Jeanne, 76, sails into a harbour for some DIY-ing

Has our 76-year-old circumnavigator, Jeanne Socrates, actually thrown in the towel, and decided that enough really is enough?

Jeanne, sailing alone around the world via Cape Horn, began the home run of her from the Southern Ocean up through the Roaring Forties back to her starting point, the US's British Columbia.

But, rather oddly after rounding New Zealand's Stewart Island, she followed surprisingly closely the coastline of the southern part of the South Island.

A surprise

And then she announced suddenly that she would go into a port to … well, sort herself out.

For a circumnavigator who wants to complete the voyage at sea and unaided, to go into a port is at the very least a surprise. A further surprise was that the very courageous lady should choose Oamaru's little harbour for a safe haven.

Warned in time

Fortunately, she was warned in time that Oamaru is no place for an ocean-going yacht with a deep keel.

Later the news showed that our very brave lady had chosen Timaru for a landfall. Timaru's harbour is certainly quite a lot larger and well able to cater for her yacht.

Apparently Jeanne made it clear to harbour authorities that she wanted to arrive without assistance.

Then, quite mysteriously, a local harbour worker addressed the media as if he might be an authority on singlehanded circumnavigation …
Continues on the blogs for my ocean adventuring book, Sailing to Purgatory, at
http://sailingtopurgatory.com/index.php/feeds/399-jeanne-sails-into-a-harbour-for-some-diy-ing