Abby Sunderland journey aborted

by Nancy Knudsen on 31 Jan 2010 'But don't start worrying - I am still north of the equator so I won't have to give up the non-stop attempt.'

These were the brave words of 16-year-old would-be solo circumnavigator Abby Sunderland as she heads for Cabo san Lucas on the Mexican coastline, just a week after she departed.

The rapid preparation of Abby's boat is perhaps the cause of her unpremeditated stop. The power generation on her yacht - the solar panels and wind generators cannot keep up with her energy needs, and she also has a problem with her wind speed indicator.

As a result, 'the team' will be meeting her in Cabo san Lucas to remedy the problems. They will try to repair the windspeed indicators, put more fuel (to run the alternators for power generation) and add some more battery power.

All long range cruising sailors will be sympathetic to these types of problems. It's often not the sailing that causes the most headaches. Getting the balance right between having the best electronic gizmo's and having enough power generation for those needs is a continually tricky question.

In the meantime, her friendly rival Australian Jessica Watson is crossing the southern Atlantic heading for the soutehrn tip of Africa and since her 70 knot storm which damaged her boat, she has had an uneventful, if lonely, time repairing the damage.