"I feel two more years of this would not be good for me and so I have decided to leave the boat."

Soanya Ahmad, sailing companion of marathon ocean sailor Reid Stowe, on her request to be evacuated from Stowe's boat near Perth, Australia last week. Ahmad was 306 days into Stowe's planned 1,000 day voyage around the world out of sight of land. (An earlier report on the planned voyage is here.)

Australian news reports that Ahmad asked to be taken from the boat because she has suffered recurrent and debilitating seasickness since entering the Southern Ocean in November. At the outset of the journey, Stowe stated that he planned to follow global trade winds and circumnavigate the southern hemisphere four times, non-stop. This winter has been particularly brutal to sailors in the Southern Ocean, including the recent capsize of the 105-foot trimaran Groupama 3.

Stowe continues on his voyage and continues to update his website. In a press release discussing the seasickness and transfer off the boat, Stowe wrote: "Reid and Soanya have agreed that she would transfer off the boat at the earliest opportunity in order to preserve her overall health." The first line from an update by the Royal Perth Yacht Club (whose members took her from the boat and transferred her to land) states that "Soanya is adjusting well to life on shore and appears to be emotionally stable."

Meanwhile, in the Southern Ocean, Stowe reports that he felt the spirit of Ulysses on board saying "Reid, I am here, have no fear. This is The New Voyage of Ulysses."