Doris' Journey

Leg 3 - Day 58 - 6th of Jan 2016

I can’t believe that this journey is nearly drawing to an end. It’s challenged and fulfilled me more than I ever knew it would. I never expected to be out here so long and I know that the 6 women travelling with me certainly didn’t plan for so many delays either. I’ve got to know each of them intimately. I’ve shared in their smiles, laughter and lighthearted fun and empathised with their frustrations, challenges, tears and pain. We’ve all been through a lot together and our shared suffering has connected us even more deeply.

I like to hope that I’ve been successful in my job as protector and guide across the mighty Pacific as well as offering them the safest environment to be exactly who they needed to be, fight their demons, learn their lessons and rejoice in their own strengths.

They have worked so hard for this.

My journey has been a wonderful and educational one. It’s my first experience of crossing an ocean and I’ve learnt so much not only about Oceania, but also myself. I have had to adapt the way I move in different conditions, fight adverse currents, deal with extreme temperatures, thunderstorms, blindly navigate through pitch black nights and surf huge tumbling waves. One of these waves submerged half of my deck but I managed to right myself in time. It’s difficult to hit every wave at the perfect angle, especially when they sometimes come at you from all directions.

I’ve had to find out about El Ni?o, the doldrums, the equator, atolls, archipelagos and now the Great Barrier Reef. This largest living structure on the planet stretching 2,300km, will be the final challenge for all of us before reaching our destination. Now more than ever is when we all need to remain completely focused. I’m confident in our ability and still carry all the blessings I received by kind people in Hawaii and Samoa. I feel their positive energy and others willing us safely to land.

It’s been a long and arduous 9 months and I’m feeling a little worse for wear. My hatches are getting emptier and hatch handles stiffer. I’ve lost weight and all my sponsor stickers are peeling off my oars and side. My bottom is covered in barnacles and the rest of my body squeaks and groans from time to time. No matter what, though, I’ll keep on going and with the help of my girls I’ll always have a smile on my face.

Through it all I’ve had great company and made some really special friends. The Mahi Mahi have been consistently by our side and always glide under and around me. Flying fish soar along side me and jump over and onto my deck. At different times during our voyage dolphins, whales and shoals of fish have escorted us and I’ve made good friends with two sharks, Fernando and Eduardo. They’ve been keeping their beady eyes on us as they know that there is always food near by and they are intrigued by our adventure.

The birds, especially the boobies, love soaring around me and they are fascinated by all of us. They glance inquisitively as they do a low fly-by and very often have chosen my aft or fore-cabin roof to spend the night. They are welcome visitors except for when they make a mess all over my solar panels!

I can’t wait to see the faces of my girls and their families when we reach land successfully and I hope that I can push them in the right direction as quickly as I know they want to go. I’m not going to lie though, there is a part of me that feels sad that our time out here is nearly over. I still feel like this incredible ocean is a place where I belong.

I’ve enjoyed her beauty and her power and will take these memories with me forever, wherever it is that I end up.?

Doris x

UPDATE:?Today was an exciting day as LP delved into one of the Henderson hatches and found not one but FIVE bags full of chocolate. That combined with the extra hot chocolate, mug shots (cup a soup) and biscuits means that we’re probably going to arrive into Cairns on a sugar high!! x