Day 92 – Weather Ahead, Bleeding Sores, Laundry, Last Meal

31 May, 07 – 23.15    
16.4297N,56.0490W

24 hr progress: 29 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 326 Nautical Miles ( 603 km)
Distance completed: 3040 NM (5624 km)
Wave height: 8-10 ft, Winds: 10-15 knots SE, Bearing: 280-300 degrees.

A quickie today. It's been beautiful and sunny all day. The wind has started to pick up. I've spent all day trying to maintain course, but have still been pushed Northwards. It's incredibly frustrating.
My next Landfall option after Antigua is St.Christopher and; Nevis or Barbuda.
If I do get blown past those, it will take a few more days to hit Anguilla and; St.Martin or the US Virgin Islands.
I'm not overly concerned about which island I make landfall at. Any island would be ok to officially qualify my record as an Atlantic crossing. It's just the time spent at sea. Right now, each day spent is one day more into the path of an approaching hurricane.
I received a message yesterday saying the weather over the next 3- 5 days is going to worsen with a low pressure coming thru. I'm still waiting confirmation on that from the land team, before I prepare the boat for bad weather. For now, just concentrating on progress W.
I've washed the salt off the sores on my rear today and put a new antiseptic dressing on. A few of them are bleeding, so swimming in the sea is off the itinerary for a while.
In other stuff, it was hot and sunny so I got some laundry done today. The 4 way underwear routine can only last so long...you know...day 1 front to back, day 2 – back to front, day 3 – front to back inside out, day 4 – back to front inside out. (I've heard there is a 5-way switchover routine, but frankly that would be just showing off :).
Very exhausted. My last dinner ration pack of freeze dried Rice and Basil Sauce is waiting for me to make my move.
Another long nights row ahead...
B
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External GPS

Dusk, start of my night rowing session

My view at night - Full Moon over the stern

Day 91 – NorthSouthNorth, Steering Limit, Moon

30 May, 07 – 23.37    
16.2652N,55.3910W
24 hr progress: 30.4 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 352 Nautical Miles ( 651 km)
Distance completed: 3012 NM (5572 km)
Wave height: 8-10 ft, Winds: 10-15 knots SE, Bearing: 270-300 degrees.
(Apologies for the delayed updates. The cabin is still a bit wet and I have to make sure the equipment is dry before I can post dispatches – read Day 88)
My bet - on following a course South , past the latitude of Antigua and then using the currents and winds from the South East to approach the island – paid off!. However, the wind and the currents seem much stronger than marked on the charts. I got pushed North by 5 miles more than I would have liked.
The boat has been pushed to its limits in the process of getting as much mileage as possible. Its amazing how much stress she has been able to handle already – being suspended between waves while she was fully loaded and going beam on for 2 weeks and the endless amount of waves breaking over the sides.
I'm not sure how much more the steering system will be able to handle, but this is the last 300 miles, so Im pushing it to the max. I tried to steer back South by re-tying the rudder at an angle, but the stress caused by the force of water on the hinges started vibrating thru the boat with each wave. So I had to re-tie the lashings back to its normal position. Its back to steering with the oars again which is not impossible, just harder.
Another ship on the radar today.
I spoke with the crew of another ship over the VHF around 10.30 GMT. A very brief conversation, but it was good to hear another voice. It's hard to imagine I have not see a human being for 91 days now. I wonder who the first person will be?
The area around has been very silent. The GPS says 651 kms more so its still a bit of a hike ahead.
I plan to spend some time this weekend on trying to have another try at fixing the water maker. I've got a manual backup water pump but using it to make freshwater is slow and tedious job. Alternatively, I could stop a passing ship, but I wanted this crossing to be solo and unsupported – which means no outside help at all.
Its a full moon out here now, so its very peaceful rowing in the moonlight with the sound of breaking waves and the occasional whale or dolphin breathing heavily thru their blow hole.
I'm just taking a break before my night rowing session to write this. So its back to chugging away at the oars!
Here are photos took just a few minutes ago. The sun setting off the bow (due West) at the same the moon rising over the stern (due East).
Thx for the messages...keep firing away...they are much appreciated out here...
B
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Map Position

Sun set off the bow, 23.05 GMT

Full Moon rising over the stern, 23.05 GMT

Day 90 – Maintaining Latitude, Low cloud

29 May, 07 – 21.14    
16.1382N,55.1059W
24 hr progress: 39 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 382 Nautical Miles ( 706 km)
Distance completed: 2975 NM (5503 km)
Wave height: 10-12ft, Winds: 20 knots SE, Bearing: 270-300 degrees.
Another good day. Crossed my second last milestone, the 55W meridian. Another wet and windy day. The low clouds in the sky blocked out the sun almost completely and made the waves look quite evil. On the upside, the rain helped cool things down in the afternoon and I took the chance to wash the salt of my skin and the sleeping bag. No chance of drying out the cabin however (from the waves the day before), so things are still a bit damp.
I'm still struggling to maintain a steady latitude. Over the past few days, I've been pushed North, South, I made my way North again. Antigua is at 17N. I am currently at 16.13N. Im trying to space out my climb North towards Antigua. If I get North too early, and go past Antigua, it will be very hard to get back South again as the weather system will push me towards the US Virgin Islands and the Bahamas.
Quite a tiring day.
B
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Course plotted on the GPS, showing waypoints varying North and South

View over the bow

View North East of the bow

Day 89 – Speed, Squall, Squid

28 May, 07 – 21.51    
16.0451N,54.3125W
24 hr progress: 44.5 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 421 Nautical Miles ( 778 km)
Distance completed: 2935 NM (5429 km)
Wave height: 12-15ft, Winds: 20-25 knots NE, Bearing: 2 70-300degrees.
What a difference a proper rudder for steering and 24 hrs make. One of the best days yet. The big rolling waves came back and stuck around for most of the day allowing me to get some good mileage surfing the waves and recording a top speed of 6.1 knots. I also made up for lost progress, and gained some mileage Northwards, after being pushed South the day before. I am currently 60 miles South of Antigua and trying to maintain a steady progress of 6 miles /day Northwards.
Weather has varied all day. Squally and gray all morning and blistering hot in the afternoon. But fortunately the wind and wave conditions have been consistent.
Found a few dead squid on the deck this morning. The only newsworthy part is that it gave me something different to look at, poke at and photograph. Makes a change from flying fish. The bird life around has started to increase noticeably – land is getting nearer at last...and so is a warm meal.
It's been a long day and quite exhausting. Arms are aching and my hands are starting to claw up again.
Will keep this post short for today.
B
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Something different for a change

Wave height above the gunwale

Dusk taken at 20.28 GMT

Day 88 – Heavy Squalls, Cabin Flooded, Rudder Back

27 May, 07 – 22.30    
15.4173N,53.5168W
24 hr progress: 31.5 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 463 Nautical Miles ( 856 km)
Distance completed: 2883 NM (5333 km)
Wave height: 12-15ft, Winds: 25-30 knots NE, Bearing: 240-260 degrees.
Very testing weather. Clouds have been low and depressingly gray all day. High winds and high waves. Usually, the higher the waves, better the mileage gotten by by surfing down them and increasing the momentum to row up the next one. Unfortunately, without a rudder, the higher the chance of capsizing as well. As a general rule, if the height of the wave is more than twice the width of the boat, the boat is likely to capsize.
The good news is I got my mileage back up into the 30's by putting the rudder back and taking advantage of the good surfing conditions.
June 1st is the official start of the hurricane season. Although most hurricanes occur in the July-September period (when the water temperature in the Atlantic starts heading upwards of 26 degrees C), one or two hurricanes still occur in June. Last year, the first low pressure system swept thru the South Atlantic on the 7th of June. Given the ongoing changes in global weather (plus this year is an El Ninio year), opinions vary on whether it will be a late start or an early start this year.
So right now, to err on the side of caution, I'm desperate to improve the mileage, so that I can make it to the safety of land before the hurricanes start.
Ever since I took the rudder out a while back, I've watched my daily mileage drop from 40 miles/day to 8 miles/day and from then on hover between 10-15 miles/day for the past few days. This morning, I re-calculated my ETA for arrival based on speed and distance left to Antigua (above). 40 miles/day would be an ideal, to finish around 1st June. However at my current mileage of 15 miles a day I would be well within the chances of getting caught in a hurricane.
As I wrote earlier, I was saving the use of the rudder for the last 300 miles to Antigua, so that in case the force of the water ripped it off the back, I would still be within rescue distance. However, the drogue slows the boat down and putting it back on now (at 463 miles to Antigua) is the only way could be on target to achieve around 30 miles/day and make landfall by June 10th, before the hurricanes start.(I will be trying for 40 miles/day but right now 30 miles/day seems a more realistic target, taking into account my physical condition, salt sores, lack of sleep etc).
Putting the rudder back in was easier said than done. As the rudder is made from plywood coated with fiberglass it's quite buoyant in the water and I had a tough time trying to get it back on the hinges (which are underwater). I spent about 45 minutes in the rough water trying to get it back on but it was impossible to do so in the rising and falling swell and the hull of the boat threating to smash into my head. In the end, I finally got it on the hinges and lashed down by leaning out of the rear hatch of the cabin. But in the process, I had a few waves break and flood the cabin.
Though it took me some time I've now cleaned up most of the water but it's going to be quite a damp night ahead. Luckily, there is sun today to help dry out the sleeping bag and rubber mattress.
Well, at least the mileage and mood onboard is back up again!
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Gray clouds and metallic silver sea all around

The horizon

Heavy rain

Day 87 – Radar Off, Tanker Missed, Squalls get stronger

26 May, 07 – 21.45    
15.5097N,53.2041W
24 hr progress: 25 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 490 Nautical Miles ( 907 km)
Distance completed: 2848 NM (5268 km)
Wave height: 10-12ft, Winds: 25 knots NE, Bearing: 270-300 degrees.
Heavy rains again last night. The increasing strength of the squalls is hard to miss and is a constant reminder of the oncoming hurricane season.
A few hours into my night shift, it got difficult to row, so I tried to catch up on some sleep around 11 pm.
I was woken up by the sound of engines around 3.00 am and found the lights of a tanker about 1 mile to the north.
I narrowly missed another ship – this time it was entirely my fault. While speaking to the Captain of the passing Tanker yesterday morning, I had switched off the radar alarm, as its beeping in the background was interfering with our conversation over the VHF radio. In my tiredness, I must have forgotten to switch it back on again. Luck helps sometimes!
I've crossed the 53 degrees W meridian over the past 24 hrs which improved my spirits a bit. I'm closer to my second last major milestone of 55W meridian (the last milestone being 60W meridian).
Quite happy with the days progress – 25 miles almost due West despite the waves from different directions. I've been experimenting with deploying the drogue (sea anchor) off the stern using different variations of length on the main line and slack on the trip line. I think I've finally found a solution that works well to somewhat help turn the stern into the waves. I'm now using the drogue on a shorter 15m line, partially collapsed with a 14m trip line, that allows it to float the breadth of 1 wave away. I think this gives better control when the sea state is confused and lots of shorter waves coming at the boat from SE and NE.
On the wildlife front, I spent the evening on deck watching Dorados. The Dorados can get up to a meter in length and its quite amazing watching them leap out of the water trying to catch the flying fish.
On things calorie related, - I found a treasure of 2 bars of Ritter Sport chocolate that I must have placed under the bag of emergency collision flares - a thank you to the Tanker that made me reach for the flares.
I've got 4 days of food left, so enjoying my last few meals, before its a protein shake only diet. That will be a new experience!
B
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passing rain shower

Taken at 20.48 GMT

Dusk & getting ready for my night row

Day 86 – PM Post: Flying along, big fish & dolphins, Argos

25 May, 07 – 21.48
15.5233N,52.5454W
24 hr progress: 21.3 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 514 Nautical Miles ( 951 km)
Distance completed: 2816 NM (5209 km)
Wave height: 10-12 ft, Winds: 25-30 knots NE, Bearing: 270-300 degrees.
The day turned out to be better than expected. Although it was raining heavily all day, high winds, close to 25 knots helped me get some more miles in. Quite a day for big fish as well. A few large orange and white fish swimming around the boat all day followed by a pod of around 30 dolphins that stopped by. Unfortunately, the dolphins arrived around sunset, and the poor lighting made it difficult to take very clear photos. But it was quite an honor to be rowing with a stunning sunset on one side of the boat and dolphins on the other.
Amongst tasks, I switched over to the secondary Argos satellite tracking beacon today as the primary one had been operational for more than 80 days and the batteries were starting to run out. In other news on board, the deck was starting to smell like a fish market after all the fish that landed on board over the past few days. I used the rain and surgical wash to scrub the assortment of fish scales, broken wings, dead fish off the deck. It looks much more respectable now.
I plan to have another go fixing the electric desalinator once the weather settles down, hopefully day after. The manually operated desalinator works fine, but its taking up valuable time at the oars.
B
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Secondary Argos satellite tracking beacon activated

Pod of Dolphins at sunset

Taken at 23.22 GMT

Day 86 – AM Post: Squall, Tanker, Rough Weather Forecast

25 May, 07 – 11.25    
15.4821N,52.4362W
(This is a quick morning post )
Had very heavy rains last night. The heaviest I've experienced so far and the sea turned nasty again with a large swell. Not much sleep at night again as the radar alarm went off around 6.00 GMT. At about 9.00 GMT I made contact over the VHF with the Captain of a tanker heading for North America. The first sign of humanity after 50 days. The Captain gave me the 72 hr weather forecast that states 35-40 knot winds and wave heights of 5-6 meters.
Here are some photos from this morning.
Well..off to secure everything on deck and brace for a rough weekend ahead.
B
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Taken at 10.14 GMT

The top of the tanker seen across the swell

Conditions are not fun anymore...

Day 85 – Back on Course, Sitting Down, New Fish, Tiger Shark

24 May, 07 – 21.33    
15.3739N,52.3379W
24 hr progress: 12.8 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 537 Nautical Miles ( 993 km)
Distance completed: 2784 NM (5150 km)
Wave height: 6-8 ft, Winds: 15 knots NE, Bearing: 270-290 degrees.
Sorry guys, this post is a bit of a rush job. Not up to usual standards as I am very tired..
Beautiful weather. Clear, sunny and a light breeze. A hard days slog at the oars and I've made further NE progress, so well on course. A bit slow as the waves and wind are still going off in different directions.
The salt sores on my rear are getting worse from all the sitting down and starting to bleed. Hurts like crazy no matter what type of seat padding I use or antibiotic cream I put on. Its the rolling of the boat from side to side and sliding all over the seat that makes it worse. Not the sitting down part.
My plan was to row 2 hrs on 2 hrs off, but, so it s closer to 1 hour on and 30 mins off right now.
This morning I found a very unusual fish that must have jumped on board last night. I first mistook for a small eel. It looks like a flying fish crossed with a sword fish but much longer and thinner. Its wings are the same as on a flying fish, but the sharp sword sticking out of its head makes it look way much cooler than its cousin. Or maybe its just part of some fashion designers summer collection... (check out the photo)
I think I figured out why the fish have been so jumpy lately. This afternoon, I spotted the fish under the boat being chased by heavy 10 ft shadow. At first glance it looked like a Tiger shark, judging by the botches on its gray body and its wide head. I spent most of the afternoon trying to film it as it was too hot to row anyway. Since my tripod was washed overboard, I made a hand held swivel for the underwater camera by strapping the camera on to one of the long hand pumps that I normally use to pump water out of the compartment. The hand-pump underwater camera combo worked better than the original tripod I was using. Panning the camera around was smooth and much more controllable with the longer body of the hand pump. What a pleasant discovery.
I did not get many shots of the shark but I got some great ones of the other fish around.
Sharks are incredibly fast underwater, especially when they are hunting and its difficult to catch them for more than a few seconds in the camera frame. It is easier if they are further away from the camera, but then the visibility drops dramatically when they start to get more than 20 feet away from the lens. Will find out in the editing room how the filming turned out.
Food is pretty much down to the basics. The coffee is officially over. Snacks etc long gone.
Dinner today: Freeze dried pasta bolognese. Rice in basil sauce, Chinese chicken. - all guaranteed to put more hair on your chest!
Dessert : Freeze dried hazel nut yogurt to which I added broken bits of toast to break the monotony. Quite good.
The weekends coming up. Funnily enough, the weekends out here feel lonelier than the week. Strange how the mind works.
Right! Im off to sleep now. Keep the messages coming, they are very welcome,
B
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One very cool looking fish...

Underwater camera strapped onto a handheld water pump for filming the shark

Taken at 22.31 GMT.

Day 84 – Glacial pace, Heading North, VHF Fixed

23 May, 07 – 23.45    
15.3082N,52.2234W
24 hr progress: 11.4 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 550 Nautical Miles ( 1017 km)
Distance completed: 2760 NM (5106 km)
Wave height: 6-8 ft, Winds: 15 knots NE, Bearing: 270-290 degrees.
Progress wise, below average but I am back on course to Antigua, heading NE. Still proceeding at a glacial pace in mixed conditions and it looks like I have lost the assistance of the North Equatorial current. Its quite hard to stay motivated hour after hour, day after day. Viewing life from a rowing boat, everything seems to overtake you, the waves, clouds, sea life – not excluding sea turtles (I know, I know, the speed can be quite pathetic at times). Anyway, going by the numbers, I have crossed the 5000km mark for miles rowed to date. The trip odometer still indicates 1017 km more, and I'm looking forward to getting below the 1000 mark. Still a bit of hike ahead at any rate.
After one last rain shower, shortly after midnight, the weather calmed down suddenly around 1.00 am and the skies cleared a bit.
I was leaning over the side and brushing my teeth in the silent darkness, around 3.00 am on deck, - before getting get back on the oars when something underwater – a fish hunting under the boat caused a massive disturbance. What ever it was, it must have frightened the fish pretty well because the surface suddenly erupted with hundreds of flying fish, bombarding me in the face and landing all over the deck. Brushing the teeth was the only thing that helped maintain a sense of normalcy.
Owing to last nights episode, the deck looked more like a crime scene when daylight hit this morning. With atleast 60 dead flying fish all around. I took me 2 hours to clean it up before it was safe to walk around without slipping and sliding again.
Flying fish are cool and annoying in equal measures. Its quite amazing to watch them leap 10 ft out of the water just to escape a predator – usually a large Dorado or a Barracuda. Annoyingly enough, the land all over the boat, on the roof, ropes, rowing seat and worst under the floorboards of the bilge where the soak in the water and start marinating in the afternoon heat.
I fixed the VHF antenna today in anticipation of the shipping lanes that will be crossing in the few days ahead. I am trying to get some sleep in before I am kept up all night by the radar alarm.
Lately, with all the rain the bilge (the space between the cabin and the deck) has been filling up with water. I usually pump the water out manually. However, the pipe attached to the pump does not reach the bottom of the bilge and as a result there is always water at the bottom of the boat.
I thought of fixing the pump but I'm 20 days from land.
So instead, in honor of all the water thats there in it, I think we should change the name from Miss Olive to Budweiser. What do you think?
B
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VHF antenna, which was damaged by a wave, rewired and fixed with generous helpings of sticky tape. My engineering degree finally came in handy.

Spectacular sunset caused by squall clouds clearing up and heading West and skies clearing overhead. Taken at 22.12 GMT

Quite a show. My dinner view. Taken at 23.03 GMT

Day 83 – Mental State: 83 Days in Solitary, Stormy Conditions Continue, 52W

22 May, 07 – 22.15    
15.2492N,51.5410W
24 hr progress: 16.5 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 561 Nautical Miles ( 1037 km)
Distance completed: 2738 NM (5065 km)
Wave height: 10-15 ft, Winds: 15-18 knots NNE, Bearing: 260-280 degrees.
Overcast most of the day with big black rain clouds like yesterday. No sign of the sun except for a postage stamp size piece of sky between clouds that appeared occasionally. The boats rocking violently from side to side with the waves coming from all directions. I've been constantly wet with spray most of the day day. Its too hot to wear the rain overalls to keep dry. The salt gets into the clothes and rubs against the skin making the sores worse.
Anyway, there is some comfort in knowing its not going to last for ever and hopefully tomorrow the clear skies, breeze and sun will be back. And the good news is that I have crossed the 52W meridian and feel tangibly closer to my next major milestone of the 55W meridian.
Well, 83 days since I last had human contact on the island of El Hierro. 83 days living on 5 meters of space. I suppose it justifies a few sentences on my mental health.
Mood
My mood very much depends on how tired I am, the time of day, the mileage of the day, the weather, problems with the boat etc. Food, music and distractions like the wildlife around the boat go a long way in improving the atmosphere on board. Food would have made a bigger difference if the cooker was working and I could have a warm meal. Unfortunately, it stopped working early in the trip due to corrosion. Still its not too bad. Everything out here tastes much better than on land and I am constantly hungry - burning about 7000 calories a day. So any meal is welcome.
Sleep & Dreams
I split my sleep into two periods of 4 hours. When I sleep depends very much on the rowing conditions. If it's good, I skip sleep and row till the conditions last. The sleep is deep regardless of weather because I am usually very tired.
In rough seas though its a bit harder to sleep as I get thrown against the cabin walls.
It still takes a while – about half a minute to remember where I am when I wake up. I've experienced this every single day since I started and I haven't adjusted to this part yet.
The dreams with 4 km of water under the bed are a lot more intense, vivid, strange and ridiculous.
I've been using Nightol to sleep and its cousine Dayol to stay awake depending whether or not its possible to row.
A while back, I was trying to force my self to sleep because the weather was rough and it was impossible to keep the oars in the water. Well, anyway, it was pitch dark and I must have picked up the wrong bottle in all the blackness around. I took a swing off the bottle that I picked up and swallowed the syrup– and to my horror I realized to late that the nasty aftertaste was Dayol. So, anyway, I decided to take two sips of Nightol. In the hope that the first sip of Nightol would cancel out the first sip of Dayol and the second sip of Nightol would overtake both of them and help me sleep. I was very wrong. I slept deeply, but dreamt I could not sleep, so woke up feeling very tired. You know, sometimes you just cant win!
Hallucinations
Trying to keep a sane mind is a challenge. Of all the effects of solitude I have been most afraid of hallucinating.
The mind is the last line of defense in survival, especially for solo sailors.
There is the story of two brothers who tried to row across the Atlantic a few years back. They were somewhere in the middle, when one of the brothers jumped overboard and started swimming towards land. Fortunately,he was rescued in time by his brother who jumped in after him. But they had to abandon the row. It later turned out that the had stopped taking his anti-depressant tablets and had seen land in a hallucination.
I have started experiencing minor hallucinations. Sounds, mostly the sounds of dogs barking, cars and truck – which I can easily dismiss as just imagination. Visual hallucinations are much harder to dismiss. Especially when the waves are high. I get only 5 seconds to glimpse the horizon - when the boat is on top of a wave, before it plunges back into the valley of water with blue walls on both sides. During those 5 seconds, I have often imagined seeing the white hull of a yacht on the horizon when its usually only a breaking wave. Occasionally I thought I have spotted tankers etc but there is no alarm on the radar or no response from the VHF radio when try to verify what I have seen.
How do I cope?
Maintaining a log book and writing a journal for the ship helps immensely to give a sense of time and a point of reference in an otherwise monotonous landscape. Keeping the mind busy with the various repairs that come up, scheduled maintenance or improvements that I carry out helps fend off boredom. I spend a lot of time looking at different maps, topography charts, star charts, fish charts etc along the route, that has made the surrounding more interesting than just different shades of blue. I've got thru quite a few books, The Kite Runner, Life of Columbus, Shantaram, Einsteins String Theory, Joshua Solocum's Diary and the Biography of Clinton. I'm probably also the first person in the world to read a water de-salinator manual cover to cover.
On the whole, I'v managed to keep the mental situation under control so far. Its getting harder with each day, combined with the slow progress, lack of sleep or proper food and the heat. But for all that, I think it will make success even sweeter when I hit land in 20 days.
B
Confused by any of the nautical terms? Visit the Glossary: http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/about_glossary.htm
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Otherwise email me: mail@bhavik.com

Squall ahead. The curtain of falling rain is visible as it moves across the sea. Quite an amazing sight to watch.

Dark rain clouds over

Overcast above. Clear sunset to the west. Taken at 22.44 GMT

Day 82 – Squalls, Further South, Wheels

21 May, 07 – 21.36    
15.2492N,51.5410W
24 hr progress: 14.2 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 577 Nautical Miles ( 1067 km)
Distance completed: 2700 NM (4995 km)
Wave height: 10-15 ft, Winds: 20-30 knots NNE, Bearing: 230-260 degrees.
A short one for today.
Not a fun day for rowing at all. Heavy rain squalls (rain showers) and high winds from NNE. Gray color for most past of the day and massive waves. I've had 4 or 5 rain squalls during the day and some last night. Not sure if this indicates an early start to th hurricane season.
I had a few emails warning me about the chances of a low pressure system going thru the area. Its not something to be sneezed at but there is not much that I can do about it in a rowing boat. Will deal with it when it comes along. As they say - “let your self be surprised”.
I got hit by a few massive waves threatening to flip the boat over as I am beam on (sideways) to the waves right now without the rudder. I deployed the sea anchor out from the stern to get it back into the waves. Below average progress for the day, with the anchor dragging out the back. Even more frustrating is checking the GPS to find I've got pushed further South than yesterday and I will have to work my way back up North when the weather clears.
There is a perverse beauty to the the bad weather. Its a very humbling experience. The waves merciless but yet quite awesome to look at. The lack of sunlight creates quite a cold and evil atmosphere. And you can never get tired of watching small waves slide backwards into one another, gradually culminating into a 20ft gray wall of water crashing down on the boat. The trick is of course knowing when to stop taking photos and jump for cover before getting washed off the deck.
Kept my self quite busy anyway. Managed to wash the sea salt off the skin and sleeping bag during the heavy rain shower. Bailed water out of the bilge from the rain and waves crashing over the side. During a particularly rough period when it got impossible to row so I finally got around to replacing the wheels on the rowing seat. The plastic has worn out and got so thin, I swear you could almost read thru them.
Looking forward to cross the 5000 kms rowed milestone and into 52W.
Off to catch some zzz.
B
Confused by any of the nautical terms? Visit the Glossary: http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/about_glossary.htm
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Squall over the boat

Rain clouds pass over on its way to the West

Rain all around

Day 81 – Pushed South, 81 Days of Solitude

20 May, 07 – 22.45    
15.3089N,51.4081W
24 hr progress: 9.1 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 588 Nautical Miles ( 1087 km)
Distance completed: 2684 NM (4965 km)
Wave height: 10-12 ft, Winds: 15-18 knots NNE, Bearing: 230-260 degrees.

Rain last night and I've been fighting to get north all day but I've blown pushed south by the wind to 15.30 deg N. I was planning to maintain my level between 16N and 17N (Antigua is at 17N). Still have 500 odd miles left to go and I am making progress W. The weather forecast for this week predicts consistent Easterly winds = good news. A very tedious day otherwise. Inching my way forward.

Apologies for the short post, very tired.
81 days in solitary confinement. Will write more on the state of my mental health shortly.
Confused by any of the nautical terms? Visit the Glossary: http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/about_glossary.htm
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Otherwise email me: mail@bhavik.com

Hello from my watery kingdom! Taken at 21.25 PM

Rain expected tommorow

Taken at 22.27 GMT

Day 80 – Progress Stats

19 May, 07 – 23.37    
15.3550N,51.3273W
24 hr progress: 9.8 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 595 Nautical Miles ( 1100 km)
Distance completed: 2660 NM (4921 km)
Wave height: 6-8 ft, Winds: 10-12 knots NE, Bearing: 230-260 degrees.
Apologies for the short post. Very exhausted. Not a very good day. Tough conditions. Only 9.8 miles. Rowing with the drogue (sea anchor) partially out has helped somewhat keep the stern into the waves but twice the effort is needed to row. Off to get some sleep.
Here are the progress stats recorded daily by the satellite tracking beacon on board. Indulge!
B
Day/Date Latitude Longitude Progress
(time is GMT) (degrees/minutes/seconds) (degrees/minutes/seconds) (miles,km,nautical
miles) n/m = nautical miles
Day 79 - May 18 (19:00 GMT) 15:40:01N 51:22:26W 15 miles (24 km) (13 n/m)
Day 78 - May 17 (19:00 GMT) 15:43:26N 51:09:29W 20 miles (33 km) (18 n/m)
Day 77 - May 16 (18:00 GMT) 15:50:24N 50:52:44W 28 miles (45 km) (24 n/m)
Day 76 - May 15 (19:00 GMT) 15:50:35N 50:27:22W 16 miles (25 km) (14 n/m)
Day 75 - May 14 (19:00 GMT) 15:48:36N 50:13:30W 19 miles (30 km) (16 n/m)
Day 74 - May 13 (19:00 GMT) 15:52:01N 49:57:11W 18 miles (29 km) (15 n/m)
Day 73 - May 12 (19:00 GMT) 15:51:04N 49:41:10W 20 miles (33 km) (18 n/m)
Day 72 - May 11 (19:00 GMT) 15:38:28N 49:28:16W 14 miles (22 km) (12 n/m)
Day 71 - May 10 (19:00 GMT) 15:35:13N 49:16:23W 13 miles (21 km) (12 n/m)
Day 70 - May 09 (19:00 GMT) 15:37:01N 49:04:34W 14 miles (22 km) (12 n/m)
Day 69 - May 08 (19:00 GMT) 15:40:12N 48:52:41W 8 miles (13 km) (7 n/m)
Day 68 - May 07 (19:00 GMT) 15:39:43N 48:45:11W 14 miles (22 km) (12 n/m)
Day 67 - May 06 (19:00 GMT) 15:37:01N 48:33:14W 21 miles (33 km) (18 n/m)
Day 66 - May 05 (19:00 GMT) 15:28:55N 48:16:41W 33 miles (52 km) (28 n/m)
Day 65 - May 04 (19:00 GMT) 15:22:44N 47:48:07W 31 miles (50 km) (27 n/m)
Day 64 - May 03 (19:00 GMT) 15:16:52N 47:20:42W 38 miles (61 km) (33 n/m)
Day 63 - May 02 (19:00 GMT) 15:16:19N 46:46:44W 39 miles (63 km) (34 n/m)
Day 62 - May 01 (19:00 GMT) 15:16:41N 46:11:35W 47 miles (76 km) (41 n/m)
Day 61 - Apr 30 (19:00 GMT) 15:28:48N 45:31:12W 35 miles (56 km) (30 n/m)
Day 60 - Apr 29 (19:00 GMT) 15:35:13N 45:00:32W 37 miles (60 km) (32 n/m)
Day 59 - Apr 28 (19:00 GMT) 15:37:12N 44:27:18W 41 miles (66 km) (36 n/m)
Day 58 - Apr 27 (19:00 GMT) 15:36:07N 43:50:17W 43 miles (69 km) (37 n/m)
Day 57 - Apr 26 (19:00 GMT) 15:46:12N 43:13:05W 48 miles (77 km) (42 n/m)
Day 56 - Apr 25 (19:00 GMT) 15:48:11N 42:29:53W 42 miles (68 km) (37 n/m)
Day 55 - Apr 24 (19:00 GMT) 15:58:26N 41:53:28W 41 miles (66 km) (35 n/m)
Day 54 - Apr 23 (18:00 GMT) 16:00:18N 41:16:41W 32 miles (51 km) (27 n/m)
Day 53 - Apr 22 (19:00 GMT) 16:08:10N 40:49:19W 33 miles (53 km) (28 n/m)
Day 52 - Apr 21 (19:00 GMT) 16:17:49N 40:21:32W 41 miles (66 km) (36 n/m)
Day 51 - Apr 20 (17:00 GMT) 16:24:04N 39:44:49W 39 miles (62 km) (33 n/m)
Day 50 - Apr 19 (20:00 GMT) 16:34:16N 39:11:38W 39 miles (62 km) (33 n/m
Day 49 - Apr 18 (19:00 GMT) 16:34:16N 38:36:47W 33 miles (53 km) (29 n/m)
Day 48 - Apr 17 (19:00 GMT) 16:26:13N 38:07:55W 28 miles (46 km) (25 n/m)
Day 47 - Apr 16 (18:00 GMT) 16:30:50N 37:42:36W 28 miles (46 km) (25 n/m)
Day 46 - Apr 15 (19:00 GMT) 16:37:26N 37:17:46W 31 miles (50 km) (27 n/m)
Day 45 - Apr 14 (19:00 GMT) 16:44:42N 36:50:46W 25 miles (40 km) (22 n/m)
Day 44 - Apr 13 (19:00 GMT) 16:55:12N 36:30:58W 44 miles (71 km) (38 n/m)
Day 43 - Apr 12 (19:00 GMT) 17:07:41N 35:28:08W 24 miles (39 km) (21 n/m)
Day 42 - Apr 11 (19:00 GMT) 17:07:41N 35:28:08W 24 miles (39 km) (21 n/m)
Day 41 - Apr 10 (18:00 GMT) 17:15:47N 35:07:44W 18 miles (30 km) (16 n/m)
Day 40 - Apr 09 (19:00 GMT) 17:26:20N 34:55:12W 23 miles (37 km) (20 n/m)
Day 39 - Apr 08 (19:00 GMT) 17:34:59N 34:36:36W 19 miles (30 km) (16 n/m)
Day 38 - Apr 07 (19:00 GMT) 17:36:47N 34:19:48W 21 miles (33 km) (18 n/m)
Day 37 - Apr 06 (19:00 GMT) 17:47:31N 34:04:44W 19 miles (30 km) (16 n/m)
Day 36 - Apr 05 (19:00 GMT) 17:59:28N 33:53:17W 16 miles (25 km) (14 n/m)
Day 35 - Apr 04 (19:00 GMT) 17:58:16N 33:38:56W 16 miles (25 km) (14 n/m)
Day 34 - Apr 03 (19:00 GMT) 17:55:30N 33:24:58W 17 miles (27 km) (15 n/m)
Day 33 - Apr 02 (19:00 GMT) 17:56:31N 33:09:32W 21 miles (34 km) (18 n/m)
Day 32 - Apr 01 (18:00 GMT) 18:04:55N 32:52:30W 16 miles (25 km) (14 n/m)
Day 31 - Mar 31 (19:00 GMT) 18:10:34N 32:39:25W 23 miles (37 km) (20 n/m)
Day 30 - Mar 30 (18:01 GMT) 18:11:56N 32:18:18W 33 miles (53 km) (28 n/m)
Day 29 - Mar 29 (19:00 GMT) 18:04:41N 31:49:30W 32 miles (52 km) (28 n/m)
Day 28 - Mar 28 (19:00 GMT) 18:00:29N 31:20:24W 42 miles (67 km) (36 n/m)
Day 27 - Mar 27 (19:00 GMT) 18:10:16N 30:43:55W 43 miles (70 km) (38 n/m)
Day 26 - Mar 26 (19:00 GMT) 18:24:43N 30:07:26W 35 miles (57 km) (31 n/m)
Day 25 - Mar 25 (19:00 GMT) 18:38:06N 29:38:10W 35 miles (56 km) (30 n/m)
Day 24 - Mar 24 (18:00 GMT) 18:44:35N 29:07:01W 25 miles (40 km) (22 n/m)
Day 23 - Mar 23 (19:00 GMT) 18:47:53N 28:44:20W 29 miles (47 km) (25 n/m)
Day 22 - Mar 22 (19:00 GMT) 18:54:29N 28:18:36W 28 miles (46 km) (25 n/m)
Day 21 - Mar 21 (19:00 GMT) 19:03:43N 27:54:22W 32 miles (52 km) (28 n/m)
Day 20 - Mar 20 (18:00 GMT) 19:24:25N 27:33:58W 29 miles (47 km) (25 n/m)
Day 19 - Mar 19 (19:00 GMT) 19:39:36N 27:12:36W 47 miles (76 km) (41 n/m)
Day 18 - Mar 18 (18:00 GMT) 20:05:35N 26:39:07W 39 miles (63 km) (34 n/m)
Day 17 - Mar 17 (20:00 GMT) 20:22:01N 26:07:44W 54 miles (86 km) (46 n/m)
Day 16 - Mar 16 (19:00 GMT) 20:43:16N 25:23:38W 49 miles (79 km) (43 n/m)
Day 15 - Mar 15 (19:00 GMT) 21:03:47N 24:43:30W 42 miles (68 km) (37 n/m)
Day 14 - Mar 14 (19:00 GMT) 21:36:32N 24:25:12W 53 miles (85 km) (46 n/m)
Day 13 - Mar 13 (18:00 GMT) 22:15:36N 23:59:24W 55 miles (88 km) (48 n/m)
Day 12 - Mar 12 (19:00 GMT) 22:43:44N 23:17:49W 39 miles (62 km) (33 n/m)
Day 11 - Mar 11 (18:00 GMT) 23:02:31N 22:47:46W 44 miles (71 km) (38 n/m)
Day 10 - Mar 10 (18:00 GMT) 23:17:10N 22:09:14W 44 miles (71 km) (38 n/m)
Day 9 - Mar 09 (18:00 GMT) 23:46:41N 21:42:18W 40 miles (64 km) (35 n/m)
Day 8 - Mar 08 (18:00 GMT) 24:17:06N 21:23:42W 37 miles (59 km) (32 n/m)
Day 7 - Mar 07 (19:00 GMT) 24:40:08N 20:59:31W 45 miles (72 km) (39 n/m)
Day 6 - Mar 06 (19:00 GMT) 25:05:31N 20:27:11W 48 miles (77 km) (42 n/m)
Day 5 - Mar 05 (19:00 GMT) 25:38:13N 19:58:44W 53 miles (85 km) (46 n/m)
Day 4 - Mar 04 (19:00 GMT) 26:14:20N 19:27:00W 52 miles (84 km) (45 n/m)
Day 3 - Mar 03 (19:00 GMT) 26:57:36N 19:11:42W 34 miles (54 km) (29 n/m)
Day 2 - Mar 02 (18:00 GMT) 27:14:56N 18:45:14W 33 miles (53 km) (29 n/m)
Day 1 - Mar 01 (18:00 GMT) 27:35:13N 18:22:34W 24 miles (39 km) (21 n/m)
Start day - Feb 28 (13:15GMT) 27:37:48N 17:58:48W Start day
Confused by any of the nautical terms? Visit the Glossary: http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/about_glossary.htm
Send me a short message via my webpage http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
Otherwise email me: mail@bhavik.com

Progress map reported by Argos

Taken at 08.58 am GMT

Taken at 22.42 GMT

Day 79 – Heat, Drogue as Rudder, FreshWater, Kick boxing

18 May, 07 – 22.11    
15.3916N,51.2329W
24 hr progress: 12.2 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 604 Nautical Miles ( 1117 km)
Distance completed: 2625 NM (4856 km)
Wave height: 6-8 ft, Winds: 10-12 knots NE, Bearing: 250-270 degrees.

A low mileage day. One of my toughest days yet.
I was too tired to row effectively last night. I just about managed to get in 4 hours in before the salt sores on my rear started complaining. It's getting harder to sit down for long hours at a time. I do about 45 minutes on, and 15 minutes off. But there is no space to walk around so I just end up going from sitting on a rowing seat to sitting on a different part of the boat.
The self-righting property of the boat (ie: to turn it the right way up again like a kayak in a capsize) depends entirely on the weight distribution (of food, water, equipment) on the boat . Storing more weight below deck and less weight above deck ensures that she is unstable in an overturned position and she rolls over. If the boat capsizes with the cabin doors open, the water entering the cabin will prevent the boat from self righting again – which means the end of the crossing and an SOS.
So the cabin door is sealed shut at all times whether I am inside the cabin or on deck. The trade off to the self-righting capability is that when its too hot on deck to row, it gets even more oppressively hot inside the cabin to sleep. Thus, I'm left with 15 hours in the day between 4.00 pm and 9.00 am to manage my sleeping and rowing.
I try to fit in my tasks to do or general maintenance work in the remaining hours.
I concentrated today on trying to find a replacement for the rudder, to help bring the stern of the boat into the waves. I've put the drogue (sea anchor) out from port quarter and am experimenting with different lengths of line, to see what's most effective. (Note: A few weeks back I put the sea anchor out, varying the length of the trip line so as to partially collapse the anchor. This was not very effective then.)
I've also had to work the water pump manually to produce freshwater as I was down to my last liter. I have no solution in sight for fixing the pump as yet.
In all a very exhausting day. I've struggled through the 12 miles feeling like a one legged man in a kickboxing match. The good news is I will never ever again have to row those same 12 miles that I did today.
B
Confused by any of the nautical terms? Visit the Glossary: http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/about_glossary.htm
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Another hot day

VHF Antenna broken by a wave. On my list to be fixed

Taken at 10.07 GMT. Just starting my night rowing session

Day 78 – Adjusting Ballast, Finding weight

17 May, 07 – 21.33    
15.4320N,51.1083W
24 hr progress: 16.2 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 615 Nautical Miles ( 1137 km)
Distance completed: 2613 NM (4938 km)
Wave height: 10 ft, Winds: 15 knots NE, Bearing: 270 degrees.
(Sorry for the short post today. Just very tired.)

Yesterdays trend of rolling waves continued into early this morning before dying out around 6.00 am and it was back to rowing in a very confused sea.
I am back to 16.2 nautical miles today which is better than expected. I have mentally prepared my self to expect an average of 15 nautical miles per day – rowing without a rudder so what ever extra mileage I gain above that helps improve the atmosphere on board.
I am finding it a bit stressful trying to keep the boat on course. To achieve a straight line progress of 15 miles, I have to row a lot more to make up for zig zag path of the boat and course corrections.
The the leak forced me to empty the three storage compartments at the stern earlier on. As a result of the lighter stern, it been more difficult to keep the rear into the waves as it gets frequently lifted out and slammed back down with the force a passing wave.
The good news is that my last fix to the water leak is holding up well. Its reduced to a trickle, which I bail out every few days rather than everyday.
So, I spent the day trying to resolve this weight issue by desperately trying to find items on board that I could use to put some weight back into the storage compartments in the stern.
I went through everything on board and I've managed to add about 80 kg in weight to the stern made up by:
- gas canisters, cooking stuff, tools, spare parts for equipment – that I don't think I will need till I reach Antigua
- all the saved rubbish consisting of plastic, tin and glass packaging packaging from the food consumed on board (this had been saved to be disposed off in Antigua in an environmentally friendly way.)
- bottles sun creams, lotions etc
- empty jars and bottles -refilled with sea water
The overall weight of the boat is still considerably light. However, the extra 80 kg at the stern should make some difference.
At least, I will not have to sleep in the furtherest corner of the boat trying to use my body weight to keep the stern down.
B
Confused by any of the nautical terms? Visit the Glossary: http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/about_glossary.htm
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the bottom of the wave

Surfing down the back

Taken at 22.38 GMT. The world looks better in colour.

Day 77 – Big Rollers, Kenny G, Physical Health

16 May, 07 – 21.47    
15.5005N,50.555W
24 hr progress: 25.3 Nautical Miles (1 nm = 1.85 km)
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 628 Nautical Miles ( 1161 km)
Distance completed: 2589 NM (4789 km)
Wave height: 10-15 ft, Winds: 15-18 knots NE, Bearing: 270 degrees.

25.3 miles. What a day!. After the rain early morning, the gray sky cleared up around mid morning. The wind picked up. And the small waves turned into big rollers – long and consistent 15 foot waves. The big rollers make near perfect conditions for rowing – just as long as they don't break over the boat. They travel in a long row, like a watery mountain range, with about 50 meters in between waves, where the water turns into a flat patch until the next wave arrives.
I managed to get more mileage today by surfing down the top of the waves to gain speed and using the momentum to get across the flat calm between the waves. Rowing without the rudder to hold the stern into the wave is a bit nerve wracking, as the occasional wave hitting the side sends the boat sliding across the surface at a near 45 degree angle.
Now, what I usually do when rowing is that I choose a genre of music depending on my mood and let the ipod play songs it chooses at random. Today, I happened to choose Jazz in the hope of taking the edge off the stress a little. Anyway, Kenny G came on some time into the rowing session. My first reaction was to reach for the skip button. But since I had my hands on the oars and had a good rowing momentum going and its a bit fiddley to get the ipod out of the waterproof casing - I let Ken play on. Which was a mistake I had to endure for an hour. Somehow listening to Kenny G on a boat, while it rose and fell 10 ft felt somewhat like being stuck in an elevator that kept going up and down between two floors. I must say however, that I did have a few amusing moments imagining how elevators and hotel lobbies have single-handedly destroyed Kennys music career. So, looks like Kenny did prove useful in taking the mind off the waves in the end.
I've had a lot of messages wondering about the status of my physical health. I'm not sure where to start, but I suppose the top is a good place as any. So here you go. A status report in top-down order-
Hair: It's quite encrusted with sea salt. I'm saving all my fresh water for drinking and so haven't been able to wash any off the salt out of it. The hair is starting to catch on the strips of Velcro on the cabin wall – so that gives you a good idea of its current texture.
Eyes: Hurt from the endless hours of looking at the distant horizon as I row. I have to keep the sun glasses on all day. Looking for long periods at a large reflective area of water is stressful on the eyes. I've been using SunSensor lenses from Corning, which have been performing exceptionally well.
Hands – A few sores on the hands from rowing. The biggest problem I have is that they are starting to claw out – ie: freeze in a curved position – just the way I hold the oar handles for 12 hrs a day. It takes constant effort to straighten them out after and before each session. Over the past few weeks it's worsened and it makes simple tasks like eating, writing and typing on the laptop difficult to perform.
Legs – A few bruises scraping against nails etc. I can feel the leg muscles wasting away due to the lack of walking.
Skin on back - The sea water breaking thru the hatch has left salt crystals all over the mattress and sleeping bag. As a result I've got plenty of salt stores and thousands of small scratches on the skin because of sliding around (due to the movement of the boat) while sleeping on a salty mattress.
Skin on shoulder – The deck harness that I wear at all times has been cutting into the skin. I have recently changed to attaching a safety line around my waist instead.
Skin on feet - The skin on my feet is starting to rot as its constantly wet.
General Muscles – The soreness has reduced from the time I started to present. The muscles have got used to the repetitive workload and aches and pains are few – or the case is I have gotten used to them. I try and vary my rowing position to increase the range of activity. Using the water pump to produce water and swimming also helps to work out a different set of muscles.
Rear – I have a few serious callouses and boils from sitting down on a rowing seat so much. I've got two which are bleeding. I try to vary the padding on the seat so as to shift the body weight away from the boils. Sitting down really hurts and there is no real solution but to endure it and KBO 'til Antigua.
Weight: It feels like I have lost about 15 kilos in body weight. I was 100 at the start. The food ration packs are high in carbs – like pasta and rice. However, I find my body craving more proteins than carbohydrates. I've increased my intake of protein to 5 protein shakes a day of PowerBar FitMaxx protein power and cretin.
Overall, I feel very healthy. It's great to be out here in the absence of pollution, cigarette smoke and dust. The air is fresh and the exercise feels good.
In the scheme of things, the physical discomforts I have are trivial. I can quite easily endure them. The mental discomfort is a bit harder to manage and I will write a bit more about that in a following post.
In the meantime, the extreme Atlantic weight loss program continues...
/ B
Confused by any of the nautical terms? Visit the Glossary: http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/about_glossary.htm
Send me an SMS message (up to 160 chars) via my satellite phone 881631582692 by going to http://messaging.iridium.com/
Or you can post me a much longer personal message via my webpage http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
Otherwise email me: mail@bhavik.com (I won't be able to check until I hit land)

Salt sores on my back

PowerBar FitMaxx - the best protein on both sides of the Atlantic. :) Thanks to the team at PowerBar Europe, Germany. PowerBar Europe is the Official Supplier of protein supplments for this crossing.

Hanging with the phone outside the cabin to upload this while keeping an eye out for waves. Solarpanels on the roof prevent reception inside the cabin.