First News from the Crew
( Last Updated: 31-12-2007 )
After our first abortive start, we elected to wait a couple of weeks to take advantage of the next ‘favourable weather window', on the advice of Lee Bruce, our meteorological expert in the US. We seem to have got off to a flying start since leaving the island of La Gomera, and have now been at sea for seven days. At this point, it is a case of "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with S...................for Sea!"
To date, we have followed quite a northerly track as dictated by the prevailing weather system, but we hope to move to a more southerly route in the near future in order to take advantage of the trade winds. We're all adapting to our environment and losing weight: thinner tummies and longer beards are the order of the day! Some initial problems with our water-maker (desalinator) have been resolved satisfactorily. We must apologise to our supporters for our minimal contact thus far, basically our schedule comprises eat/sleep/row! We may be in a position to improve our communication and issue more news bulletins later.
Contrary to certain optimistic rumours that we're being towed by dolphins, I regret to report that we have yet to see any wildlife. However, we're looking forward to seeing some in the coming weeks, but as yet can only imagine the thrill of being bombarded by flying fish, as reported by other crews. The weather at present is relatively warm and sunny, and I must say that rowing in the dark under the night skies is truly magical.
A gigantic container ship passed nearby recently. We prepared to use our VHF radio and were ready to deploy our marine flares if necessary, but in the end she passed us safely and uneventfully.
So what is the current situation on board? As may be expected, the crew's bottoms have received the most punishment, with some incurring blisters and sores to such an extent that we felt compelled to seek medical advice. The expert said something about not rowing for 48 hours (‘as if') to allow our wounds to heal and scar over in order to stop infection. However, Mike and Ben have remained relatively unscathed. Furthermore, our hands too have been OK and we are viewing everything as a good experience. We've changed the rota slightly. Initially, we were going out very hard with 15 hours of rowing per day, but we've now cut that down to just 12 hours per day, although we still retain a minimum of 2 rowers on the oars at all times. This was necessary because our bodies were getting too tired and we weren't having time for boat maintenance or cooking......or anything else!
What's next? Well, lots more of this rowing lark, I guess. The next 14 days (or 1000 miles) will provide the true test and confirm whether we are on target to beat the world record which is our aim.
Mike Martin on board Oyster Shack Ocean Challenger with the Atlantic Six 30 Dec 07