Noon Report 5 April 2024 – CV23 Perseverance – North Pacific
One life, one day, one moment.
The Great Wave Off Kanagawa is a print by Japanese artist Hokusai. It shows a number of boats being tossed around by a large cresting wave in a storm filled sea. It is a picture off the coast of Japan, with Mount Fuji standing tall in the background. It is probably the most famous artwork in Japanese history and possibly on of the most reproduced image in the history of all art.
The artwork of Hokusai has become a source of inspiration for me. Life comes in different forms and with different challenges. Sometimes you're beating upwind, facing the waves, embracing the challenges ahead. And at other times you ride the waves fearlessly, use their force to propel you forward and make you stronger. The ups and downs, and high and lows of life. Just like the waves displayed in the artwork, both sailors and individuals need to navigate through the various challenges and obstacles at sea and in life. Perseverance is essential when confronted with these challenges, and always adopting to the ever-changing conditions.
My adventure as an ambassador onboard Perseverance started in August when I spent a week in the French Alps with an organisation called Powder Days. They organise adventurous weeks for AYA’s, to re-find their strength and to be surrounded by people that share the same stories. Their slogan: Adventurous to a new normal. My life has been focussed on finding a new balance to life after diagnoses and treatment, and it was an amazing and eye-opening week. On the last night we had an Asian ritual with Banji’s – little pieces of string wrapped three times around the wrist – with a wish to that person with every wrap. It is a tradition for connection and fortune, with the string to be worn until it comes loose.
During a week with Powder Days you choose a nickname, I decided mine was going to be Kanagawa – after the Great Wave of Kanagawa. It was in the same week that I got a phone call asking if I would be interested into joining the Perseverance team for either Leg 5 or 6. Well, let’s take a chance and embark on an adventure of a lifetime. During the interviews and training that followed I had a strong preference for Leg 5, however I ended up getting Leg 6 assigned after our training last November. Lots of doubts followed: “Is this something I really want to do?”, “Will I be physically strong enough?”, “How do I deal with the conditions onboard,” and numerous other thoughts passed.
Yet here I am, and it was a personal test of perseverance. We have left the coast of Japan behind us and are now into the North Pacific Ocean. There is no more turning back and the first land we will see is in a couple of weeks, when we approach the finish line near Juan de Fuca Strait. The last land that we saw was at the mandatory gates, between a number of islands that run off the coast of Japan. It is where the Philippine Sea becomes the Pacific Ocean, and the coastline at Kanagawa.
Passing the coast at Kanagawa was something I was looking forward to after being selected for Leg 6. With the hopes of being able to see Mount Fuji. Unfortunately, the gates were way out offshore, read about 150nm from Mount Fuji and no possibility to spot the mountain or a glimpse of Kanagawa. However, something weirdly coincidental, or supernatural happened. The Banji, I had been wearing since Powder Days in August came off the night we passed at our closest distance to Kanagawa. It feels like the circle is round, all coming together as it was meant to be. A complex system of decisions that worked out to this exact moment.
The day after Kanagawa we were facing our first rough seas, with winds of about 35kts gusting up to 45kts. These are the times where we rode fearlessly and used the force of the waves to propel us forward, accelerating as we surf down the waves. I am grateful for the opportunity given to me to be an Ambassador on Perseverance, and I am ready for what else is to come during the “Ultimate Test of Perseverance”.