Donna Lange Prepares For Her Second Solo Circumnavigation

Donna Lange is no stranger to solo circumnavigation. She successfully completed her first solo rounding in 2007 aboard the same Southern Cross 28, Inspired Insanity, that she refit this past summer in preparation for her second departure. But this time Donna is a much more experienced solo sailor and had time to think about changes to this trip and how to best plan her route according to weather and seasons in the oceans that she had a much better understanding of.  And this time her goal is to go around nonstop. Leaving and returning to Bristol, RI in late Spring 2016.

A late summer North Atlantic crossing seemed preferable to the November departure of her first voyage, making warm weather sailing and stalled winds more likely and more manageable.  And this time, Donna left the GPS and VHF at home, relying only on her Single Sideband radio for emailing out and receiving inbound weather data. Her tracker is on allowing us (not her) to see her position in the world, and her sextant is in full operation as her sole method of navigating.

Before Donna left, she spent a very busy month at Bristol Marine on the hard getting the boat ship-shape and seaworthy for the trip. She used TotalBoat 5:1 epoxy to seal the hatch cover she made to install where she once had access to an engine that she removed (she’s sailing! not motoring!), buffed and waxed the topsides with TotalBuff and TotalShine and she painted the decks with Wet Edge Topside Paint and TotalTread Non-Skid Paint, and the bottom (with TotalBoat Spartan Antifouling Paint) before launching.

Her storage down below is packed full of provisions, medical supplies, reading material, her guitar and songbook, her computer and 4 seasons of clothing.  Close at hand is also a boat repair kit – of the utmost importance, and she was sure to stock up with all the Thixo and TotalBond and TotalBoat Elastomeric Marine Sealant that she could fit.

Follow Donna along on her website, Sail Twice Around which shows her position and her connected blog gives almost daily updates from onboard life.

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