The Long Way Home

Solo sailor Jeff Hart Joy winds up his circumnavigation, but not without a few more setbacks. In this fourth and final instalment, we join him off Australia’s Cape Leeuwin

Today, on Day 109 of this voyage, there is good news and bad news.

The good news is that we will pass the last two capes—Tasmania’s South East Cape and New Zealand’s West Cape—in the next 2,500 miles. The bad news is we will be in close proximity to land, both off Tasmania and New Zealand, in an area that is known for its violent weather. I’m not only a little concerned, but praying to a higher power for a little help on this one.

Today one of my biggest fears nearly becomes reality when we are slammed by a rogue wave, and I’m tossed across the galley. My right shoulder slams into the edge of the open aft cabin doorway, and my head snaps back into the same sharp edge. I see stars for several seconds. Luckily, my stocking cap was rolled up and absorbs some of the battering. Nonetheless, I will be hurting for a few days, and all the daily tasks suddenly seem much larger. Tasmania’s South East Cape is 210 miles away, and my top speed of the voyage so far is 14.1 knots.

Next morning I awake to sunshine and a northwesterly wind that is driving me to the south, forcing me to gybe to get back on course. I’m beginning to realize what it is like to live on a survival basis. It’s almost like an experiment, where you isolate yourself from all sources of replenishment and any interaction with other people. Mother Nature provides the challenges you must deal with daily, and good planning on your food supply will determine how well you hold up. What fascinates me the most is the opportunity to study survival up close on a personal level.

I know hunger is man’s strongest driving force, with sex being second. But I will wait to cover that in the next adventure! What I have learned out here so far is that with a year and a half to plan and obtain my needed supplies, I have still fallen short in some areas—and that was with the knowledge that I needed supplies for five to seven months.