Day 344

March 31, 2008 Day 344 Wind West, Course NE, Speed 5 to 8 knots, Position 42*35s by 154*17e Hello Global Class from Captain Reid in the Southern Tasman Sea. As I write, I’m in a howling storm. Most of my sails are down, but I feel safe far from land in my seaworthy schooner. Waves break over the boat but I stay dry inside. Thank you very much for your interest and questions. Most of your questions are answered on our website, but that’s a lot of reading and even adults ask the same questions. I can’t answer all your questions separately, so I’ll try all at once. I have been sailing all my life and my Dad built boats and taught me. It’s much cheaper to build your own boat and people always want to help. Yes I do get homesick, but I always come back and it gets better each time. When I went to sea I liked it so much, I went further and further. Then 20 years ago {yes, it took me that long} I decided I would go on the longest non stop sea voyage in history and live on the sea instead of the land. No!! I don’t have next stop! I’m not stopping until I’ve been at sea for 1000 days. That is if I’m lucky and try hard. If I can catch enough rain for drinking water I have enough to eat. I have a huge stack of rice and beans and pasta. I grow lots of sprouts for m fresh food and catch enough fish. There are not a lot of things to see as I sail along, whales and fish and birds, but just being out in the wild nature is very inspiring and I’m never bored. Even though sometimes I don’t know if I can make it and I’m afraid, I keep trying and succeed bit by bit and that gives me courage to go on. Something inside of me keeps saying explore beyond and I feel that I am answering a deep calling within me and I feel lucky. I hope you all will keep following the voyage. You give me inspiration to succeed. Look for more answers to your questions in my up coming stories. Thanks a lot! On the sailing front, the gale didn’t fizzle, it came two days late. It’s a rough ride, but at least the wind is with us and the sails are holding out. There are some good books about the storms of the Roaring Forties that will tell you all about it. Now, I’m too busy surviving.