Atlantic Ocean 2007  /  Indian Ocean 2008  /  Pacific Ocean 2009

An official from the yacht club threw me a docking rope and he pulled us in parallel to the pontoon. we had done it. safely. spirits like i couldnt begin to describe with justice here.

in some way the next 30 mins was somewhat of a haze. but my defining memories include getting off the boat and hugging my brother marcus……like two long lost anaoconda snakes reuniting……hugs for all the rest of my friends and family. i hugged george and the first thing he said was “gawd you smell oli”. thanks george. tv cameras rolling, cameras clicking. one of the proudest few minutes of my life, and never again will i experience anything like it.

we were presented with the official certificate from the guiness book of records confirming our achievement. no if’s. no but’s. no ORCA’s. the record was ours. all those months of training. all those days of rowing. all that intensity. the hardship. the pain. the highs. the lows. the hallucinations. the hunger. the sweating. the friendships forged. the humbling of the mighty ocean. the wildlife. i could go on for days in the same tone.

we all got back on la mondiale and were each handed beers……..all the lads busy drinking the sweet cool nectar that we had been dreaming and talking about dor days. weeks even. i shook mine up and sprayed it over the lads. 14 bottles of champagne were then handed over and a 3, 2, 1, and 14 pops later………fizzing, spraying, shaking, smiles, tears. just like the formula one lads would do. what a celebration. a new type of adrenalin. a different one than the one that had kept me mentally and physically alive for 33 days. you see the likes of ellen mcarthur celebrating at the end of her journeys on tv spraying the champagne and the idea that we were in a not too similar situation even now seems bizarre and hasnt sunk in. we were acting out our own tv clip. so surreal.

someone suggested chucking leven in the sea. plop. he was in. and we ALL followed. no shower, no serious washing for all that time. those 40 degrees long days. and there we were splashing around in the beautiful caribbean sea with la mondiale seperating us from the screams and woops. WOW.

with great effort i pulled myself back onto the boat and then onto the pontoon for more hugs. more embrasing. more wooping. 14 scrawny bearded men punch drunk with wobbling sea legs taking it all in.

after a tv interview with the local broadcaster and telephone interview with setanta sportsfinished, i collapsed into a comfy sofa and fended off severall bottles of beer and rums, coke and ice. all i actually wanted was a cold sprite and savour the moment. well, for an hour at least! then for the food. bbq. oh yes, what a first meal. bbq. i ate four plates of food and still managed room for chocolate sponge cake with a candle on and assisted with vanilla ice cream eased down with a laphroaig whisky on the rocks. even john barnes was randomly witness this simple pleasure!!!!

i pondered the interview with setanta and smiled. the interviewee asked me how i was planning on relaxing over the next few days. i had been dreaming of playing some golf and catching some dorado on a deep sea fishing boat. to which he pointed out that i must be mad to go back out to sea or do any exercise on a golf course. as i struggled to hold a glass or bottle with my hands riddled with tendanitis i laughed at my own oversight and how right he had been. for it will be many weeks before i could even clench a fist. yet alone hold a club or rod.

one by one the lads dispersed back with friends and family to their hotels and villas and for me still there it was the calm after the storm. glued to the comfy seat  i wasnt in a hurry to pull my pressure sored bottom of that sofa. “one more laphroaig ol?” shouted charlie. “oh go on then” i wryly said.

and to bed i eventually went. for a glorious long, long deep 4 hour heavy, heavy sleep. oh what joy.

quote of the day “who is it?” my opening line to setanta sports not knowing who i was speaking to when charlie thrust the mobile into my hand and said “here, speak!” (i have been hisaffectionaly ribbed several times since for this!)

WOW. where to start. the day we landed was one of the most incredible days of my life. so much emotion. so much change. just simply so much everything. it started with my first night shift and the surreal few hours of rowing through a plague of flying fish under the cover of darkness who were desperately trying to keep themselves out of the water as they were under attack from hungry sharks. we had literally 100’s land in the boat. how we laughed with ray the hard man squeeling every time one hit him. one of the funniest moments on the boat.

the next shift, don woke me up from a deep sleep at 4am for a phone call. it was premier christian radio and a sleepy live interview ensued, followed by the continuation of my luxurious final night time sleep aboard la mondiale.

seeing land, unexpectedly 35 miles out just before starting my first daylight shift of the day. some thought it was a cloud formation on the horizon. too far out for land. but alas, land ahoy. land it was.

rowing with my back to the land for the next 2 hours was somewhat frustrating as i just wanted to stare at this possible land sighting that i hoped was barbados and watch it grow in size. slowly. slowly like we had done with an oil tanker a few weeks back. the one that came with in a few hundred metres of us. i believe they call it a near miss in ocean rowing circles!!!! fun and adrenalin pacaked i would call it.

sat in that seat, too afraid to turn round and look for fear of being on the recieving end of rays wrath (!!!!) i focused intermitedly on the gps screen in front of me and watched the miles fall away. dreamed of how different our lives of the last 33 days were going to become. seeing land. on land. other boats, human contact outside of the boat. i didnt know if my friends and family would be there. we had heard a floatilla of boats may come to escort us down the final few hours stretch.

in my break, i gobbled down my yummy porridge and strawberries. and switched my phone on hoping for a signal. YESSSSSSSSSSS. i had a signal. to the stern i scurried (as you may know from pj’s blogs where we squat and feed the fish). i phoned charlie at the st. charles yacht club - our destination point, damian in london, brother mark in verbier. so surreal speaking to them on my mobile before hitting land.

with my next shift, we had our first “paparazzi” photo call…….from 1000 ft. yes a local aeroplane spent 30 mins circling us and taking every angle possible of our stunning, beautiful boat, naked hairy gaunt hungry and thirsty rowers aboard trying to keep the blades all 100% perfectly uniform for the cameras - a feat we achieved well i like to say!!! how proud to be sat in the front seat for the official aerial photo shoot. some 20 miles to go. time ticks slowly if you are watching it tick. a phenomenon that made the last 3 days sooooo long as i strayed away from my golden rule in a blog a week ago about living in a 2 hour bubble and nothing more. living in the now. not the future.

15 or so miles out i heard the goose pimple call. “4 boats are approaching”. frustratingly, as i was rowing, once again i had my back to the approaching fleet. as i type now, my eyes are welling up and the goose pimples return. in no time at all 4 boats were circling us, big fancy stink boats with some of the crews friends and family on. irish flags flying. screaming. yelping. joyous wooping. applause. “rythm, length, hold it toghether” ray would shout. forever the task master. fair play to him. i can only smile now i am on dry land. but no friends or family for me. gutted. but still a proud and glorious moment. cameras clicking. crew men crying.

20 mins or so later, another 3 boats were on us. team oli had arrived. in all their loud and show off glory. and good for them. and i was rowing. what a moment. so so so proud. my brother marcus, surrogate family brough charlie and sophie, great friends dave adam and george and pete from the charity napac i am raising money for flying the union jack (here at his own personal expense, i importantly add). they had the vision. they got on the plane. they were here. fair play to them. (sadly my brother alex was unable to make it for personal reasons)

hooters hooting. honkers honking. hands clapping. mikes family came closer to the boat and we got his birthday cake out. 50th birthday. has there ever been a 50th birthday present like it in the history of birthdays. a world record holding transatlantic crossing. wow. did he ever find time to eat his mini cake? i have no idea!!!

i remember counting 10 boats at one stage. including the harbour master and coastguards boat, blue lights flashing. as we approached the cement factory, 30 mins to go, the floatilla peeled away and left us all alone with the blue lights escorting us in. 10 mins to go, 2 jet skis circling us, a single kayak out speeding us (to much amuse ment from the lads!) and we were now 10 mins from the entrance to the harbour. some boats were so big. sorry BIG, that they couldnt moor in the harbour. we rowed between them and the harbour wall with 150 or so people screaming and shouting at us. the moored boats honking. the biggest of them all saved the loudest, deepest honk til last. this is the boat with a helicpoter on board, a yacht, a super car, speed boat and other various toys under wraps. when they honked the waiting friends and family went even more beserk. “that would of cost 500 quid” shouted ray. i don’t think bill gates’s second in command would have minded!!!!!

approaching our berth, leven steered us in and 2 by 2 the oars were shipped in leaving don and pete rowing us in to our adoring friends and family going bonkers on the wooden pontoon of the st. charles yacht club……the clock stopped……33 days, 7 hours and 30 minutes is the new guiness world record set by our proud crew and our new life was about to start……….

…message dictated by satellite phone: 

<<We are nearly there, we are going to break that record, we will be the fastest ever crossing of the Atlantic. But boy does it hurt. The wind and swell that were so supportively shoving us westward have gone. It is 38C and we all have the end in sight. This does not make it any easier tho. Now we are living outside of our “2 hour bubbles” and the shifts seem harder than ever.

 But we’ll do it, we’ll get there - and we are so grateful to all of you for your amazing kindness.

 One last favour please. One last push.

Can you please drum up all support and media interest. Now is the time to bang that drum and shake that tin. We have rowed all this way and please please to raise as much money as possible for our charities.

 Our computer is out of service,  but we are available for media interviews on the satellite phone (and in the last hours on our mobiles).

Contact Hermione Macfarlane in Barbados or Charlie Scott in London on 07766073176, charlesrbscott@hotmail.com.

And thank you thank you thank you.

http://www.oceanrowevents.com/index.php?page=charities

>>

1954 hours - 12th January - day 29

Hello to Martyn Green from King Sturge in Liverpool. I hear you have been damning my name about these blogs!!!!! Shame on you. Happy New Year to you.

So, we have been at sea now for 4 weeks. Unbelievable. One moment it feels like it’s gone by in a flash. Another moment it feels like a lifetime. 515 miles to go. If we keep up the pace of circa 106 miles a day, we will be there on Thursday afternoon. Subject to weather, hitting reefs, eddy’s (that caused the poor 85-mile day last week), hitting boats, mutiny (!!), disease etc. but if I was a betting man, then Ladbrokes would have us at 1/10 now. No such thing as a dead cert though

I was rowing last night (as you know, with Ray now) and the good old pain in the bottom is back. No not him, but mine. Like most pains, it comes in waves. But it reminds me of something that happened about a week ago. It got so bad that I needed some plastic skin on myself. Looking very sorry for myself, I came into the cabin to ask / demand the Doc opens bottom surgery and puts some plastic skin on the point of the body that takes all the stress, all the contact, all the pain is channelled into. Assuming the normal all fours position, he set to work. All well, normal and dandy there. However, who should show up. But a man hell bent on seeking revenge…..yes our Pete.  As quick as you like, he found a pair of scissors, thumb and forefinger in the holes, sat on the edge of the bed, open and closed them at lightning speed and said blog blog blog at the same break neck speed……it was the look on his face that had been worse.  He had done his back in 24 hours earlier, and retreated to his shell. But the smile, the smirk, the sparkle in his eye soon brought him out.  I juddered as he did 2 weeks ago, and the doc set about.  A few unnecessary prods of cold steal later, many beads of sweat and job done.  I lay down and went to sleep.  Amazingly, next shift the excruciating pain had gone.  Until yesterday.

To take the is plastic skin off you need a degree in plastic skin removal. No more nails, eat your heart out.  Imagine the pressure of rowing for a week, and I may as well have been steam rollered.  Anyway I got it off and the sores and abrasions had shrunk somewhat. But then in the night.  Bang. Ouch. So much pain I was close to tears. The Doc worked his magic again, thankfully whilst Pete was rowing, and hey presto pain gone. I struggle to wonder if I have ever experienced pain like it.  But it leaves on problem.  Getting the stuff off in 5 (fingers crossed) days time. bSo if anyone knows a suitable candidate who will be in Barbados, ideally female, blond, Scandinavian features 21-25, contract with Gossard, GSOH not necessary - then please let me know.  Not that I’m fussy or anything.

Anyway back to more serious matters. Rowing. What else can I say? Nearly there. Next week. The lads are starting to fantasise about the cold beer, the friends and family, meeting the Prime Minister, the CNN cameras, the local media, the not rowing, the emotion, the tears. The start of a new life - especially for me. I am selling my house, the business, looking for a new career in a new town. I thought I would have time to think about it out here, but too busy keeping you folk happy, rowing, sleeping, eating and anything else that I am too tired to remember. But I have enjoyed blogging. Maybe a career in adventure writing?? Again, any suggestions, let me know. Exciting times ahead. And what a time in your life to start with a blank piece of paper in life having just engaged in a 2-year dream to row the Atlantic. With a world record challenge as the icing on the cake.  Plenty of time in Barbados to stretch the leg and think about it all without the pressures of the last 4 weeks.

One thing’s for sure though. The next 5 days will be the toughest yet. We all really want to arrive in day light which means upping the work rate even more. The weather is looking favourable, although we have said that before and not had it. No one rests on their laurels when it comes to the weather.

As for the opposition, ORCA as you know have no means of communication, other than to relay their position via a passing ship. They have obviously not passed any ships recently. I think we were 250 miles ahead a handful of days ago. Oyster shack are 800 miles approx behind us (we left 8 days ahead of them). Time will tell though. We can only do our best. And arrive into Barbados with empty tanks. Every man having given his all.

The head of the charity, napac, that I am raising money for (www.napac.org.uk) is coming out to Barbados to greet us. Looking forward to seeing him. Thank you to all who have sponsored. So many messages on the sponsorship page - you can see them at www.justgiving.com/oliverdudley  - overwhelming, as I keep saying to have so much support. And a great privilege to raise money for such an outstanding yet small charity. They are the only one of their kind who operate nationally and specialise in helping people abused in childhood.

On the charity note, we have had some more offers in for auction prizes for the dinner that myself and celebrity chef Anthony Worral Thompson are hosting on 10th April in London. So thank you to those people. Many of the team will be there - if interested, as I have said before, email oliinaboat@hotmail.co.uk and we will get back to you when the euphoria of the event has settled and calmness restored. Next month!!!

Got to get some shuteye now. Back on in 35 minutes!!!! Even 10 minutes kip is handy. It all adds up.            xx

 

End of Day 27    1154 hours (Laptop wired directly into solar panel!!)

666 miles to go and we are really up against the existing clock set by the French team 15 years ago - 35 days, 8 hours and 30 minutes - as you all know. 8 days, 9 hours and 30 mins to cover these 666 miles. The powers that be are channelling all their expertise to get the best out of us - and it seems to be working. Today will be around about 100 miles. If we keep doing that, then we will break the world record. Then it’s down to the competition. You can track them better than us, amazingly!!

With this added intensity and squeezing at the oars, comes added tiredness, soreness etc. but we feel so close now. It’s the last 10 minutes of the rugby match. You have a narrow lead. and you just have to throw everything you got. Everything you can muster.

If we continue to go at the speed we are doing, it’s likely we will arrive in time to make the Record. Those coming out - I suggest arriving on the 16th - just in case we get amazing trade winds. There seems to be a growing list of you, and I am overwhelmed - considering I didn’t ask any of you to come.

I have managed to read some of the emails and messages posted on the website. Quite outstanding and tear jerky. I wouldn’t expect to get many emails like that in a decade, let alone a few weeks. Thank you all of you, and sorry replies have been limited / non-existent. I am sure you understand…

I swapped shifts with Don yesterday, so I am now back sitting next to Ray.. Being the professional hard working perfectionist that he is, it puts added pressure on my shoulders. I know some his work mates are reading. Hello to you, and I am sure you understand what I mean!!!

 

A - the slang word for the most painful bit of all our bodies

B - Barbados, or maybe Blog to some of you

C - Calories, and definitely Cramped

D - Close call between Dorado and dolphins - we saw a pod a few days ago

E – Everyone of the Team

F - France. Their world record time has remained unbeaten for 15 years & survived over 60 attempts

G - Galaxy - the most beautiful you could imagine

H - Hot - so very hot

I - ipod. What a saviour

J- January, let’s hope we hit Barbados this January.  plllleasseeee

K - Kindness….without it, a tough journey would be even tougher

L - LA MONDIALE - viva La Mondiale

M - Moon - we have been lucky enough to see all the cycles. Stunning.

N - Nausea - some of the lads really suffered in the first week with seasickness. I was one of the lucky ones

O - Oyster Shack & ORCA. Good luck to them, and thank you for a good, hard fought honest fight

P - Puerto Mogan - our departure going in Canaries

Q - Quote of the day in my blogs which has been waning recently. Apologies

R - Repetitive rowing. zzzzzzzzzzzz

S - Shooting stars. No matter how tired you feel, always makes you feel good seeing one.

T - Team. We are one. No “I” in team!!!

U - Uniform - how we must row for maximum efficiency

V - Very - can stick it in front of most words….hot, tiring, repetitive, extreme, hard. You name it

W - Water…without it, survival in these conditions is 2 - 3 days

X - Xmas day. We had a different one. Obviously.

Y – ‘Y’ the hell are we doing this. I will let you know in the yacht club in a few days time

Z - Zoo bar, Puerto Mogan. Quite legendary…..what goes on tour………

 

15 minutes is up folks……

Have a good weekend. and guess what I’ll be doing!!! xx

Hi everyone. Hot today. Not full of banter or chat. More looking at emails. So just to let you all know havent forgotten about you all and I am sure you wont mind that its more of a rest day today!!!!

Hope all your new years resolutions are going well xx

delayed blog entry

start day 22 - 5th jan 1401 hours

hello all

15 minutes time limit on computer now…..so here goes…..

congratulations to my brother marcus. he has been so inspired by la mondiale and the crew that he asked his beautiful girlfriend vito to marry him. sadly she said no. only joking. of course not. well done them

hello adam and melissa. how did i miss you off both lists?

because of time limits wont be replying to any emails. but all gladly recieved thank you all.

those coming to barbados (seems to be a growing list of you, stay in contact  - oliinaboat@hotmail.co.uk

1224 miles to go.

@85 miles per day will match the world record - arrive18th jan

@92 miles per day, will beat by 1 day

@99.25 miles per day will beat record by 2 days - 16th jan

now for something different, but in keeping with general theme……..

the doc has done a poem…….so here goes……all him on his own bless him (which reminds me, he is 54 and i think there are only about 15 people or so in the world of this age or more who have ever rowed an ocean - check ORS website for full stats. impressive. yes. he just needs to stop giving himself a hard time for gettinng so knackered!! but we are looking after him.)

THE ARSE

It isn’t the sickness, the blisters, the salt sores

That hinder the crossing the crossing of these jolly tars

Its the arse

Dreaming of loved ones past and present

land based pleasures driving cars

marred by the the arse

pina coladas, beers and lagers, whisky & soda’s await in barbados

spoiled by the arse

watching our crew mates stumble and spill rice & sultanas,

descend into farse

more pain in the arse

so if you go rowing cross oceans, remember,

look out for your mates

respect the top brass

but never forget

to look after your arse

Well done the doc very good. we all applaud you. however. pete, myself and the doc went to bed toghether, as we do 4 times a day. gossip, bitch and snuggle up to one another. i lay a trap for the doc, which due to his age and his infirmity he fell for hook line and sinker (some of you who know me will know how much i relish this scenario). its the old chesnut who would play you in the movie…..la mondiale, the movie. we had hugh grant for pj, rupert everett for rob, borat, of course for reinhardt. i suggested de niro for pete. he suggested me for me! “and what about you, whose gonna play you doc?”. surely, no doc. dont fall for it. surely your vanity is more important…….”richard gere”. oh dear doc……get over yourself. i hope all his friends and family never ever let him forget that

WHAT I LOOK LIKE

the head - no razor, so i look like the long lost son of david bellamy

right torso - jeff capes (yerr right) with brazilian tan

left torso - twiggy with eskimo tan (all to do with sun position and oar in same hand for 1 month!)

hands - jazz - gloves = no sun

legs - just withering away slowly

down to just wearing socks, shoes, the most revolting underpants imaginable. thinks 1960’s free spirited borat.

ears - still stick out

hair - greesy. ferrel, hippie like

odour - its a family blog, so wont say. use your imagination

weight - loosing (reinhdardt is the first ever ocean rower to gain weight - consume more calories than burns.). the legendary tiny little lost about 50% body weight in his infamous solo crossing

HOW I FEEL

we are getting down the business end of things now. the title is ours to loose now. weather. hot hot hot. no wind. no currents. plodding along. fighting out each mile. so painful. legs burn. back in spasm. two whites and the brown keeping me sane and alive.

clock watching like never before. the tiredness and “jet lag” of the nights. the pain of the heat in the day. loose loose. but all for a good cause. “i’ve got me own problems, dont need to know yours” pete said to me months ago. thats right. everyone just accepts the pain and rows on. it will all be worth it. the last few days make the first few weeks look like a teddy bears picnic. every shift we will have to dig deep now.

yesterday after 1500 - 1700 shift i pretty much collapsed. hadnt eaten for 24 hours. heat exhaustion. 1 hour 55 mins sleep. got though it. have to. cant let your team mates down.

quote of the day

“watching 13 men giving their best, but not knowing what their best was, and thier best getting that bit better every day”. inspiratoinal words, from our inspirational skipper

got to go know….15 mins up xxx

1408 hours Monday 7th Jan - start day 23. Can you believe it? 1024 miles to go.

Feeling much better today. One of the best 24 hours for ages. Really concentrated on upping the calories, water intake and sleep. It worked. Wasn’t falling asleep on the oars last night in any of the 3 shifts. Not even the graveyard shift, as we call it - the last night one.

Easterly wind about 10 knots is helping averaging speed of about 100 miles a day I would guess. Did about 100 in the last 24 hours. Makes for a more exciting row with swells and currents. Sadly not enough for the beloved surfing. But it will come!!

The race is going well. We are approx. 250 miles ahead of ORCA and approaching 800 mile ahead of Oyster Shack - we have an 8-day head start on them. As ever, check ORS website for full details.

We will break 1000 miles today, which is a big mental boost. Reckon we will arrive on 16th or 17th so that would break the record by a day or two. The weather is going to determine the last 10 or so days for us. We all pray for some easterly trade winds. Keep us cool in the day and produce the swells and currents.

So here are some tips to survival at sea. A la Mondiale….

Always live in the time bubble of your 2-hour row or 2-hour break (unless, see below)

Never think more than a 24-hour period ahead (i.e. 1pm to 1pm)

This is because you always want to post a good 24-hour distance rowed (our personal best is 117 miles which is a record for an independently verified distance in the Atlantic)

Sleep. sleep. sleep

I normally get 1.5 hours after each of the night shifts, and try and accumulate a total of 2 hours in between the other 3 breaks. Without the sleep as you know, the night shifts become a hell of falling asleep at the oars. Insanity at its best

Arnica

I don’t think I would be in the boat without this not very well known homeopathic anti-inflammatory. Mike, Peter & Ray have all benefited. Someone grant the inventors of arnica (mr arnica perhaps) a medal

Magnets

As previously discussed, when I have a niggle or an injury (e.g. hip) I tape a very small magnet to the spot and it helps to alleviate the pain. As previous blog, well done Richard from altitude centre (where I did high altitude training - full marks and recommended for anyone doing endurance expeditions)

Calories

With the rowing, sun and staying steady in a continually rocking boat, we burn about 11,000 calories a day. For anyone who understands calories, this is a staggering amount. I have not been hungry once since on the boat (and trust me, off it I eat for Britain). A full ration pack contains about 6,000.  Only twice in 23 days have I eaten a full ration pack. I eat because I have to, not because I want to. If we don’t get there quick, ribs will start showing

Slip slop slap

As it says on the tin. There is no excuse for sunburn. Protection. It’s all about protection!!

Water

I drink between 6-10 litres of water a day. And I have a small bladder. booooorrrrring. C’est la vie.  If anyone ever meets an ocean rower with clear pee, let me know. Virtually impossible.

Lucky dip

As you know, the daily ration packs can make or break your day. Pete, the Doc and myself are in a daily routine. I choose the ration packs (you can tell a lot in the colour of the bag, its shape and size!!!!! - they call me king rat, reference the prisoner or war film!). Then the Doc lines them up, Pete goes eney meeney miney mo, then flowers in the garden and always ends up with the one on the right having started on the left. Just don’t tell him I said than

Think of WOG, f & f

When times are low, you are hitting a brick wall, your bottom is not happy with you, the cramp is horrific, heat unbearable…..smile, take a deep breath and think of your loved ones!

Remember why you are doing this

Most of the lads have good personal reasons why they are doing this. For example PJ lost his mum last year and is drawing strength from her and raising money for the hospice that looked after her.

Gripes

Overall, the level of generosity and comradeship is overwhelming. All helping each other out. On occasion there are times though when I have seen the most extraordinary level of double standards / selfishness. Just gotta bite your tongue and try and ignore it. Problems can become very magnified indeed in these tired, hot cramped conditions. It will be interesting to see how various people interact when on dry land

Don’t fall in

No explanation needed as to why…….shark bait!!! To go to the feed the fishes at the back of the boat (yes, stern, I am learning this ridiculous terminology!) you must wear a rope harness. We also wear whistles around our necks in case we do fall in. Charlie has, wasn’t wearing a whistle, no one noticed but obviously hauled himself back in!

Stretching

At this stage of the game, it’s a must. Most leg and lower back regions are starting to cramp up for most people now.

Blisters

Compeed. It’s an amazing product. Any time you get one; it gets the pain away and heals the wounds. 3 days in, all my blisters had become calloused.

Personal hygiene

As I said in a very early blog, bacteria can break down the skin. Especially in places where women would normally shave. Washing in salt water with salt soap is the norm. Sitting at the stern pouring a bucket of water over you is just bliss after a hot row. Oh yes. We have run out of soap though. I don’t envy the sniffer dogs at customs in Barbados! As for bottoms…you all know the situation there……we have an update, but no time to tell you about that now. Hopefully another time

Discipline / routine

With your personal equipment, stretching, time keeping for shifts. It all counts.

Clothing / equipment

Hats, gloves, sun glasses. Underwear from a suitably fashionable English tailors. ooooopps. Fell down there. Left mine until Puerto Mogan. One shop. Hence the piss taking I get for my horrendous ones. And I don’t wear shorts just to add insult to injury.

Luck

Rations aside, the main luck is the weather. With our sea anchor situation and missing a lot of trade winds as a result, we haven’t had much luck. But we have strength in numbers with our squad so we can afford to go at a faster pace in poor rowing conditions and if we have a man down for a few hours, someone else can take his slot.

Ipod

As previously discussed. Essential. Particularly at night when we are falling asleep at the oars at night. Note to self. When you go to the trouble of buying a waterproof ipod case, shut the bloody thing when using it in windy conditions. For gawd sake!

Dreams

This could be the most pleasure you get at sea. So enjoy them, and hope your luck rolls in. I can’t complain!!

Times up folks.

 

Day 21 - 1315 hours Hello to all you WAGS, f & f Today we have a bonus addition to the blog as you have been starved.  

Poem for my little daughter, 9.5 months old Amelia.  It is a name with Greek origins meaning Universe

Daddy’s in a little boat, far far into the sea

When I think of you, there is so much glee

When I see a shooting star

I think of you, oh so far

When the dolphins come and play

You are with me all the way

When the flying fish dart through the sky

I think of the last time I said goodbye

When the moon lights up all around

I feel your energy complete and abound

When I saw the beautiful rainbow I could almost touch

How I miss you, always oh so much

When the nights galaxy shines oh so bright

Your soul fills me with so much courage and might

When I feel the heat of the day’s sun which is intense

Like you, the energy is full and immense

My darling Amelia, I tell you this

In the Universe I do see you and do miss

x

Back to normal service. (Whatever normal is out here!)

1325 hours - Friday 4th Jan - day 21 for sure - I have finally got the hang of this

HAPPY NEW YEAR. OBVIOUSLY

Your Royal Highness, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls

I hope you are sitting comfortably. I for one am sitting more comfortably. My good news therefore is not necessarily your good news, no humorous bottom angles thus!

Firstly, for some reason the blog from 28th Dec won’t go out of the outbox. So, look out for it, as you may have not read it. Secondly, and more importantly, I am sorry that all you blogites are waiting tails a wagging, for your daily bone.  We have had a problem with the laptop.  Thus the daily blog is to be rationed & I may not get on for a few days. Thus I am going to make the most of today.

I am absolutely shattered today, so to draw strength to write this is like never before. The pain of rowing in what has now become treacle AGAIN, the heat of the 33 deg sun and the general wear and tear of the body is all taking its toll.  But so it should be.  I didn’t sign up to a stroll in a park, so I am merely making an observation not a criticism or a moan!

Brough - not so much a visual gag for you today, but it was a close run thing. If I had a red marker pen I could have changed a word…..the Doc’s pants, unwashed, were hanging up to dry because of another soaking a few nights ago at the bow. Label sticking out, “caution, keep away from fire”. Change fire for “the crew”, and there is your visual gag!

When I mentioned the other day about the auction prizes, I forgot to praise George Derrick for arranging them without being asked. He is one of the kindest souls I have ever had the pleasure in meeting. George, I thank you very much.

Now for the blog, my fellow bloggies. Going for a blog with a twist today. Going to give you a sprinkling of things over the last few days, in a 24-hour format so you can get a better feel for what goes on in a typical day-to-day basis.

Remember though, I’m shatterrooonied mentally and physically, so this is a struggle…..

Day 21starts, as all new days do at 1300 hours, the time we left Puerto Mogan. All our times and watches are in GMT even though we are going backwards 5 time zones. We are probably -3 GMT now

2^nd Jan to 3^rd Jan 08

A new confirmed record for the longest distance, 117 miles in 24 hours in Atlantic.  

A TYPICAL 24 HOURS

30^th Dec BREAK

Normally a good time to do blogging, power depending. Washing clothes (I finally did this for the first time after I last blogged!!! so I can now wear 2 socks at once, hooray.  Eat some snacks, chocolate, nuts. chat with the lads, keep out of the midday sun and at 1450 start to think about getting ready for the next shift.  Gloves, legionnaire hat, sunglasses, socks, shoes, shorts when they are clean and not in the laundry bag (we wash in sea water using dual fresh and sea lathering soap), sun block, water bottle full, and ipod not normally used in the day.

ROWING

Leven stuck some AC-DC (to all you elderly folk, Brough et al, that is a rock band!!!) into the sound system. Amazingly it’s the first time we have rowed to music in the public system. For me it makes you row harder. Like the good old rugby days. Psyche yourself up before a big game. Everyone singing. Good old comradeship. Believe me this is a luxury! Charlie comes onto his shift and wonders what the hell this rubbish is all about. “Sounds like someone has got their toe stuck in a mouse trap” he says. He is more of an ipod man. Each to their own!

Within this shift, at the same times, minutes into the shift the following would happen:

25 minutes - Rob shouts to Jules and Mike - “Jules & Mike, 15 minutes lads” - to which, as you know we all go cookooo and laugh like school children for about 5 seconds. Then stop. All of a sudden he has thrown us a few curve balls recently by giving the shout a few minutes either side. Jamie the comedian has coined the new chant “boinggg, boinggg”. The clock is made in China not Switzerland it would seem. Or maybe a friend and family member has tipped him off and he is taking the Mickey out of us

40 minutes - Jules & Mike take over Reinhardt and Rob

70 minutes - “PJ & Charlie, 10 minutes lads” from Stu

80 minutes - PJ & Charlie come on, and PJ says something la-ddy and derogatory every time. Army chat!

110 minutes - “Don, 10 minutes” - says Pete to Don, Ray and Leven

120 minutes - 123 minutes, on come Pete, Don & Leven.

This pattern is repeated every row shift for me

BREAK

Good time to finish a blog, check out some emails, and fish for Dorado. Sun is cooling, and more pleasant time of the day.

ROWING

BREAK

Pete & I normally have our evening meal. Today I got s & s c. guess what. I didn’t eat it. I would rather die of starvation than do that. It’s become a “thing” as you all know. Thankfully, 160 out of the 500-day packs have army packs within too, containing chocolate, sugar, hot choc, soup, and boiled sweets. Nobody saw one of these until 3 days ago. So I have the soup instead of the normal meal.

ROWING

Today this was one killer of a shift. Actually, one of the hardest physically and mentally ever. As I said earlier, the sea has become so treacly now, and with almost zeros wind so zero current, just a nightmare. Trying to sustain average speed of almost so we break target in a day has become virtually an impossible task. Everyone is hurting. Putting that oar in the water, pushing with the legs then pulling with the arms at the end of the drive when there is so much resistance.

When Pete, the Doc and myself got to the deck we sensed unease from our fellow rowbodies. They had so much pressure put on them to get the 100 miles that the stroke rate had gone up. Wow. As a result Mike, aged 49, had pulled a muscle in his wrist. This rate is racing speed almost for a 2000 meter race, not a 3000 mile ocean crossing. Mike ended up going to bed upset because he didn’t want to not row and let the lads down. Jules was unhappy that his row buddy was suffering unnecessarily. PJ, one of the crew that Ray really respects, in my opinion, asked Ray to keep the strokes to a sensible rate after we finished our shift, and he did (PJ is the only rower who has been told to slow down is “enthusiasm” on the oar, or else will burn out before Barbados. fair play to him. wild horses wouldn’t stop him.  For his size, he is one of the strongest rowers in the boat, doesn’t get affected by what anyone says or does. Mink, his fiancée - you chose well!!

By the last 30 minutes everything from the knees upwards to the lower back was just burning. My brain was saying stop. Screaming. So I screamed at the Doc. ” two white ones, one brown please Doc”. La Mondiale’s NHS Service, was as ever, happy to oblige. They don’t do Arnica on the NHS, so got some of my own. By the time I came of the oars, the pain was subsiding.

With 1 minute to go I was thinking about my blog - and how quiet the flying fish were tonight. And what do you know, one landed onto my feet in the foot strap well. In the dark of the night. And once again frightened the life out of me. Ray was standing there. Head torches came on. And to my delight, he was more girlie than me yesterday at picking it up. Of course, Leven picks it up - the biggest he has ever seen, about 6 inches in length, and throws it back home. I think the laughter of it all helped to quell the atmosphere from earlier when the A team were on.

BREAK

Off with the socks, shoes t-shirt and shorts ASAP. Same for Pete and the Doc. and we fall into “bed”. Me on the right, Pete in the middle, and the doc on the left. Normal positions every time. Normally, except this time because Mike missed a shift there was one extra in the other cabin, so Jamie was in my position. So the 3 of them lay in a line, me lying across the bottom on their legs. What a great nights sleep. I mean 90 minutes sleep. The Doc kindly tried to place his big toe up my nostril at one stage, which he assures me was some new form of Chinese medicine.

We get the wake up call 15 minutes before our shift and we peel ourselves out of bed. The Doc & I more than Pete, rub the eyes. Look for the ipod and everything else. Clamber out. Knock into the controls. Get shouted at. And jump onto the rowing seat.

ROWING

Hands are so tight and swelled that the first few minutes can hardly hold the oars.

With 90 minutes to go wriggle around on the sheepskin seat to take the pressure of the sores and muscle deprived parts. Wiggle. Sometimes row on one cheek for a few seconds. Then the other. The last 30 minutes is a killer!!

BREAK

ROWING

BREAK

This is a key time to sleep. Sleep is one of the most important things in my day. Too little, and the nights may become like they did on the second night. And nobody wants to go through that again!

ROWING

VHF. woman. Salty nuts

Can’t unscramble scrambled eggs

I have a pill in my pocket. Just eaten it.

Eating - Stu, Jamie, Rob ~& Reinhardt 

Quote of the day. Reinhardt asking Ray for some rowing tips” you can’t unscramble scrambled eggs”

Run out of time I am afraid. So much more to say

xx

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