British circumnavigator Jeanne Socrates' third attempt at a nonstop, unassisted, solo circumnavigation ran into some problems the last few days and she found herself becalmed in San Francisco Bay. Socrates can't accept any outside assistance or her solo effort will be compromisd. Socrates, who is 70 years old, departed Victoria, B.C. on October 22 aboard her boat Nereida, a Swedish-built Najad 380.
While sailing in strong Pacific southwesterlies, Socrates had her life raft go overboard. She writes on her blog, "the newly-serviced life raft had 'jumped ship' and was trailing along behind us, acting as a sea anchor." Socrates was forced to cut it loose. Since it was unsafe to continue without a life raft, she put into San Francisco to pick up a new unit, which was placed on a buoy. Socrates had to pick it up herself so that she could continue her unassisted status, as she writes, "so long as I did all the necessary work and no ne boarded the boat or gave me any physical assistance before continuing on towards Cape Horn." But after getting the life raft on board, according to her last report, she found herself becalmed in the bay waiting for wind.
