Kite Sailing from California to Tahiti - Anne Quemere

Goodspeed Anne

The 24 hour period that followed the launch was excellent as the California Coast line vanished bit by bit. I had a few “blue” moments in spite of returning on the ocean….Last night, the wind died down and I’ve had a feeling of “déjà vu”; for the past few hours, not a wavelet on the Ocean: no wind! I didn’t expect it so soon even though I had planned my route south as fast as I could, hoping for more favourable winds. I have to reason myself, I’m stuck here and at the time the Sun rises nothing indicates that the winds will return. The patience that I practised on land over the past few weeks will be useful for the next few hours. This is a scenario that I remember well from my previous kite crossing of the North Atlantic. That being said, and the fact there is little I can do, I’ll take the time to practice my “sea legs”, organise my life on board and take my bearings in my undersized cabin. This “luxury” won’t be available every day, but I managed to sleep 5 straight hours, nearly as much as home. I tried to munch on a few things to pass the time and my stomach is still not ready for a full meal. Even the chocolate bars don’t tempt me. I hope I can get back to “Kiting” as soon as possible to resume my route to Tahiti but as we all know, weather forecasting is not an exact science, whether it be on land or water! I’ll keep you informed and hope that Aeolus will heed my prayers.

It didn’t take too long for the wind to pick up. Just enough time to help me settle in and sleep a little, which I hadn’t done much of either since the departure. Now, on of the kites is flying high and I’m on my way South. Winds ranging from 10 to 12 knots from the North Northwest kick started the Oceankite and increased to 15 to 20 knots by the end of the day. The Pacific gave me a few surfs, so what more could I ask for? Maybe, a slight ray of sunshine to dry out the oilskins ? Since early this morning, I’ve literally been sailing in pea soup so visibility is down to zero. I hooked up the radar, but there might be less cargo ships than when I left New York on my last crossing but there is still heavy traffic out of the San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego ports. I had the privilege to listen to fog horn concert when my route crossed two cargoes heading North. Fortunately, close to the coast and in foggy weather, someone stands watch. Regardless, its still quite stressful to see these giants heading towards the minuscule Oceankite, especially when its not manoeuvrable because of a lack of wind. Today, the wind has returned, tomorrow I might be lucky and get some sunshine. Meanwhile my route takes further away from the Coast.

There are those who spend their Saturday nights in bars and clubs and then there are the others who choose to sail the Pacific Ocean for Extreme Sports to realize they spent a few days in a shaker! The winds were moving at 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots, a really impressive Sea that churned up rapidly. The overnight, from Saturday to Sunday, felt very long and lonely. Early Sunday morning, I was counting the extra bruises. Sunday, the ocean was quite active but fortunately the wind weakened a bit, allowing me to recover. The Oceankite held well under some broadside waves, fortunately, it didn’t capsize. Right now the conditions are a little better with the winds from the North-West at 17 knots with gusts to 22 knots. For the next two days, I’ll be heading east in order to avoid a “quiet” zone which is forming in the West. Between too much and not enough wind, one must choose the exact intensity. Don’t worry, I won’t stop off in Mexico to listen to the Mariachi or sip a few tequilas…unfortunately! As soon as possible, I’ll resume my route to the West, knowing that within a week, I should be in the Tradewinds area. Ahh! The Tradewinds truly well earned! Finally, every day brings it lot so we shouldn’t look too far ahead as to the forecasting. It’s only accurate for a day or so. To be followed…

Life on board the Oceankite is obviously quite different than life on land. I’m forever asked what types of food I can store on board for a lengthy period of time, considering that two thirds of the storage area is taken in by kite storage. Well, the reply is simple: the bare essentials, just enough to feed me a proper diet. Obviously, the home style cooking is not part of the game as I must rely on freeze-dried “cooking”. It’s light, keeps well in spite of the humidity on board and requires little to prepare. (Just a bit of warm water, mix and its ready!) Upon reading these lines, the reputation of the finest food aficionados from France will be surprised. Considering that circumstances are different from land based cooking and I’m not much of a chef, I still appreciate good food. These specialty foods are accompanied by vitamins, minerals and a few “treats” which help keep the morale in top condition on days of extra fatigue or when I sail for long hours and can’t let go of the rudder. Cereal bars, chocolate, dried fruits and to complete my reputation as a not too good cook: cheese in a tube. There is little kinship between that and a good goat cheese or a “Tome de Savoie”. Well don’t we say “Lack of a good Turkey, will do with a chicken. I’ll eat my cheese without a bit of guilt. After all, “to each his own!” On the Pacific ocean, cheese in a tube takes on a different flavour! That doesn’t prevent me from considering flying fish. I always hope one of them will get caught up in the kite lines. It’s guaranteed to finish in my plate. On my previous challenges, I remember landing a few of them in the cockpit, but they weren’t bigger than shrimps. I always considered putting them back in the water. I’ll wait till I reach Tahiti to learn how to prepare raw fish or “Sushi”. I still have another 3 thousand nautical miles to go before I start sharpening my knives. Patience is the essence!

It’s been 8 days since I cast off and gave a last hug to Peter, Tom, David, Emma and a few others who had come dockside to see me off. More than a week already, and land seems yet so close, as the last coastal images slowly disappearing in the fog are still present in my mind, but also quite far as this vast ocean appears to have ever been present. The first days which were dominated by uncertainty are now past as I consider myself completely “seaworthy”. I’m surprised that I’ve already acquired very specific movements and developed reflexes applicable to high seas navigation. I’ve developed strange rituals, habits that come from nowhere and help me pass the time of day. Strange feelings dominate when you are alone at sea for a long period of time. I suspect that these sensations are different for every one who sails at sea as the reasons that bring us here are also quite different to everyone. Not being in a race like the round the world teams who lefty “Les Sables d’Olonne” a few days ago, I don’t mind taking my time, allowing even a little “farniente”. Sitting in the cockpit, toes fanned out, the kite floating on the water…I enjoy! So there! A week has gone by and the weather forecasts are looking good for the next few days. Lets hope this weather holds as I’ve already sailed over 690 miles. The Oceankite hasn’t had much respite and I must admit that my shoulders and arms feel the pull of the wind on the Kite. To be followed….

Dead in the water for the past two days. That’s the simplest way to sum it up!  This incredible expanse is like a mirror and I’m looking at it. Not a ripple, nothing is moving. The skies are overcast. It’s grey matched to the ocean are barely discernable. I feel I’ve crossed into another world. The wind has abandonned me. Oh! There’s the occasional breeze, but nothing worth the effort of launching the kite. It’s impossible to raise it in such conditions. Now I know… I’ll have to be patient at least till next Wednesday. It’s a good time to appraise my reaction to this phase of helplessness.….Patience is of the essence! Instead of burning energy needlessly, I put it to good use yesterday by trying out the plankton and other larvae recovery equipment that Oceanopolis gave me before I left. I spent long hours casting the fishing net. At first, I had the impression of retrieving nothing but ocean water, but, with a closer look, I noticed there was considerable movement around the Oceankite. This to say, that it’s worth the time to stop and look around. This is quite a luxury in our day and age. This simple event brought me back to the days when I read Théodore Monot who wrote of the desert as a place full of life. He would kneel at every step to analyse the life under each stone.

A weakling East by North-East wind from 8 to 10 knots is picking up and should be more useful in a day or two. Alleluia! I can resume my route at a better speed than I did in the past few days.. I won’t blow any fuses because the conditions are still very “iffy” and the better part of the day is spent in raising the kite and that it stay there! It getting close to acrobatics but, I’d do most anything to squeeze out a few extra knots. After the windless four days past, I have to spend energy in my two metre cockpit. It doesn’t take very long to get around it and I need a bit more to tire me out. So, my stubbornness pushes me to launch the kite, even speaking to it when it gives signs of developing a nose-dive despite my working frantically with the four lines. Today, the ocean took on a more familiar look. The appearance of an oil slick in this total calmness is a thing of the past. A bit of wind from the North-East is creating waves, but nothing to do any type of surfing. We’ll wait till the Trade winds pick up a little more strength. The skies are still overcast and the solar panels are not performing as well. I have to watch my use of electric power and the desalinating equipment is given priority. Anyways, the narrowness of my cabin requires only one LED. It feels like a day of ball at Versailles. There’s just the Transponder that warns me of the presence of cargo ships within a range of a few miles and the GPS is also permanently hooked-up. That gives me enough leeway, reducing the use of electricity. Well, the good news is that the water temperature has now reached 23 degrees. This is enough to get a girl from Brittany dreaming! I was raised on much colder and invigorating water.

I’m in the Tradewinds and that’ll last for about ten days. In the next few hours an East North East wind blowing between 12 and 15 knots an hour should allow me to maintain my route southwest. A few nice days are forecast before inevitably entering the area bearing the very official name of Inter tropical convergence. A more familiar name is the “Doldrums”. That means another period without wind. You can’t go around it. It’s hanging around the area of 6°N and 12°N. It won’t move much from there for the next 10 days. Till then, I have lots of road to cover and considering the heavy swell. I’ll be soaking wet with the waves regular broadside. The colours have developed a different hue and, if at dawn the sky is still overcast, it opens up in mid-morning to allow a vast expanse of turquoise blue as well as a glowing sunshine. Out came the bottles of sunscreen, hidden in the bottom of the storage bins ever since I left San Francisco. I don’t mind covering myself with these creams. I don’t want a sunburn! The humidity and the salt content of the air are quite heavy and these burns are difficult to scar. I really take care of my health, that’s quite a moral booster. One couldn’t work without the other, anyways. My face is covered with sunscreen, the sunglasses hang on the tip of my nose as I sing out loud the music recorded on the MP 3. I could have replaced Michael Jackson in his heyday. That being said, the only fans that come close to the Oceankite are the Oceanites and the Puffins that come by on a daily basis. They’re quite curious of the kites! When I crossed the North Atlantic I was constantly accompanied by these birds. Here, they’re more discreet.

The Tradewinds are not as steady as I thought, but I’m not complaining. At least they’re there! Just yesterday I had to relaunch the kite at least 10 times, in spite of my navigating and my most energetic encouragements, it was impossible to keep the kite in flight when the wind dropped in intensity. For those of you who know what is required to raise a kite that’s sitting on water, you’ll understand that by the end of the day, I wasn’t quite as enthusiastic and needed to freshen up. That’s the name of the game! If I want to pursue my travel at any cost, I’ll have to get accustomed to these Aeolian tantrums! These moments are exhausting and spare no body parts.

From the hands, to the shoulders and the back, the efforts are a little more demanding from one day to the next. It’s not that the movements are physically demanding but rather, the reaction time has to be rapid and energetic if you don’t want the four lines to become impossibly tangled. I can remember some days ends where hours upon hours were spent untangling the 120 metre lines. There are better things to do, especially when the wind is down. According to the Adrien Challenge weatherman, Jean-Pierre Bonnin, there are yet a few more days of good weather. The days get lonesome after a while as nothing or obviously no one to share a few moments with. A school of dolphin played around the Oceankite for a little while. I had grown accustomed to more fauna on the Atlantic. I must stay on my appetite (pardon the pun!) Sorry for the picture in the margin. It’s quality leaves much to be desired! I really wanted you to see the dolphins pirouette across the bow. I just had the time to get hold of the camera to assure that I wasn’t hallucinating. It happened once when I thought I saw a kangaroo on the port side. This happened on one of my previous crossings. Now, I don’t take chances!

It’s been a difficult weekend on the Pacific. I’m between a rock and a hard place, or rather, in the middle of low pressure zones with violent rain leaving me very little rest time under the incredible noise created by the rainstorms. It nearly had the best of me! I guess it’s like being inside a huge drum. The wind shifted frequently from the East, to the North-East and then South with gusts from the West. Needless to say, navigation was impossible on Sunday, in the worst part of the low pressure area. I have the feeling everything went off track. I preferred reading a book downloaded on the computer. The storms had been threatening for the past 48 hours and for safety reasons I preferred to turn off the power to all electronic equipment. It looked like a real mess. All I can do is hope these storms pass as soon as possible. Nothing is certain yet and I have to hunch down and wait for the storms to drift by. The roller coaster was part of the game of the past two days and a “sauna” atmosphere inside the cabin or maybe a “hamman” as the heat and the humidity quickly became stifling. For the past few days, the Pacific has shown me an unsympathetic side but I try to take advantage of this odd situation which is part of the challenge. (I hope it won’t last too long!)

By the end of the day, yesterday, as I was slowly regaining my composure after the difficult previous days and while aerating my “hamman” as much as possible, a visitor arrived. I was concentrating on mopping up inside the cabin, so I really didn’t pay much attention to the noises from outside. Then, as I was about to squeeze the water from the sponge, I came face to face with a bird! Honestly, I don’t who was frightened most. I backed off, but the bird didn’t move. It barely displaced itself enough to reach the solar panels at the front of the Oceankite. It looked at me as if I was the intruder. Its pretty common for puffins and storm petrels to fly over, wondering what this kite is doing some 30 meters above the Oceankite, but to this day no bird had alighted. After hesitating a bit on the boats roof, the visitor started picking at it. The bird was taking on fresh water that had not been wiped away or evaporated since the last storm. Slowly, I returned in the cabin, fearing that it might fly away. It really wasn’t frightened by my presence. Maybe thinking normal, that we share the only floating object for miles and miles around us after being shaken by the storms.. We stayed in this position till nightfall, me sipping on my soup and the bird picking at a few cooked semolina seeds, for the occasion. (Well, of course, I don’t have much opportunity to be a good cook!). This visit might make you smile. On land we’re always in contact with birds and animals, but after three weeks of solitude on the Ocean, any visitor, feathered or otherwise, is most welcome. This becomes a magic moment. An instant to regain a child’s smile!

Since the arrival of the Tropical Low pressure zone last Sunday, I’m forever drenched by the successive downpours on the Oceankite. This is hard on the moral and it adds to the discomfort of my little vessel. It’s tiring both physically and mentally as this torrential rain must be anticipated or else, the kite is pulled into the ocean by the strong rains. There have been better days and I now have the feeling that I’m eating my stale bread. It’s a bit hard to digest! The weatherman forecast an improvement. I’m ready for it, but at this time, nothing seems in the offing. I’ll have to make good use of my reserves of patience, those that I took on board! As the miles add up , the fatigue sets in. A ray of sunshine would be welcome, contributing to give me a better outlook. If the doldrums let me scoot by, as it appears, at least that will be an important gain. God knows how much I thought of him in the past few days and how he kept my mind busy. I wish, to all my American friends, a Happy Thanksgiving. Not having any freeze dried turkey on board, I’ll be content of my usual dinner accompanied by a Pacific Splash!

A few difficult days with an ocean frought with cross-winds and rain that can’t seem to hold back. Soon, I’ll be raising mushroom in the cabin. Regardless, I’m pursuing my route South as I’m officially in the Inter-Tropical Convergence zone, or better known as the Doldrums. In French, its called “Le pot au noir”. Just the name is frightening . One could easily imagine a bad recipe or a B grade mystery novel. Right now, I can’t complain too much even though its very damp on board, I have enough wind to launch the Kite allowing me to advance a mile at a time towards French Polynesia. For the past few days, the solitude has ended as I’m surrounded by dolphins, flights of flying fish and birds, unfortunately that I haven’t succeeded in identifying. They kept me busy all afternoon yesterday, arriving in couples and heading directly to the wing which they analysed and gave their comments and then flew over the Oceankite and squawked their hearts out. I really don’t know if they were seduced by the Oceankite or if on the contrary it detracted from their environment by its vivid colours. All of a sudden, being surrounded is strange after being alone for so long.

One can’t enjoy the peace and quiet of his own home, anymore! Yesterday at dawn, a flying fish, the size of a large sardine landed in the cockpit. Unfortunately, it was too late to save the poor thing. I guess you’re already salivating and wondering what sauce I used for this breakfast! Well, All I have on board is a kettle, so I can’t cook anything. As for eating raw fish, I’m not that desperate. I’ll wait to reach Tahiti to regale myself! Prepared by an excellent chef, it will definitely be tastier than something found in the bottom of a boat and opened with a rusty knife and fingers hurting from too many hours at the helm. The poor thing had gotten caught up in the carpet and was stuck there. I returned it to the deep blue from where it came and I’m sure it’s been a lunch to another animal along the food chain. Right now, numerous birds fly over the Oceankite. But, what a way to finish ones life, to land on such a small vessel in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with nothing else around you. Bad karma! Here, its always the same solitude: no cargos in sight and no sails heading South. My radar is working constantly, especially at night when I sleep. On certain days, I’m so tired, a herd of wild cargoes could cross my route and I wouldn’t even notice it. Long at sea, natural instincts takeover and regardless of the level of fatigue, a part of the brain always stays awake. The least unusual noise or movement of the Oceankite and I’m at the ready in the cockpit, surprised of having risen in my small cabin without knocking myself out. For the time being, I’m at the Northern edge of the Doldrums and still taking advantage of an unstable easterly wind. I’ve resumed my exercises, and not without pain as the kite can’t seem to settle itself in the proper window and I have to manoeuvre considerably to avoid it dropping in the water. It doesn’t always work and thank God I’m alone because my remarks would scandalize more than a few with some of my foul language!

I’m in the worst spot of the Doldrums. The wind is progressively diminishing and, will all but disappear. The odd breath from the South will only push me back on my steps and I really don’t want to go back there. The floating anchor will again be called into service to avoid too much drifting. The coming days will probably be hard on the morale, considering that Jean-Francois has predicted a storm rising from the West. That should really make things bad and incredibly more humid! But the Doldrums are the Doldrums. If it had been paradise, I guess it would have been given a more adequate name. So, no paradise for the moment, and I really didn’t expect it. For the rest, well the future is beyond prediction. This area is close to the Equator and whether I like it or not, I’ll have to cross it. I have the feeling of being at the foot of a mountain, but every mile that I claim is a step in the right direction. And, well, I’m at the “point of no return” on the Pacific and, thinking back, a year ago I couldn’t even dream of being on the Departure line at San Francisco. There were other mountains that seemed insurmountable through last winter and then….

Good news this morning after the previous rough days. First of all, the repairs are done. I managed to squeeze myself in one of the forward storage bins to rebuild the pulley system that had been torn out of the boat. It should be in good condition from now on. I say “should” as the wind hasn’t had a chance to tug at it. A little more optimistic outlook is good for the moral. Thanks to good elbow grease and Marc Ginisty’s good advice, that helped me through this difficult period which seemed insurmountable at the time.

More good news! The sun is shining! No downpours, no threatening skies in spite of a few clouds. I haven’t a clue if this Sun is setting in for some time. It’s quite difficult to forecast in this part of the ocean. In the meantime, I’m enjoying every ray, allowing the cabin to dry out and halt the mushroom crop! From the hammam to the furnace! We’ll soon see which is most enjoyable. The week had started on the wrong foot and just went from bad to worse. Now, the temperature is more pleasant. My moral which was in a tailspin should be going back up! I’ll be careful and not get carried away. After all, I’m still in the Doldrums even if I feel I’ll be out of shortly. The least that can be said is that vast quantities of ink have flowed and some of the words I spoke to myself were quite reprehensible. That’ll stay between the Doldrums and myself. Let’s hope now that Aeolius hears my pleas! Shortly, it should be but a bad souvenir. The route is still quite long even if the Marquesas Archipelago is starting to show up on the south-west corner of the map. The Marquesas!!! For me, that’s the entry to the French Polynesian Islands. Needless to say, this is a great ray of sunshine!

Anne Quéméré has abandon her attempt to cross the Pacific by kite. “I must take this unfortunate decision and it is one of the most difficult taken in my lifetime” said Anne.  From Anne's shore team: "Anne left San Francisco on November 4th, and travelled close to 3500 kilometres over the 7000 that had been projected After a period of good sailing, Anne QUÉMÉRÉ joined the Intertropical convergence zone, otherwise known as the Doldrums. Since her arrival in that area, aboard the Oceankite she did not succeed in advancing any significant distance. Then came the “shock” of four days past when the kite was torn and the pulley system permanently damaged. “After the shock to the Oceankite over a week ago, I had great difficulty myself , recovering from this event. It’s as traumatic as one suffers after an automobile accident. I’ve lost confidence in my equipment as well as myself. It’s not pleasant but, its obvious. Without wind, one goes nowhere.” There hasn’t been any wind for the past ten days or what wind there was, came from the South which was pushing the Oceankite back on its track. “In one night, I lost all the mileage I had gained in one week” she explained. And, if that wasn’t enough, there’s no more power on board."

U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue coordinators teamed with a container ship crew to rescue Anne Quéméré approximately 1,700 nautical miles south of Hilo, Hawaii.

Rescue Coordination Center France personnel contacted the U.S. Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Tuesday at 8 a.m. concerning the Oceankite sailor, Anne Quemere,  who was stranded in the Intertropical Convergence Zone known as the Doldrums. The search and rescue coordinators at the JRCC then issued a Marine Assistance Radio Broadcast (MARB) asking for any Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system vessels in the area to assist.

The crew of the container ship Maersk Mytilini responded to the MARB at 5 p.m. Tuesday, and Quéméré was brought safely aboard the ship Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Anne Quéméré is reported to be in good condition, but her shore team tells us that her boat had to be adandoned.

You are an amazing person.

...how did the boat sail?

How did it sail compared with a conventional sail boat of similar size? Faster? More stable? Able to sail into the wind as well?

-Otto

I read this with great interest and am just amazed at what you have accomplished and dared to try. Would a trimaran winged vessel--center cockpit with outrigger type sponsons have worked with your sail rig?

Doc

A fantastic read. Great courage and rrue inspiration to live outside the box.
Congrats
A