Surviving the Southern Ocean

After 35 days at sea with 60 knot winds and 60 foot waves at times, Richard Kidd survived the treacherous Southern Ocean. It was something he had both dreaded, but also anxiously anticipated.

A crewmember of LG Flatron, Kidd said the temperatures were so cold they were almost unbearable. He was drenched to the bone most of the time, but the experience was something he would never forget.

"I do recall wearing two sets of thermals, a mid layer and drysuit and still finding it difficult to stay on deck for more than one hour at a time without going below to thaw out," Kidd recalls. "Even with all this clothing after a night watch our feet would be so cold it would be unusual to have them fully rewarmed by the time the next watch started."

After two months of being apart, Kidd was to be greeted by his family when the boat arrived in Cape Town. During a storm, he was afraid the rigging was going to fall off the boat and they wouldn't make it to Cape Town in time to see his family who would only be there for a few days.

The scariest part of the trip, Kidd said, was when a fellow crewmember nearly fell overboard.

"On one particularly cold dark night you literally couldn't see your hand in front of your face. One crew members was just stepping out of the cockpit ready to hook on to the jackstay with his life line when the boat lurched on a wave," Kidd recalls. "He was launched several feet into the air. Luckily he landed just inside the guardwire laughing. Had he fallen another two feet he would have been overboard and there would have been very little chance of us finding him."

After the trip, it took days for Kidd to fully recover from the exhaustion caused by such a physical activity.

When asked what his overall thoughts were about the experience, Kidd replied, "It was a tremendous experience, very tough at times, I was frightened at times but with such a strong experienced crew around me who really knew how to handle the conditions. In any trip like this there will be great bits and grotty bits. Events I would not choose to remember and some I hope I never forget. I feel more confident in my own ability as a sailor and more capable of handling new challenges whatever they may be."

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