Wednesday, May 23, 2007

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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md-070523_1vhffixed

VHF antenna, which was damaged by a wave, rewired and fixed with generous helpings of sticky tape. My engineering degree finally came in handy.

md-070523_2clouds

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

md-070523_3sset

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

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