Freight Train Running
by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor 27 Jan 13:00 PST
Cole Brauer passes the Cape of Good Hope again, and ZaZa Tucker racks up her first of many Capes to come © Elizabeth Tucker
Back at the beginning of November 2024 in When diminutive is massive we caught up with Elizabeth Tucker and Cole Brauer as they readied First Light for the trip from Spain to her new home in Sydney. They got away December 1, and should be in Sydney in the second half of February. The transfer of the Class 40 from Brauer to Tucker will then be complete.
We got to speak with them at about 9,000nm into the journey, with some 4,500 left remaining and that puts them down in the Southern Ocean at effectively 45 degrees South and 57 East, near enough to the French-controlled Kerguelen Islands.
Apart from a short pitstop at Cabo Verde to assess the very minor damage to the keel after a collision with a submerged fish trap, the journey has been non-stop, and so too has the growth and interest in their journey.
About the only thing that has stopped on board the freight train is the application of nail polish for the glamour pair. The Southern Ocean rollers have put paid to that, and both now have eyes on attending the day spa when Sydney comes around. To quote Tucker, they are currently, 'absolutely atrocious'. The timing of when to wash their hair is also paramount, so as not get frozen when they step outside.
The overall success to date comes down to good preparation, of course, and then attending to lots of jobs and repairs along the way, as well. There are no more mystery cans of fruit to consume (only peaches now), and unsurprisingly, all the freeze-dried items begin to look and taste the same after a while.
Interestingly, Tucker piped up immediately in regard to this subject, "I was craving a cucumber sandwich the other day. So random. We do have a cucumber on board that we got in Cape Verde that we haven't had yet. I think it's been partially frozen." Methinks with no bread to be had, that quirky culinary delight might just have to wait until landfall.
Tucker also expressed a great desire for steak with chimichurri, and Brauer was adamant: "There's this pizza place in New York. One of their pizzas with a side salad. I know it sounds like super basic, but I mean, it's a New York pizza, so you can't really beat it. I don't know what they put in that dough, but it's pretty much what I'm craving."
Still, there is plenty of Starlink to be consumed, ample water and enough Diesel for about two hours per day running, which will keep them going, with the judicious use of power about the only thing they have to pay attention to. A problem with the high-speed hydrogenator has rendered it useless, leaving the low-speed version the only option, but as it does not like the 12 knots SOG they seem to maintain with great ease currently, you would not want to burn it out.
So, preservation reigns supreme. Those headphones need charging, after all...
The magic of the disco ball
Yes. It still works. It started the party for NYE. "We watched Sydney and London and then were asleep for New York. A bit worn out by it all, but we did get to have Champagne at different times to each other to celebrate safely. Every time you head below you see the ball, and it definitely sends out the right vibes, each and every time."
"We hadn't seen anybody for ages, and we'd just passed the equator the week before. We randomly saw this fishing vessel on New Year's Eve and we're like, what? This was the middle of nowhere. Anyway, we had a little radio chat, wished them a Happy New year, and it was quite nice. It sort of felt like we weren't all alone. Then we went outside, had a little Champagne, a little dance, and it was actually really quite a nice New Year's Eve."
On any trip of this nature there are always lots of things to do, and the team were in the middle of autopilot repairs when we spoke. The weather in Spain meant they got away a bit late, so potential, longer stops in Cabo Verde and Cape Town were diced immediately. Both Tucker and Brauer have events to get to, with the latter being her Dad's 60th birthday.
As for that unintended stop, well: "We were going really well. We had just got into a rhythm, everything was great, and then in the middle of the night when it was pitch black, the boat sort of came to a screeching halt, and then charged forward again. We were left a bit shaken and trying to work out what the hell had happened. We determined that something had hit the keel. We were doing 12 to 14 knots, screaming along really nicely, and then it was just this really loud metallic sound, then really jolted as we stopped. Things went all over the cabin, and the sails that were set aft came forward by at least a metre," said Tucker.
"As we were close enough to Cape Verde, we determined that we should take a little detour there to just assess the boat before continuing South. There is a big scrape on the keel. It looks like it was a really large tuna fishing pot, which are about two metres in diameter. They are meant to be anchored at a depth of 10 metres, but clearly not in this case."
N.B. Nothing structural and nothing was wrapped around the bulb. Phew.
"It has served as a good sort of reminder of how quickly things can go wrong, but also how strong the boat is. Anyway, as we speak, we have just passed Possession Island, and we were close enough that we could actually see the islands, which was quite amazing. It was really cool to see land just in the middle of the ocean, when there's just nothing around.
"It will be great to get to be in line with Cape Leeuwin and get onto an Australian time zone. After that we'll round Tasmania and run up into Sydney. That will certainly feel like the home stretch. Down here we have had just the one zero-mile day so far. We put the engine on and get some way down the track at least. Generally, there has been 25-30 knots on offer. On the no wind day of late we just floated and got some well-earned rest in the peace and quiet."
"Conversely, you get the nights where it is buckle up and hold on for the ride. It is exhilarating, and you just want to make sure you figure out what the boat wants and needs to keep her nice and steady." (Tucker quickly added that's code for avoiding the broach.)
"As it is a delivery, we haven't really pushed First Light. Possibly the worst breakage has been my preferred set of headphones. Thankfully there is the spare set, they're just not as comfortable. We almost lost the speaker that we use to watch movies. It got waterlogged, and is complaining, but soldiering on for now.
"Right now, we are prepping the spare autopilot to go into service, as the other is leaking fluid, which we have been collecting and then topping it back in. The laz is not a place of huge room, and the swapping over will be fiddly, to say the least."
"At any rate, anything that is before us now is keeping us entertained rather than stressed.
"Going past Cape of Good Hope was fantastic. It was absolutely blowing, and just super fun as well to celebrate it together. Cape Leeuwin might be quite emotional and also exciting, as means I'm under Australia and close to home. It will be less of a, 'I passed a Cape as part of a circumnavigation', and more of 'I'm back in home ground'. I think there's a good chance that friends of mine will be on a delivery from Sydney to Perth, and we'll probably pass them around Cape Leeuwin, which would be pretty cool."
Please meet the Absolute Bad Ass - aka Cole MacGyver
Already the owner of the fastest lap of the planet on a 40-footer, Cole Brauer is no mere dynamo. She's more like an engagement machine. When talking about her content on her channels, Brauer stated, "I think the reason why so many people got involved and then really wanted to stay involved is because it wasn't like I was just doing the sailing side, but also showing the weather side, the nature side, and then the kind of thing I'm doing now (the autopilot) - i.e. MacGyver fixed it."
Certainly, non-sailors have taken to the material with affection. "So, it wasn't really like I reinvented the wheel. What made it really fun and nice is that people grabbed onto it so much more than I was expecting. I think it's because it gave a lot of people an outlet to kind of see this world that they didn't even know existed. These amazing experiences are available to everyone, if you just reach out and grab it.
"One of my favourite parts of this whole journey is that the nature comes first, and the second is using what you have and knowing that you don't have anything else. It's quite comforting, for if you had all the tools in the universe and you were on land, you would still figure out a way to go to that hardware store and pick something else up. But if you're out here, there is no option.
"Here it is plastic bags and tape, possibly some wire. You can do all the prep you want, but once you're here you've got a very limited number of resources, and it actually makes you shockingly less stressed out than if you had all the resources, but still felt, 'I got to go to Walmart' or 'I got to go to Home Depot'. We just spend all our time driving around finding things, but everything's right in front of us anyway. I like this like this mentality a lot!"
"Often glue and silicon just don't work because they take too long to cure and there is moisture everywhere," added MacGyver (I mean, Brauer).
As an aside, a funny thing happened at this very juncture in the conversation. A greenie went over First Light, the girls went silent, and I nearly hit my head on my desk as I ducked too. I wasn't going to admit it until they made a comment about the big wave, but it certainly underscores the comment that their trip is making the everyday anything but every day!
"It certainly has been fun to show people how the planet changes from Northern to Southern Hemisphere, and that it is always different. Only a few weeks ago we were sweltering, and now we've been shivering, and it is all part of the same journey. Travelling on land is way different to going by sea, so providing some insight to the mystery is great."
The Queen of Focus
Unequivocally, Tucker is even more resolute as her journey continues, and her grand plan has been pulled into tighter focus, as she zeros in on the 80th Hobart at the end of the year. What then have been the big takeaways so far?
Tucker said, "I think a lot of it is exactly as I expected. I didn't have crazy expectations, which is good. I think one thing that I've really learned and realised is how consistent the weather is and how the forecasts are accurate through the route. There's the need to study a lot of the historic weather patterns, and also the newer ones, to really get to know and plan well ahead. This tactical side offers a me lot, whereas the human side of it is pretty much as expected.
"Research and then all the new tools (apps) are just so on the money. When combined with reading the clouds you feel like you are on top of it."
It takes skill, determination, and then the realisation to achieve it all, and no-one can ever think what an adventure is going to be like ahead of time. You have to go and do the adventure to then be able to regale the tales of it.
"I've really, really loved it, and this is very comforting. Travelling so far with such little experience, I didn't know whether I would actually end up hating it. Whilst my gut instinct was that I would love it, it is only now that I can say it is undeniably true.
"I do love sailing as much as I did when I started, if not more. I've become even more passionate about my goals through the trip and seeing people's interest in it, particularly people who aren't sailing. I'm focused on trying to encourage as many people as possible to sail, particularly women, and also deliver these learning opportunities that I'm getting to others.
"I've used the time afloat to reflect on how it will look. When I get back to Sydney, I'm planning on launching an all-women 2025 Hobart campaign. I want to take at least four other women on the whole, comprehensive learning journey across the year with inshore and offshore sailing, and onshore workshops. Together we'll learn a lot of the stuff that I need to for my solo, but also to do the whole blue water point score.
"We'll train on First Light, and everyone will be able to sail it by themselves. Every person on board learns every role on the boat. I'm really, really excited about this."
FYI - As we spoke, the team had amassed fourteen Hobarts back-to-back, with like seven more to go, and no doubt there will be even more refinements in the thinking in that time.
In case you had not worked it out, nothing has put the fires in Tucker's belly out (or Brauer's for that matter). "No, absolutely not. Not at all," said Tucker. We trust that the magic of the disco ball continues to place smiles on their faces each and every day and the miles whittle away like soft wood being turned into miniature figurines.
Keep an eye on the Freight Train for the sprint home via Insta - @zaoceanracing and @colebraueroceanracing, as well as the tracker, and also Za's FB page.
Please enjoy your yachting, stay safe, and thanks for tuning into Sail-World.com
John Curnow
Sail-World.com AUS Editor