Sail Magazine Article: Donna Lange to Solo Sail Non-Stop: Twice Around
She's already circumnavigated solo once around the great
capes. Now she's planning to do it again, this time non-stop
By Lauren SaalmuUer
Donna Lange is not just a grandmother
of 11—she's a musician, songwriter,
registered nurse, delivery captain, the
founder of Oceans Watch North America and
one of the few American female sailors to circumnavigate
solo. In 2007, Donna sailed around
the globe and stopped twice along the way. Now
she's planning to again circumnavigate solo on
her Southern Cross 28 Inspired Insanity, this
time non-stop. She'll leave Bristol, Rhode Island,
in July and return in May 2016. Along the way
she'll raise funds for OceansWatch. To fund her
trip. Donna is producing a CD and the book,
Finding My Way in Song.
SAIL: What inspired you to circumnavigate
solo ^ a i n , but this time without stopping?
Donna Lange: I'm circumnavigating west
to east, travehng with the Southern Ocean
Current, like I did in 2007.1 started sailing
when I was 38 years old and my leaps of faith
landed me on the ocean in my own sailboat.
This trip allows me to extend my time offshore
to 270 days. Diuing my last trip, I had email
communication, so I wasn't solitary and
didn't complete my personal goals. Sailing is a
philosophical journey that allows me to become
immersed in nature and focus on my work
and myself I want an opportunity to share my
experiences through songwriting and need this
extended time to do so. I hope to communicate
new pathways of knowledge as to how we,
as individuals, can understand our intrinsic
mental and physical energy.
SAIL: Why do you plan on using only a sextant
fw navigati<m and SSB radio to ccwnmnniarfe?
DL: I learned to sail aboard a traditional taQ
ship skippered by Virginia Wagner, a renowned
instructor in celestial navigation and an adlvocate
for traditional sailing and seaman^iip
skills. This voyage will emj^iasize the n^ed fin*
traditional seamanship skills to safely navigate
ofl&hore. I'll enhanoe my experience by being
tuned into the energy of the ocean and the
celestial bodies. Ihe most exciting a^ect of my
FEBRUARY 2015
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adventure will be finding my way
by being connected to my inner
self and immersed in the environment.
The SSB allows me to
access weather reports, transmit
email logs to my website and
provide adequate communication
while I'm sailing. I will have
a transponder so I can be followed
and located if I have any
safety needs, but I should be able
to navigate accurately.
SA7L: How wiU you incorporate sailing for marine
safety and conservation into the voyage?
DL: My background includes years working
in parasailing as crew and as a captain for
SeaTow, so I have experience using a kite as an
emergency sail if a boat is dismasted. Having
been a part of salvages that required airbags
to raise sunken boats, it seems obvious that
we should be able to equip a boat with a bag
inflation system that can be deployed if a boat
is holed in order to keep it afloat. Subsalve
Inc. is working with me to provide a floatation
s}'stem. They have already created prototypes.
Peter Lynn, a New Zealand kitemaker, and I
are collaborating to provide an appropriate
kite system and attachment apparatus for this
trip. As the executive director of Oc^uisWatch
North America, I will be using marine
conservation and research surveys developed by
OceansWatch, perform radiation surveying and
collaborate with a research team to take water
samples along the way.
SAIL: What did you learn from your last
circumnavigation that will be of most use on
your second loomey?
DL: Fve become a better sailor, and I plan to
make the boat more solo-firiendly. Inspired
liisa»f^ is a cq^uk of chan^ and growth for
me. I learned that sailing sin^ehanded is a tremendous
o{^Qrtuiilty to become healthy in all
aspects of my body. After investing in my skills
and beii]^ cfaallexiged by my previous circumnavigation,
I've built my confidejice, which wiJ
only continue to grow as I prepare mentally an
physically for this journey. Truly, this will be a
healing journey.
SAIL: What are you doing differently this time
DL: It'll be a challenge to pack the proper
clothing to keep warm and dry, especially in
the Southern Ocean. However, because of
the timing of this voyage, this trip won't be as
cold as the last. Last time, I departed Rhode
Island in mid-November, so at night it was
20 degrees on board. This time, I'll have a late
summer Atlantic crossing. I also plan to focus
on a healthy diet and onboard exercise, so I've
developed an exercise and stretching routine.
SAIL: What are you most looking forward to,
and what do you anticipate will be the most
difficult part of the voyage?
DL: I'm excited about finding my way celestialh
and becoming a whole, healthy being. I can't
wait to be able to focus on my own needs. I believe
this itinerary will offer me a less traumatic
e3q)erience. This trip should be downwind,
fester and on better points of saiL The most difficult
aspect is the physical challei^es of sailing,
m miss my family, but I know they'll care for
one another while I'm gone. .
SAIL: How can we follow your progress? |
DL: There will be daily logs and sponsored vi
and ]^otos ihat will be streamed from my boai.
A transponder will show my position on my
for folks to follow. Go to doniialange.com. §
PHOTO BY BILLY BtM
