Captain's Log

December 31, 2002

Hello all,
 
So it's 12 noon local time, 12 hours before a new year begins,  and I am deep in the southern Indian Ocean. The sun is out and a light following wind is blowing. Sky is a crystal clear blue and the seas have lost their menacing shape and form of the last week. How did I get here ??!!!
 
As with all dreams, first one has to put the building blocks in place to achieve those dreams, then continually be aware and flexible to the changes that occur along the way. These changes can often alter the initial plan in ways not foreseen, but with perseverance and a little good luck you too might be able to be in a position to achieve your goal.  Also never underestimate how important your support team is. My wife, family, friends and those who have just ' adopted ' the Bermuda Solo Campaign have been a fountain of strength during some tough times, when even the ever cheerful Alan, needs some help !!
 
There are SO many steps along the way in an Around Alone campaign that someone should write a book. ' How to plan and organize a Solo circumnavigation ' . I fear the book would be 1000 pages long, yet only have about 20 people a year interested in buying it !! But is that not what its all about ?? Everyone has goals of some sort, whether they are large or small is a personal definition. Goals and dreams are by their nature an individual occurrence. I can not define your goals and you can not define my dreams, all are worthy, if some not as ' mainstream ' as others. Recently an associate of mine was preparing for and entered the Eco Challenge in Fiji. Before I even put my brain in gear, I commented ' you are crazy, one would have to be nuts to enter that race ' . He just looked at me and smiled, then we both realized that perhaps I was entering a race that might be considered a little more extreme than most !!
 
One of the true challenges in this race is its duration, as the race organizer Sir Robin Knox - Johnston has said in his addresses, " this is the longest race in any sport, period ". No wonder there have only been 120 persons to have circumnavigated the globe solo. Since the 15th September 2002, I have been on land for a total of 14 days and in 2002, I have been at sea for 138 days, basically more than one of every three days of this year, BTC Velocity and I were headed somewhere.  Of all the elements that make up this challenge, the lack of time on land has been the hardest. Hardest on family and myself and hardest to keep BTC Velocity together. As John Dennis in Bayer Acensia found out, the progression of short turn around's in port can lead to a cumulative maintenance deficit that can scuttle your best laid plans.
 
I will continue to focus on the positive, even though I am a consistent ' back marker ' in the race standings and have had the least time in port, with little chance of this changing in any dramatic way, I am following my dream with determination and humor, I suggest that you, if you truly want to, go ahead and plan to follow yours,
 
Alan S. Paris
BTC Velocity