Written by Jemma on 28 March
We often think about the physical impact offshore sailing will have on us.
The cuts and bruises, the aches and pains of sore muscles, the skin peeling off your hands like you have never seen before and the cold rain blinding your sight as it belts into your eyes.
I’ve gotten stitched whilst laying in bed trying desperately to sleep as the boat tilts from side to side and fell over countless times whilst trying to pull my boots on in a rush to get to my watch on time. But I think that is what we were all expecting. I think that’s what we thought the worst of it would be.
The things no one talks about are the lack of personal space and alone time. We are physically exhausted, sleep deprived, some of us sick, some of us emotional, and most of us both.
But having nowhere to escape from the constant swaying of the boat, the dripping of water from the windows, the noise of people pulling sails on deck or the sigh as the boiling kettles spills everywhere in the kitchen, again. It is mentally super tough.
I don’t think there are many times in life when you don’t get a chance to step away from a situation to ‘get air’ and some personal space. To get cool down when you are getting irritable. It is impossible to get a moment to yourself when you are sailing on a 20-meter boat out at sea with 14 other people. And yet it is only 15 of us here. 15 females worked and relied on each other as a team to get to Osaka.
I am not saying we didn’t have good times. There are so many moments and memories that will last us a lifetime. But there are moments in-between that are mentally challenging.
The long dark night watches in which the wind is so loud you can’t even chat with each other to keep your mind occupied. Disconnected from the world (and the wifi) but connected with the present.
Being present in heartfelt conversations and belly laughs but also being present in the moments you feel low. The real challenge in what we are doing is how we step up in tough times for ourselves, and probably more importantly for each other. This expedition is truly teaching us the mental resilience of going forward as a team.
Location Update on 28 March
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