Cape Breton Island Crew Diary - Elisa Jenkins

by Elisa Jenkins on 11 Dec 2009 We have been playing catch up since our unfortunate run in with yet another wind hole last week - and so painfully close to the scoring gate. With less than 100 miles to go, leading the fleet, we were up against shifting winds, a jammed spinnaker halyard, and then a patch of light wind to top it off. Things could not get any better…

Including my mood. The sleep deprivation was wearing on me, and I was dissatisfied with the race progress. For the first time I can think of during the race, I was noticing my reactions to others were not at my usual level of calm. Tolerance levels were at an all time low, and I’m sorry to say a few harsh words came out over the past week. It seemed the boat seemed to shrink by a couple feet each day, and somehow there seemed to be more and more people in our small enclosed world. I have no idea where we could have taken on extra crew out here on the Southern Ocean!

One welcome distraction is the interesting combination of sea birds that visit our boat on a regular basis – albatrosses, cape petrels (my favourite), prions, and shearwaters. The old saying goes “birds of a feather flock together”. This does not hold true on the Southern Ocean. They all share the air, the sea, and fly amongst each other in no particular pattern They co-exist perfectly in this harsh but beautiful environment.

I likened this situation to living onboard. We form such an interesting variety of age, nationality, and personality. Yet we must co-exist together, as the birds, and accept each others differences. We must continue to race the boat, live together and survive the conditions, regardless of aspects we may find challenging.

Granted, we have a much smaller space to live than the birds – 68 feet versus the whole Southern Ocean – but I like to think the broadness of our minds will make up the difference. I hope we can co-exist and live peacefully in this at times stormy, at times peaceful, environment.

Like the birds, the state of our lives revolves around the weather and our ambient conditions. It doesn’t seem to phase the birds as things change, even if for the worse. I’ll strive to do the same, and be as accepting as possible of those around me.

Everyone is working their hardest to make a positive contribution to the race, which is the most important part. The little things I find frustrating in a sleep deprived state really don’t make much difference in the long run. My goal for the next few days is to keep a positive attitude and try to be more tolerant of the differences that make each person onboard unique.

That is truly the “Challenge of a Lifetime”.

Cape Breton Island standing by.