. It is really quite remarkable that the technology has come so far in the last few years. The last time I did this race, the “cat’s meow” was being able to rely on true wind steer features while steering off the breeze. At that time NKE, Raymarine and B&G were all in on the game and now have it pretty wired. The next challenge seems to be eliminating masthead movement through motion sensors and software, which makes for very steady wind data. The net result is that the wake in my current 20 knots of tight reach steering to wind looks like a pair of train tracks off the twin rudders. B&G seems to have it working. We’ll see very soon how this all works in the “full noise” atmosphere of the southern ocean very soon!
It was a big day of excitement crossing the equator yesterday. The gratification of getting half way to Cape Town was brief, as I quickly realized there is still a long way to go. I am really enjoying the boat and getting to know her traits. I swear, she has more lifelike personality than any boat I have sailed. One very nice lifestyle factor is that I have not been running the engine to charge the batteries. It makes for really nice sailing! The wind pushing the boat along also spins my hydrogenerators, which have been making enough power so far to drive my electrical needs.
Harnessing the power of the wind is how the world connected for centuries on sailing ships. It is my opinion that it will once again be the wave of sustainable living. The Cape Wind project in New England, and founder Jim Gordon, get it and inevitably will prove this concept on a commercial scale. I think the tides in the U.S. reluctance to real change will set in. That is my prediction and why I proudly support their cause.
I think someone is also going to get very rich when they figure out how to harness these tradewinds I have been sailing in for essentially 10 days (see I am already beginning to force the Doldrums from my memory). Another certainty is that our world will be a lot quieter, cooler and peaceful if my little pod here on the ocean is any indication, using only wind, sun and waves to power the 30,000 miles around the globe. It may be a small slice of what could happen on a global scale, limiting or eliminating the use of fossil fuels to power our modern day needs.
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox. But it’s true!
Cheers,
Brad
I am trucking along in the southeast trades off the coast of Brazil making some miles, but it is not comfortable sailing as it is almost upwind and very wet on deck. Everything with the boat seems in order and the autopilots have now had enough mileage in all conditions that their never ending auto-learn software has the boat so wired that it makes me look average at steering. It is really quite remarkable that the technology has come so far in the last few years. The last time I did this race, the “cat’s meow” was being able to rely on true wind steer features while steering off the breeze. At that time NKE, Raymarine and B&G were all in on the game and now have it pretty wired. The next challenge seems to be eliminating masthead movement through motion sensors and software, which makes for very steady wind data. The net result is that the wake in my current 20 knots of tight reach steering to wind looks like a pair of train tracks off the twin rudders. B&G seems to have it working. We’ll see very soon how this all works in the “full noise” atmosphere of the southern ocean very soon!
It was a big day of excitement crossing the equator yesterday. The gratification of getting half way to Cape Town was brief, as I quickly realized there is still a long way to go. I am really enjoying the boat and getting to know her traits. I swear, she has more lifelike personality than any boat I have sailed. One very nice lifestyle factor is that I have not been running the engine to charge the batteries. It makes for really nice sailing! The wind pushing the boat along also spins my hydrogenerators, which have been making enough power so far to drive my electrical needs.
Harnessing the power of the wind is how the world connected for centuries on sailing ships. It is my opinion that it will once again be the wave of sustainable living. The Cape Wind project in New England, and founder Jim Gordon, get it and inevitably will prove this concept on a commercial scale. I think the tides in the U.S. reluctance to real change will set in. That is my prediction and why I proudly support their cause.
I think someone is also going to get very rich when they figure out how to harness these tradewinds I have been sailing in for essentially 10 days (see I am already beginning to force the Doldrums from my memory). Another certainty is that our world will be a lot quieter, cooler and peaceful if my little pod here on the ocean is any indication, using only wind, sun and waves to power the 30,000 miles around the globe. It may be a small slice of what could happen on a global scale, limiting or eliminating the use of fossil fuels to power our modern day needs.
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox. But it’s true!
Cheers,
Brad
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Okay, Let's Get Personal
Okay, let’s get personal. Leaving land and taking on this incredible race has been epic. But there are some very important people at home. Here is a small glimpse of the few communications I have with those that mean the most!
Tate, my 8 year old daughter, October 25
Daddy,
It is Tate writing you from bed. What are u doing right now? Can u send a photo of what u are doing when u get this message? I wonder what I will do tomorrow. I wonder what u will do tomorrow. I wonder about a lot of things. I want u to put a note in a bottle and send it out to sea. I wonder what the sea looks like right now. I hope u are saying goodnight because I am. Love, Tate. Miss u a lot.
My Reply to Tate, October 26
Hi Tate,
I got your message last night. Thank you for the note. I think of you too a whole lot and miss you. I can’t wait to see you in Africa in 3 weeks or less. Everything out here on the ocean is fine. The boat is doing great and out here. She is sort of my only friend so I talk to her sometimes. I know it sounds weird but it helps me not be lonely. I was telling her that we were going to have a family slumber party on her in Cape Town. She then started going really fast like she liked the idea and could understand me. I think she also likes to show off a little because whenever she knows the race people are watching how fast we are going, she goes a little faster than the rest of the time. Another crazy girl in my life, like you and your mommy weren’t enough! I sent you a photo of me with the ocean behind for you to see, like you wanted. I took it right when I got your note in the very early morning.
Of course I can leave a message in a bottle for you. You have to think about what you want the message to say and let me know. If you want I could leave it right at the equator and then if someone finds it and contacts you, then you will know whether it went into the southern hemisphere or the northern hemisphere. Maybe your mommy can show you what I mean on a map or globe.
I promise I’ll keep thinking of you lots especially when I am going to sleep. You do the same, okay!
I love you very much,
Daddy
Tate, my 8 year old daughter, October 25
Daddy,
It is Tate writing you from bed. What are u doing right now? Can u send a photo of what u are doing when u get this message? I wonder what I will do tomorrow. I wonder what u will do tomorrow. I wonder about a lot of things. I want u to put a note in a bottle and send it out to sea. I wonder what the sea looks like right now. I hope u are saying goodnight because I am. Love, Tate. Miss u a lot.
My Reply to Tate, October 26
Hi Tate,
I got your message last night. Thank you for the note. I think of you too a whole lot and miss you. I can’t wait to see you in Africa in 3 weeks or less. Everything out here on the ocean is fine. The boat is doing great and out here. She is sort of my only friend so I talk to her sometimes. I know it sounds weird but it helps me not be lonely. I was telling her that we were going to have a family slumber party on her in Cape Town. She then started going really fast like she liked the idea and could understand me. I think she also likes to show off a little because whenever she knows the race people are watching how fast we are going, she goes a little faster than the rest of the time. Another crazy girl in my life, like you and your mommy weren’t enough! I sent you a photo of me with the ocean behind for you to see, like you wanted. I took it right when I got your note in the very early morning.
Of course I can leave a message in a bottle for you. You have to think about what you want the message to say and let me know. If you want I could leave it right at the equator and then if someone finds it and contacts you, then you will know whether it went into the southern hemisphere or the northern hemisphere. Maybe your mommy can show you what I mean on a map or globe.
I promise I’ll keep thinking of you lots especially when I am going to sleep. You do the same, okay!
I love you very much,
Daddy
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