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Friday 11th February 2005
Ghastly rowing this morning and early afternoon. It would have been easier to drag the boat over rocks than to get any miles on the water. I read last year that some rowers reported rowing through concrete. I now know exactly what they meant. Better progress this evening and with the moon beginning to show I might get some night hours in soon.
Friday is fish day. We have had Dolphin day and debris day… today was the turn of the fish. This morning as I emptied my bowl over the side, a Dorado of about one meter appeared to check it out. Half an hour later a large fish, gold and black in colour, had an altercation with my starboard oar. Later I found that we have been adopted by the Dorado and a number of pretty smaller fish. The bottom of the boat must be scrapped as soon as possible or the food chain will complete. The Dorado is quite likely to stay with us for the whole journey. Other rowers have told me that they travelled all the way only to be caught in the Caribbean. The Dorado is a blue and silver fish with a stern countenance.
During the video diary today I shaved off my beard. It is a lovely fresh feeling and I recommend it to anyone – even you madam. The beard will have re-grown by Antigua but I intend to arrive in good trim and not like a typical ship wreck victim.
Trip 430 miles.
Saturday 12th February 2005
My big plans for today and tomorrow were swept away first thing this morning. I had hoped to row two days at 35 miles per day to get the trip reading over 500 miles but the ocean doesn’t like that sort of thing. I looked out to find less than 100m visibility, high seas and increasing wind. Several tries at rowing produced no results and in the afternoon I had to give up completely for the day. At this time (1900hrs GMT) the wind is blowing 30 knots (Force 7) and I’m preparing the cabin for the night. The whole boat and anything which has been outside is covered in brown dust which I suspect to be Saharan sand.
A second Dorado has joined us – I wonder how many we will end up with.
My radar detector has been chirping away merrily telling me that there are other vessels in the area but none have replied to VHF radio. I call them to ask if they can see me on their radar and to give them my position but so far zero contact. (It is possible that the bridge watch-keepers are not English speakers.)
A very happy birthday for tomorrow to my nephew David Delaney of Hull. Have a great day buddy.
Trip 447.
Sunday 13th February 2005
Last night at about 11.30 a huge wave hit us and snapped the port steering wire, washed everything loose all over the deck, filling the footwell and took away a pair of my socks which were out to dry. I put out the sea anchor, lashed the rudder and left everything until this morning. I spent some time sorting out the mess and fixing a new steering line and finally got rowing at noon. The wind has shifted to the north and the temperature has risen by five degrees. I can use a northerly for a little while but I could really do with some north easterlies to take me over the Abyssal plain.
The Dorado have an amazing skill. They were play-fighting today and their colours changed completely from the blue, yellow and silver to a fierce-looking black and yellow which is what I saw the other day when my oar was attacked. It was the same fish after all. They are such good hunters and have such a turn of speed that I’m becoming unsure whether or not to get into the water with them. We shall see if my bottle holds up.
Trip 473. Three clicks to light the stove tonight.
Monday 14th February 2005
Another write-off day. The wind has shifted again, this time to the north west, a direction which is definitely not required thank you. I spent the day trying to get some west or even just south into the direction but no chance. At least it has been sunny and warm and I’ve managed to dry out just about everything.
My pal Norman, a resident of Tenerife, tells me that it has been colder there than it has been for the last fifty years. That explains a lot to me. I have been suffering from the cold in the mornings to the point where I have been wearing three layers of clothing until 10 or so each day. It has been a real chore to leave wonderfully warm Womble Warren in cosy cabin to go to cryogenic cockpit and bare backside to builder’s basics black bucket. Most rowers reported that it could get cool in the evenings but I was not ready for UK temperatures.
Two more Dorado joined us today – one is bigger than all of the others and has a slightly different shape of head. They attacked the first shoal of flying fish we have encountered. It looked like a shower of silver foil over a wave then I realised what they were. The Dorado were there in an instant but they would not have had much of a meal from them because they were very small.
For dinner tonight I had Mexican chicken with rice and olives (delicious) followed by strawberry cream cheese (yuk).
Trip 485.
Tuesday 15th February 2005
During the night we were blown backwards 4 miles which I have not been able to recover today so the sea-anchor goes out tonight. This is a shame because there is a northerly component to the wind which is useful. A glorious day however and I tried rowing in my birthday suit for the first time. I enjoyed the feeling and will probably do it again but not as many rowers do, i.e. row naked the whole journey. Why? Well there is a certain amount of chafe in delicate areas and it is still so very cold when the sun is down. This evening I shaved my head. I look like the captain of Starship Enterprise.
How to tidy the cabin of an ocean rowing boat:
First get into the cabin and sit down facing forwards then pick up each item on the starboard side of the cabin in turn. Examine it closely, consider it and then deposit it thoughtfully on the port side of the cabin. When there are no items left on the starboard side brush the crumbs, toenails, bits of freeze-dried food, dead skin fragments and salt crystals from the mattresses into the snakepit just inside the hatch and resolve to clean it out later. Then take all the items on the port side of the cabin in turn, examine them etc, etc, until the port side of the cabin can be brushed down. Divide the articles between the two sides of the cabin and hey presto! Spring-cleaning complete.
The oranges are going rotten now so I’m eating them ASAP – I’d rather not ditch them.
Trip 493.
Wednesday 16th February 2005
Happy Birthday Mum. Happy 25th wedding anniversary Neet. Today was just great. Not many miles but all in the right direction for a change and a good morale boost. Several Wilsons petrels sighted today and a tuna has joined the Dorado as escort for this mighty ship. We sit presently on the sea anchor (the big boy) so that the miles we earned today are not taken back and a party atmosphere prevails with the drinking of champagne and the conspicuous consumption of a grand banquet in celebration of our wedding anniversary. The wombles are astonished that we are having yet another party but they can rest now until the halfway point when the fridge will come in handy for champagne again.
I swam under the boat today to scrape off the fouling which has occurred during the last month, it was fairly well distributed and easy to remove. The Dorado did not give me any trouble but I did pick my moment carefully; they had gone off somewhere to get some grub (probably Sainsburys) because they don’t get anything from me.
I have been asked to tell you all how to contact me. You can send a free text message via the Iridium home website, you need to use my satellite phone number which is 00881631570778. Due to a glitch between my phone and computer I cannot exchange emails with anyone or reply to text messages but if you send an email to my normal address my wife will read it out to me. When sending text messages, if you do not send me your name it will be anonymous. I don’t mind either way. You are limited to 160 characters or so but you can send more than one message. I turn on my phone for calls between 8 and 9pm GMT daily but please remember to call from a landline or you will be hit with massive charges.
This bulletin is sent in honour of the front corner of the Alex pub and all of the erudite sages therein. Buy yourself a beer chaps, cheers.
Trip 503. Five clicks.
Thursday 17th February 2005
After four hours of rowing side on to the wind today I decided that enough was sufficient and altered course to go south. I need some southerly miles yet and there is no point just sitting around waiting for the wind to go in your favour. I was rewarded with good conditions and an enjoyable row. The boat’s speed has increased about half a knot after the removal of the fouling so it is worth doing.
I called the Unthank Arms in Norwich this evening. A fund-raising wine tasting and quiz was being held for the Davenport Trust. It was so good to hear everyone enjoying the evening, so much so that I took a glass of red myself to get into the spirit for the occasion.
A fantastic night sky tonight. We are 500 miles from the nearest light pollution and the view simply does not get much better than this. Dinner tonight was delicious pasta primavera.
Trip 520. Five clicks.
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