Mission Accomplished!
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor 7 Apr 08:00 AEST
Aurora Australis as seen from the Great Australian Bight - Blue Moon II circumnavigation © Tristan Gourlay
Keeping it in the family was always really the main mission. Just ask him... Now at 138 days and some change, Tristan Gourlay has shaved a fair old chunk off the 179 days and change his dad, Ken, set 19 and a bit years ago. Tristan was also pretty keen to get under 140 days elapsed as he 'passed' under Cape Leeuwin to mark his return to Australia.
Now he might not have lit the afterburners on Blue Moon II, but Tristan certainly found some new enthusiasm to cross the Great Australian Bight, duck under Tasmania and return to the start/finish line off the Iron Pot just South of Ye Olde Hobart Town.
We caught up with both Tristan and Ken a couple of days after Tristan's triumphant return when ironically the Diesel Mechanic was on board inspecting the iron topsail. This is very poignant, because said source of primary electrical power gave up at the Falkland Islands, and thereby demarcated the trip into two halves, as it were.
The first section was all Starlink, WhatsApp, videos loaded up to Facebook, and detailed weather analysis. Happy days. The second was so very old school and pretty much put him on par with what Ken had. Solar panels and Satphone. The former needs the sun out to be at its best, and down around 45-50 degrees is not exactly its strong suit. The latter makes calls, but data transfer rates are effectively at pre-dialup modem level. You'll get around the planet before it has finished loading the first day's video, and the cost - Wow!
On the matter of the elapsed time, Tristan said, "When I was about 42 days out, I started calculating the distances and then when it looked like I could crack the 140-day mark, I really started pushing and pushing hard. I knew that I had to set a good time so hopefully it can last another 19 years."
Of handing the baton over, Ken said, "It feels good. As a dear friend said to me the other day, 'You used to be a Champion good fellow. Now you're just a good fellow." Ken has OAM after his name to remind him of the Champion part, BTW... "Tristan has earned it. He can carry it with pride. That's the main thing now," added Ken.
All's well...
If you had seen Tristan arrive, you would have noticed the walking stick. Four years ago, Tristan had an autoimmune disease, "...that put my left leg to sleep from the knee down. I'm reasonably good now, but after a long stint on the boat, the leg does get a bit sore from the lack of movement and lack of walking. So, I basically only needing the walking stick for a day or two afterwards till the legs sort of got back into the rhythm of land life." Today, Tristan lives with the damage done prior to the disease being halted in its tracks.
No lap of the planet is completed without at least some issues being surmounted along the way. Tristan had some sail damage, but it was power that became the greatest hurdle, for it meant there was a lot of hand steering. FRED, the autopilot, loves juice, and if you're not making it, you cannot use it.
"A hydrogenerator would have been great, but you have to draw the budget line somewhere, and mine was before that. It became purely solar, and especially for the last month or so, a wind generator wouldn't have put in a great deal, because I was running dead downhill in 15-25 knots. So apart from a few, small things, this was the main issue. Glad we stopped the Diesel, as it appears fuel and oil were mixing. Never a good look..."
It should be pointed out that Tristan was supremely well prepared, so food and water were never a problem, and his Joe Adams penned vessel did its job really well, too. Remember, its 22,500 nauticals, at an average of 6.75 knots, so that's pretty telling.
"When I was going across the Pacific, I was reading a few articles about the ARC rally across Atlantic and how nearly all the boats that were having chafing through halyard issues. I did not want to think about that too much, and sought to see how we go. I only end up ended up chafing through one outer casing, and that was on the old topping lift, right at the jammer. UV had got to it. I had the spare main halyard there, so I just moused it out and swapped it over. I never had an issue with any more of the running gear," stated Tristan.
Of course, everything takes 15,000 hours to complete in middle of the ocean, especially on your own. That little mousing job would have ended up being nearly a whole day's effort, for it is many multiples of what it takes in the marina. "It sure does. Especially when you've got to hang on half the time, and then only work half the time."
Remember to that Tristan has to be aware of his leg. "It came and went a fair bit during the during the trip. If I did get plenty of rest, then generally it wasn't too bad. It was more of an issue with helming downwind when it really would load up, and then repay the favour for the rest of the night with random nerve sensations and feelings. Generally speaking, a few hours back in the bunk would sort it out."
On the bite
Early on we were treated to Tristans almost daily catch, so how did the rest of it go? "We went all right. I probably didn't fish as much as I normally would, mainly because of concentrating on pushing the boat, and then also with the power running out it meant the fridge wasn't running, so I had to be a bit careful. If I caught a big fish, then I'd have to use it up in the first day or two."
"The tally was about seven fish in the end. A few yellow fin tunas right up around, St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks. I think I got four in about half an hour, only keeping two, of course. Then I got a nice, nice Wahoo off the Brazilian coast, and that one was really nice - it made for really good fish and chips. Then there was an Albacore tuna, just in the Indian Pacific, which was in good condition, and made for absolutely beautiful sashimi. I hate to say it, but that Albacore probably showed up the Yellowfin tuna."
No one ever gets away scot-free. Tristan did blow up the Traveller car after a couple of Chinese gybes during one wild night. "I was running under a single reef main and staysail when the breeze kicked in another 10 knots relatively quickly. I was trying to furl up the headsail to drop another reef in, and the Traveller car fell to bits in the midst of it all. It all happened fairly early in the morning, so I just dropped everything got some sleep, and waited for daylight to fix it all. I jury rigged it, hoisted the main and off we went."
Luckily, it was mainly set and forget, as Tristan explains, "For that last sort of two months, I pretty much equalled the distance to go as, as opposed to the distance I had to accomplish. So, by that stage, it was a matter of just pointing it just as close to Hobart as I could get the best VMG. I started poling out the headsail and going dead square to minimise the time I spent out there, heading East at anything from 41 to 48 degrees South to match the weather."
Other things?
You might think that round Antarctica or the Northwest Passage is next, but it is more like slowing down, a bit of fishing and cruising around Tasmania with friends that's to come, although, immediately after saying that, Tristan did add, I have noticed there are a few expressions of interest for this around Australia race (two-handed). That interests me a little bit. I'll see where I'm at for '28..."
Tristan and Ken completed the 5,500nm Melbourne to Osaka, so 7,000 around Oz is a mere sprint for the global duo, but Ken insists he'll watch from the lounge room.
Of course, being on your own for such a long time means you know who to talk to when you need to dig deep and find the extra bit of determination, but how did Tristan keep the sanity, especially as he did it the trip in two halves - bright sunshine, and then dark side of the moon?
"It was Facebook in the first part. I was looking at a lot of comments from a lot of random people. That was good. When I was low, I could see the world, and everyone's support. Then when the engine died, things just got hard. Then when Starlink died, things just got harder, again! The joy was that I got to experience it with all the mod cons, then as it was, I got to see it as a blessing, being able to do it as they did decades ago, where you did not really know what weather was coming. Or what was going on in the world."
"Music certainly helped to pump me up and keep on going. Self-encouragement was the other thing. When there was no power for the autopilot, I'd just say, 'Come on. Keep going another hour or two. You know, things might change. You might be able to have a break.' I do remember telling myself that I can sleep when I get in!"
"I could sort of run the autopilot during the day, and that's when I got in my good four-hour sleep - especially of an afternoon when the sun had its most power and could help the most. When I did have to lash the wheel, it was nearly 90 degrees to course, so not very effective, and hence it was a last resort."
"There'd be some nights where I'm literally standing there falling asleep at the wheel. I'd run my tether across the windward side, so the tether had very little slack in it. When I did nod off and start to fall, the jerk on the harness was enough to wake me back up. I did drive to that stage a few times, but then after I'd nodded off three times in quick succession, that's when I'd decide to shut the boat down, go down and just get two hours or something, just to keep me going for another, another five or six, hoping that it'll get to that afternoon when the solar will work, or there's a bit of a wind change where I can just lash the wheel and keep going."
"In the last couple days coming in, I did have some strong Sou'easterlies, so at that angle it meant that I could lash the helm with the boat sailing itself right on course. Building up the sleep bank then was great, because I knew I had Maatsuyker and Bruny Islands to come, so being alert was crucial."
Man's oldest challenge
"It is definitely a challenge out there. It's a lot more than just sailing - management and mind over body, as well. You have to manage your health issues, and the boat's too. You also have to really know your sleep patterns. You're no good to yourself, if you're no good. There's also food intake. You have to make sure you're putting enough calories in to match that which you are burning."
In terms of taking a holistic view from the original notion, to boat purchase, preparation, and departure, now that he's back, Tristan commented, "Certainly a fair bit of relief. I've been saying this is what I want to do since I was a kid, so to actually come home having accomplished it is terrific. It is pretty special, and very satisfying. I am sure more feelings will come as it all sinks in."
"Certainly, after being alone for so long, then all of a sudden having a lot of people wanting your whole attention does make it feel even more special. I must have missed talking and hearing voices, for I have just been chatting to everyone, and I have not felt sick of it yet."
In terms of encouragement for anyone wanting to take on their own big project, Tristan offers this, "Just keep at it. The hardest thing is getting to the start line. So just keep pushing through and working towards those goals, as to whether they happen this week, or in two years' time. Keep dreaming, keep looking at it and, and keep working as hard as you can towards it, and eventually you'll get there."
Thank you for being a crucial part of Sail-World.com
John Curnow
Sail-World.com AUS Editor