Nereida Crosses the Equator

Been wondering about Jeanne Socrates, 70, who’s on her third attempt at a nonstop solo circumnavigation? The intrepid British grandmother left Victoria, BC, on October 22 aboard her Najad 380 Nereida and is now on the final leg of her voyage, having crossed the equator on Friday. "I can’t believe how slow these last few weeks have been, and how far west of my planned route I am now," she reports.

Socrates spent three months transiting the Southern Ocean, before frequent calms slowed her progress. "I found myself drifting southwest (the opposite direction she was trying to go) in no wind several times…backwards!" she says. On top of all that, gear failures and equipment damage have keep her busy — from a mainsail that is now only half-usable to both of her computers croaking, her trip around has been anything but a pleasure cruise.

Jeanne’s next hurdle is to navigate Nereida past the reefs, atolls and islands scattered between Hawaii and Midway, then on to Victoria. She hopes to finish in June, making her the oldest woman to solo nonstop around the world, and the first woman to do so having started from North America. Keep track of her progress at www.svnereida.com.