Sailing to Mars
Salsa af Stavsnas
Ellinor Ristoff Staffan Ehde
Sun 27 Jul 2014 08:11
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This kind of sailing gives you an idea what it
would be like travelling on routes less traveled. We are used to not seeing
anybody but at least we are used to have some radio contact with boats on the
same route. We get on the radio, only static noise. T'his cold weather, the dark
clous chasing us all the time makes you understand that this is wintertime, and
winter time it is. Last night the person on watch had all the clothes I
mentioned before PLUS a sleeping bag, three blankets and TWO wintercaps on top
of each other and it was still freezing cold.
If you take globe and turn it til you have New
Zealand right in front of your nose, you realize how far off they are, the only
thing you see is Antarctica south of them, and Australia up to the left, not
even the whole (depending on how close you stick your nose...). That's it. We
have made North East and the first 24 hours we made 165 nM, that is good
considering we had squally weather and actively had to sail with lows around 12
and ups to 30.
But an hydraulic reefing system is just gold in
these times, you can reef and let out sails downwind with no assistance and that
saves the crew from having to jump out of you warm bunk during your off
shift.
The kids came up this morning at about 7.30 as
usual with a ton of energy and it is amazing that they always see a new day as a
gift of opportunities. We should all, shouldnt we? The short time we have on
earth, lets spend the energy on possibilities and stop complaining about things
we cannot do anything about anyway, not even spend the energy on it. It is like
sailing an ocean, what difference will it make if I get bothered about the
weather or the waves? Im here, that is my choice, this is how it is and I can
only look at what I can do about it. Easy to write but also something I guess we
need to remind ourselves every moment of grief.
The big happening today was that Ellinor and I went
out on deck on this rolling madness and jibed the genua and the pole. The wind
veered from SSW to SW so we had to work that angel out. As we were doing that,
with all our clothes and then a life harness on top fo that it felt like a space
walk. I was just reading about the new expedition to Mars that is about to be
set up. They are planning to send 4 people to Mars 9 years from now. Applicants
are many, 200.000! And thet is despite the trip is only one way. There is no
technology to bring them back. So sailing on an ocean feels suddenly like no
adventure at all, can you imagine being stuck with 4 people in a spaceship for 2
years on a journey to Mars, no EPIRB, no SAR, No rescue... NO way back. They
have to continue living on Mars and the plan is to send the next group 2 years
after...
ERika was really funny when I told her the story
today (she is getting older....), her comment,"what if they get children on
board?, I mean they will most probably have sex with each other..." You
see even on our short journey that has lasted more than 2 years now, the
questions change with the kids....
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