Auckland, January 13, 2024
Kia Ora!
Greetings from the other side of the world! We arrived in Auckland on Monday, December 18th, after six weeks and 7669 nautical miles of fantastic sailing in the Southern Ocean.
Six weeks of non-stop ocean action 24/7 is equivalent to logging ten years of mileage for an average family sailor. Translation: the after-party entails loads of maintenance work. We practically gave our boat a spa treatment during the first two weeks – emptied, cleaned, dried, and ventilated. Checked and pampered the sails, ropes, rigging, winches, mechanics, engines – you name it.
We spent Christmas pretty much on the boat. It was the first time I spent Christmas away from Finland, and I gotta admit I missed home and the white Christmas. The contrast or combination between mid-summer and Christmas was really mind-bending. The following week, we continued with boat work and started the New Year among the first ones on the planet.
Then, timeout! It was time for a breather from the project, sailing, the boat, and the team. Don’t get me wrong, we all get along very well, but after six months of togetherness, we all needed a little break. So, I grabbed a rental car and took off on a road trip with the best company: me, myself and I.
New Zealand is a fantastic country. Whether you are into oceans or lakes, beaches or mountains, glaciers or hot springs, nice cities or beautiful countryside, Mordor or Hobitton, they have it all. And then some. Above all, the people are super friendly and easygoing. I am sure I will return here someday. The only problem is that New Zealand is as far from Finland as you can get.
Tomorrow, we’ll continue our journey, now towards home. The 3rd leg takes us back to the Southern Ocean, and this time even further away from everything. In fact, we will be passing very close to Point Nemo, the place in the ocean that is farthest from land. The nearest human beings? The astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Our next stop is Punta del Este, Uruguay, where we expect to be sometime in late February. Along the route, we will also round Cape Horn, a legendary place for all sailors – it is the Mount Everest of Ocean Sailing.
Until then,
Cheers to the high seas!
