Story of the Ice Maiden a friend of Captain Col

There is in a city nearby young women named Lisa. The City is Sydney. She has now been called the ‘Ice Maiden’ by some who know her.

I want to tell Susanna how she earned this name.

Some people just find names and others have names put on them, some are nice, some are,.. Well not so nice. But then there are others that have to work hard, even risk their lives to earn a name.

Lisa is one of these people. I don’t think she set out to have a name like this but the world works in strange and magical ways.

Sometimes it just works just right. Lisa’s name is perfect. Fits like the best hat Susanna has ever worn.

Captain Col first met Lisa through a friend of a friend, as it is often so. This friend said ‘there is a yacht sailing across the Southern Ocean to the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’.  Captain Cols birth land.

They said ‘there is a place for you, on that yacht if you want to go’.

Captain Col as Susanna knows has many ideas, some good, some bad.

This looked like a good idea. Off Captain Col went to meet Lisa the Captain of the Yacht………….  They had to work hard to get the yacht ready. Many days later they set sail. The voyage was hard but not too hard. The yacht was old had many problems, Captain Lisa with a smile made it all okay and they sailed on.

Beth the other crew worked hard as well and Captain Col did his part mostly.

I will tell you a secret now, but best to keep it to yourself. It’s a secret sailors share and if you’re not a sailor then maybe I shouldn’t tell you.

On the big ocean, many kilometres from land. You have a lot of time to think and talk to each other. The sailors have time to dream. In fact it is not hard to sail a yacht. You have to be happy to dream and sit and watch the moving wonderful world of the ocean. The green waves flowing past. The swooping albatross and stormy petrel birds skimming the waves. You have visits by dolphin’s even whales. It is a place of beauty, Susanna will sail one day I’m sure and will see this. Sailors don’t tell too many people because it may make the ocean crowded and that would spoil the dream.

Sometimes sailors share their dreams to each other but not often. Lisa shared her dream with Captain Col.

Captain Col thought it was a big dream and really hard to do but not impossible. Many dreams are like that.

Its good to dream, I hope Susanna has lots of dreams.

Lisa’s dream was to sail around the big land at the bottom of the earth. In old days, sailors called it the great southern land, now it is called Antarctica. It is such a long journey. The land is full of ice. It is so cold it is like putting you hand in the freezer for hours and hours. It has monster seas that reach out like great arms and crash down and destroy yachts, there are winds that scream like a thousand parrots in the sails and wires of the yacht. Somehow people say it is the most beautiful place on earth, our home.

Captain Col couldn’t forget Lisa’s dream and he hoped she would do it. Lisa said that it was a race to be the fastest person to sail around the Southern land. She wanted to win and be the fastest.

The race is so hard that only two others had tried it and only one had finished. This sounded scary to Captain Col. He believed that Captain Lisa could do it.

Captain Col left the ship; Captain Lisa and Beth sailed on. Captain Col got seasick and wanted to be home for Christmas. Captain Lisa and Beth were sad but they had become best friends. Such good friends that when they talked on the computer. They still talked about their dreams. Even when they were not at sea in the yacht!

Lisa told Captain Col she had found the perfect yacht to sail her dream. A racing yacht. A really big yacht that usually eight people sail. Lisa said she could sail it by herself. It had a funny name ‘Funnel Web’. It’s a bit scary as it is the name of a poisonous spider. Funny name as there no poisonous spiders in the ocean.

Lisa asked many people to help her to get the yacht ready. Fantastic people stopped and helped get the yacht equipped and changed so Lisa could sail her alone. (Yachts are always called her, best not to forget, the sailors will be unhappy if you do).

Lisa worked hard for many months and then had to test her yacht. She sailed the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, its called the toughest race for yachts. It has great storms. But that’s another story.

I want to tell you how Lisa became to be called the ‘Ice Maiden’. The race story is Lisa’s own story, not one I can tell.

Captain Col and Ummi helped Lisa a bit and gave Lisa a special sail with Susanna’s name on it.

This sail is for the worst of storms; it will protect Lisa from the monster waves and reaching arms of the sea. It will guide Lisa down the waves, racing the ocean winds, carrying Lisa like the swooping birds across the wild seas.

The great southern land Antarctica can really only be sailed around in the summer. The sun never sets and the seas are a little calmer. In fact the competition for race can only start in summer. You have to start on time and can’t be late.

Lisa worked very hard to prepare her yacht, but time was against her, the harder she worked, the more problems she had. Many people leave their dreams when this happens. Lisa worked on and on, night and day.

She sailed in a storm to the start of the race place. She was late but not to late. Even then the dream was far away and she had more problems with getting her yacht ready. She was almost out of time but just finished, as the starting gates were about to close.

Lisa wanted a new name for her yacht. Its hard to name a yacht and a special ceremonies need to be held to rename the yacht.

Lisa, Captain Col, Ummi and many others are worried that the worlds climate is changing. That people are polluting the earth and the oceans, they want to yell out loud that it has to stop.

Lisa named her yacht Climate Action Now; hoping it will send a loud message and people would take notice.  Her dream to sail the southern land, could be a loud shout, stop the madness!

Finally very late, but not too late. Lisa sat on her yacht and the day had come for her to leave. Many people came out to wish her luck and say goodbye. Many thought that this would be the last they saw of her. The ocean would take Lisa to the bottom of the sea. But they don’t know Lisa. She will keep trying even in the worst times. This is why she came back to these people’s great surprise and happiness.

As she sailed south the weather changed and the seas grew, she sailed through the roaring forties, winds below 40degrees south. To the screaming fifties, the worst of the winds and the biggest seas.

Lisa turned her yacht, now at times covered in ice and snow, to the east to run with the wind. Let the wind fill her sails and drive her around the world.

Each day was like a storm. Lisa, all alone in the coldest sea on earth.

She couldn’t shower it was too cold, she could eat small meals as the boat rolled and rocked, racing down great waves.

Sometimes, bad waves, called rogue waves hit Climate Action Now. They pushed her down under the water even rolling her over. All the time Lisa sailed on. She sailed for many days that became weeks and then many months.

She sailed so fast that she was certain to win the race. Lisa suffered from cold and being alone for so long.

Lisa talked to her mum on the radio but she had to do every thing by herself. Things broke and Lisa fixed them, she worked night and day to keep her yacht in top condition.

Climate Action Now is a good yacht. Yachts have a life of their own. If they are a good yacht they protect you. Lisa’s yacht looked after her in these great seas and wild winds.

The Captain has to look after their yacht and together they can weather most ocean storms.

There is a place all sailors fear, although most want to go. It is where the Southern Land meets South America. The place is called Cape Horn. The wild waves and raging storms race around the world, with nothing to stop them until they reach Cape Horn.

Here they rise in anger as the water shallows. Currents from distant lands north also met here. The waves become bigger and many rouge waves crash into yachts from every way. Many ships have sunk here and many sailors have perished in these great seas.

Lisa and Climate Action Now raced toward Cape Horn. Behind them was a monster storm with winds and waves even the Southern Ocean would be surprised. Lisa thought she could pass the Horn before the storm. The storm had other ideas and met her just there. How high can great waves be? How hard can the wind blow? Only Lisa can tell you that. They are like moving mountains you just have to imagine.

Lisa sailed these waters, when no one else would. She climbed the Sea Mountains and raced the waves. She was hit by rouge waves over and over. All Putting strain on her yacht.

Susanna’s sail guided her. It stood at the front, set well to pull the great yacht straight. Lifting her bow up over the huge waves. Straightening her when the rouge waves hit.

Susanna sail is orange and bright. It seemed to scream to the sea I am as good as you and I will not give up.

The storm lasted many days.

Lisa was worried as she was racing to the place of icebergs. A place where Ice Bergs travel north, right across Lisa’s path.  These are the biggest islands of ice you can see. They float about in the cold seas.

Unwary sailors have hit them and they have sunk many ships. Lisa had to keep a good watch out.

Always at sea a sailor has to be alert as dangers like this, they can come from many places and at any time.

 Again another storm came.

The storm slowed and Lisa made repairs and tried to sleep. She was tired and there was damage to the yacht. Lisa still had to sail across the Indian Ocean to get home.

She had to miss the ice bergs. There would be many more storms. This could take more weeks and maybe months.

Storms in the southern ocean come and go. There’s always one coming.

While Lisa slept on one cold and windy night. The seas were big and the wind was screaming that painful sound. There was a great crack and a crash.

Lisa jumped out of her small and cosy berth to see her mast bending then crashing down onto the deck. This is the worst thing a sailor can see. The mast on the deck with the waves crashing in to the yacht. Putting holes in the side. Waves trying to fill the yacht with water and sink Climate Action Now. There were wires all over the deck.

The yacht bounced, heaved and was pushed in a 100 ways at once. The deck was a mess of broken mast, crashed down boom, sails drooping over the side and over the deck. Wires mixed with sails, and many other things Lisa needed to sail home.

Lisa had to stop the mast putting a hole in her yacht. This was life and death situation. It had to be done now no mater what.

She had to help Climate Action Now to survive this awful tragedy.

Lisa worked for hours in the cold and wind. All the time hoping she wouldn’t get swept by the great waves in to the sea and away from climate action now.

Lisa cut the wires. She tied the mast on a long rope and let it go away from her yacht. She fixed the boom to the boat and saved her yacht.

She was alone. 2000 kilometres from land and no one could help her.

She rested a bit and cried a lot. Her dream shattered and her hopes of the race win gone. Soon she gathered herself. Strong people do. They have ups and downs but they gather their strength and carry on. Lisa is very strong.

She found Susanna’s sail. She made a small mast from the broken boom. In the night the storm took the mast away to the deepest part of the ocean and was gone forever.

Lisa sailed slowly north for Africa. To the other cape sailors fear, the Cape of Good Hope. South Africa and Cape Town.

Lisa met a ship that tried to help her. This ship didn’t know yachts and accidently damaged Climate Action Now, but they helped Lisa a lot.

She sailed on and on. For a lot of days and a few weeks. Finally reaching Cape Town.

Safety from the storms and the sea.

Climate Action Now was a mess. Holes in her hull, broken mast all gone to the sea, so much damage.

It looked like all was lost for her race attempt and record.

Susanna by now will know that strong people don’t give up.

Lots of people said that this was the end and others said its winter you cant go across the Indian Ocean in winter.

Captain Col and Ummi believed that if Lisa decided to do it she would, they sent Lisa best wishes.

Lisa worked again night and day; many people helped and supported her. Lisa has a happy smile and makes everyone feel good when they are around her.

Most people are joyful to help her. When she has a problem she just smiles and gets it fixed. I think secretly she may have the occasional bad thought when things go wrong and but she never says so.

Captain Col gets grumpy which is not as good.

Luck comes to people chasing a dream and Lisa had lots of luck in Cape Town.

So many good people helped and she found a new mast for Climate Action Now. It was almost correct and the good people there fixed it just right to fit perfectly.

It was getting colder and the middle of winter when Lisa left Cape Town. She was sick with a cold but just had to go.

Climate Action sailed south to the Southern Ocean again. Now it was winter.

The storms more fierce and the waves high and it was cold.

Once again the yacht was covered in snow and ice. Once again Lisa was living in a small cold world of the cabin with the Ocean all around. She sailed on and on.

She crossed her sailing route from when she lost her mast, and turned north for home.

The ocean wont let you escape easily. From storms the ocean and winds dropped and it grew calm. Lisa was slowed to a stop. Seaweed caught on Climate Actions keel and this slowed her more.

Lisa sailed backwards to fix this and worked hard to use every bit of wind to come home. Lisa carried on. She was nearly home.

Many people waited for her on the cliffs. The day got later and then the sunset came and went.

Still no Lisa and Climate Action could be seen.

Captain Col and Ummi waited for her. Waiting to blow the horn for the finish of her race.

Out of the night there was a small light far away in the sea. It grew and grew. Other lights appeared and then there was Lisa and Climate Action sailing from the night towards the harbour. The horn was blown and everyone cheered and yelled congratulations.

Lisa had completed her dream and was the first women to sail around Antarctica Solo. That is why she has the name of the ‘Ice Maiden’. It is a name that has been given to her and she deserves it.

Susanna’s sail helped her a lot and it still guides Climate Action Now in storms.

Author - Colin Wilson