A salute to a fantastic sailor

[picklesandjesse]

Thanks for posting Jim. I remember you commenting on her during the Golden Globe race. Great article. One tough lady.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by dannc

WOW.



I think the yard should save some of the frames as an example of what stress their boats can handle. Koopman's should have a frame as well.

What an accomplishment.

I won't ask a lady her age, but roughly what decade of life is she?

Later,
Dan

Susanne is in her upper fifties IIRC, but with the strength and stamina of a much younger person, to say nothing of the determination to carry on regardless.

When she arrived in Hobart in 2018, after 250+ days at sea we greeted her with a big bag of stone fruits and other freshies. She sat in the cabin with juice running down her chin and a huge smile on her face... and I asked her if we could help her with her job list. She looked a bit puzzled and said "I don't have one, except to make some new cones for the JSD"... and it was true! She was with us in Tassie for around another 6 weeks and didn't even take on fuel. I think she did top up her water tanks, though, 'cause we didn't have any useful rain.

Not your average cruiser!

Jim

[Hoodsail]

Jim, come on, she only sailed by Cape Horn once in 33,000 nm!!! Strikes me as a bit of a "fraidy-cat"... and hey, did she learn any French while out there all alone for all that time?! Obviously an under-achiever if I ever saw one..
Many thanks for the story..

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Hoodsail

Jim, come on, she only sailed by Cape Horn once in 33,000 nm!!! Strikes me as a bit of a "fraidy-cat"... and hey, did she learn any French while out there all alone for all that time?! Obviously an under-achiever if I ever saw one..
Many thanks for the story..

Hmm... ya know, I'm not sure about her French, but as a native German speaker her English is faultless and her Dutch must be pretty damn good to have gotten such results from a Dutch designer and builder. But IIRC, she had no language problems whilst in New Cal, so maybe she did a Berlitz course in French whilst doubling Cape Stiff.

She is an active ham operator (N1QFE) while at sea and has contacts over much of the world... that's how we first became aware of her.

Jim

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

...

Not your average cruiser!

Jim

Thank you for the info.

She most certainly is NOT an average cruiser or sailor. Amazing what she has done. Amazing.

Later,
Dan

[JPA Cate]

It is now a month later. The boat is still on the hard, but Susanne has moved back aboard, and is fitting her out again. She writes that a dry spell in the weather is coming, and she's hoping to get all 6 coats of epoxy paint on the repaired area during it. I'm hoping the forecasters are correct.

Ann

[gruffa]

Thanks for sharing.
Remarkable voyages

[hzcruiser]

Quite an inspiring story indeed, thanks for sharing it here!