2004-2005

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Ocean Planet Vendée Globe Update:
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Position 42 56S, 114 11E, @ 15:02 UT

Aerial Boundaries

I have always fantasized about being a trapeze artist in the circus. But after today’s exercises, I’m definitely feeling a little too old and beat up for it.

Although we worked our way north for some distance, conditions were not abating and I was getting very impatient about fixing the radar. So a few hours before dark, I jibed back to starboard and rigged up my line system that I had dreamt up to get to the radar. Seas were still very large, but the wind had eased a little so I decided to go for it.

It is hard to explain my system, and I’m too tired to go into it now, but I needed to be airborne all the way from the mast to the tower. I pulled myself aft on lines that I had rigged around the back of the tower. It was very physical, and I was just BARELY able to reach the radar to rig up a simple line system before becoming exhausted. Even after I got down it took a lot of messing around with a boathook and climbing part way up the tower several times to get the lines to work.

Too dark for pictures now, but I will send some tomorrow. I did get a lot of the event on video before it got dark, so someday you may get to watch it…

I need a rest, and then tomorrow the next big project is seeing if I can tighten the keel wedges. The keel is moving a bit which is irritating, so I think the wedges (which are on struts coming down from the top of the trunk) have loosened up.

Bye for now!

Bruce Schwab, Skipper
USA 05/Ocean Planet