Roger Long wrote:
Peter wrote:

This is in fact not true. I have done many, many trips from Australia
to Antarctica over the last 10 years. The conditions can be extreme
but there are also plenty of times where the Southern Ocean can be a
millpond.

Thanks for the good info. I was actualy speaking more of the mindset for
preparation than describing the weather conditions anthough that wasn't
particularly clear. A mill pond day that far from anywhere in an ocean with
that kind of fetch and weather systems is dangerous. It's like being far up
on Mount Everest on a calm, warm, day.

You are quite right there. Last year I had a dream run from Hobart to
Antarctica and back again to Fremantle. Later in the year I went down
to 55S to retrieve some moored instruments and ran into 3 gales in 3
weeks. Anyone venturing there must have their vessel and at least as
importantly themselves prepared for days of very bad weather while a
front blows through. I'd say that the ability to make sail in marginal
conditions with safety for both vessel and crew was more important than
carrying the largest sail area possible. Personally I'd prefer a
relatively low aspect rig, heavily stayed, and a steel hull.

I posted a while ago about the people who have gotten into trouble in the
Southern Ocean due to not realizing how many calm days there are and that
many periods are characterized by the extremes. The big clipper ships would
hook on to a low and stay with it for hundreds of miles. The small yacht
has to hunker down in the heavy weather and doesn't have the speed to stay
with the system. Then come the calms and little progress is made until the
next big system comes through and beats them up again.

Quite right. We use those calms to get work done. With satellite
weather recievers and good comms, we can & do work around the fronts,
heading north or south to keep working while one blows through, then
dealing with the hole in the transect after the front has passed. These
days we lose far less time than we used to but a powered ship isn't a
small sailboat; we have a lot more options open to us.


Pretty impressive passage from New Zeland to Cape Horn Donna Lange made
though in her 28 footer.

I agree. I'd need to consult my library but memory says it's been done
before in similar sized vessels, which takes nothing away from anyone
doing it now. She is both a better sailor and a braver person than I
am.

PDW