Forced stopover Round Australia solo sailor

by Al Constable on 10 Jul 2006 Dr. Margaret Williams sailing solo around Australia has had to change course inside the great Barrier Reef and has anchored to affect repairs to her running rigging.

With her repairs now complete, she is waiting for a favourable wind to assist her from her anchorage at present. It shall be either this afternoon or tomorrow.

Her fath Charlie Williams reports 'Her health and mindset are both good and there is no bar in this aspect to her achieving her goal.

'She slept well and said that it is a beautiful spot she is anchored in and it would be quite easy to stay there.'

The Sunshine Coast GP, set sail from Fremantle on June 2 in her 12m sloop Against All Odds in a bid to be the first woman to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around Australia.

Dr Williams was forced to abandon her first try in November when, after completing two-thirds of the 16,500 nautical mile journey, her rudder broke during one of several capsizes in the Southern Ocean.

She sheltered in Albany and had her yacht repaired before starting her second attempt from Fremantle.

She reported over the weekend

‘A few nights' ago, I was having a delightful sail, coasting along in a pleasant 15 or so knots of wind, doing around 7.5 knots. It was a clear night full of stars - I was happy, contented and making excellent progress. We were well out from the coast about 150 nm, and outside the Swain Reefs. I had just reefed or shortened sail for the night when, alarmingly, I heard a loud twang then again another twang.

’Clangs, twangs, and bangs are always of concern on deck. So out I went with a bright torch and saw that my lower rigging supporting the mast was snapping and unravelling at the top swage. I quickly reduced sail to a triple reef and tiny bit of headsail and bobbed along until morning.

’In the morning, further inspection revealed both lowers had wires broken at the top swage. The rig is not very old and had been inspected and had checked out ok prior to this attempt. I am unsure why it was going pretty much symmetrically at this location. The rest of the rig looked good through the binoculars.

’It was a bit rolly in the open ocean to go up the rig at that time unless it was essential. I threw a spectra rope over the leeward lower spreader and took it through a block on deck and back to a winch for extra support and backed off the tension in the lowers a bit. Still I wasn’t happy enough with this setup and decided to go in through the Great Barrier Reef with much reduced sail and get to an anchorage where I could thoroughly inspect the rig and do a better job on reinforcing it.

’I made my way through Hydrographer’s Entrance through the reef to a safe anchorage. Since anchoring I have needed to fix the anchor windlass that after dropping the anchor refused to work again, but got it going.

’I have talked with the official who was appointed by the World Sailing Speed Record Council to monitor my attempt to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around Australia. Jack Baxter (America’s Cup yachting legend) has explained to me that I am not in a race or on a time schedule. I just have to get there under sail to get this record.

‘Anchoring is allowed but I can’t of course accept outside help or go ashore. I may need to change my mindset of pushing to make a fast time, to really looking after the rig and taking more time to be ultimately successful. However, if I have any further doubts about the rig I won’t continue.

’So, I will keep at it, fix the boat as best I can and assess it all as I travel north. ‘