Saturday, March 31, 2007

Day 31 – 1 Month complete

31 Mar, 07 – 21.30    
18.0402N,32.5371W
24 hr progress: 14.3 Nautical Miles


A spot of relative good news anyway. Been experimenting all night to find a solution to the NW drift while the boat is not being rowed. After a lot of trial and error and GPS watching, I've managed to find a solution. I've turned the boat beam on into the wind and shifting some of the weight to the stern. I've put out two large fenders as well on the port quarter to increase drag on that side, to prevent the boat swinging around. If the wind stays the same, this will buy some time 'til I have completed my work on the rudder.
A slow news day on the progress front, but I've manged to correct course again and am heading in the right direction. I've dropped the idea of trying to use the drogue after yesterday's failed experiments and instead focusing on modifying the existing rudder. Changing the hinges and locking nuts, sawing a part off to reduce surface area, putting some foam padding into the hinges to absorbed some of the vibration and adding additional lines to hold it. Having additional lines to adjust the height of the rudder in the water depending on the wave conditions would be a “nice to have” feature that I will try and add on.
By comparison, quite an active day on the wildlife front. Was greeted this morning by an array of dead flying fish on deck, that must have landed sometime during the night. During the day, one can never get tired of watching these fish jump around 4 feet into the air to escape a pair of hungry jaws chasing it. But as with everything, from time to time, things go wrong and they end up flopping around on the deck of a boat.
Just as I was getting my sleep in before my next rowing session, I was woken up by a massive noise underneath the boat with what sounded like people knocking on the underside of the boat. I went on deck, to find the boat in a whirlpool of water, with just hundreds of Doradas circling the hull at top speed. Hundreds of huge silver fish, at least about a meter and a half each, jumping out of the water and racing around the hull and inadvertently slamming into the hull.
I can only guess that they must be being chased by a shark or some other predator in the vicinity for a few seconds underneath the boat that woke me up in the evening as I was getting my sleep. Dorada's that have been accompanying me over the past few days went crazy as I was having my coffee in the evening. Probably being chased by a shark or a dolphin. Could not see any fins in the water so I jumped in to get a few quick underwater photos of them.
In alternate onboard activity, I had a bit of a food hunt and discovered a small treasure of a few packs of olives left, 3 tins of peaches and a jar of Nutella. As I had whipped my way thru the tinned food the past month (in order to lighten the boat), I had resigned myself to eating monotonous freeze dried ration packs of food. So this find was much welcomed.
Will post my 1 month recap here shortly.
Thanks for the messages, they make a big difference,
B
md-070331_1flyingfish
Flying fish taken a wrong turn
md-070331_2dorada
Doradas under the boat
md-070331_3dorada
More Doradas being chased

Friday, March 30, 2007

Day 30 – Drifting North, Lost milage

30 Mar, 07 – 21.30
18.1285N,32.2066W
24 hr progress: 29.1 Nautical Miles

Jolly pleased with my performance of 29.1 NM miles, taking into account the absence of a rudder. It's been twice as hard rowing without.
The boat has a tendency to start drifting towards the NW when left unattended. This usually happens when I stop for a meal, get some rest etc.
I've lost about 12 nautical miles of progress towards SW (drifted NW instead) since I've taken the rudder out. From a psychological perspective, coping with the hopelessness of losing mileage at times gets very frustrating and hard to deal with in terms of staying motivated.
Changing the focus back to finding a solution to the rudder, I have been working my way thru the different options. Option 1: Putting a drogue from the stern Option 2: rowing without a rudder Option 3: fixing the existing rudder Option 4: fitting the spare rudder Option 5: Adjusting the ballast.
I've experimented with putting the drogue on a 30m line out from the stern. It gets the stern into the waves, but there is way too much drag and progress is very slow - less than 0.5 kt. I also tried to partially collapse the drogue using the trip line, so as to reduce the drag but that did not work out too well either. So, the drogue being a non-starter, rowing without the rudder seems to be the only option for now.
It's going to take me a little while to adjust the original rudder, fix the screws, hinges and possibly saw a bit off it, so as to reduce the surface area and thus the wave pressure on it.
In our other story of the day, the beard is coming along fine a-la-castaway. The beard's one month anniversary comes up tomorrow which also happens to be the day I complete one month at sea. So we will be having a joint celebration onboard with some aquavit.
The wind started to drop as advertised and I expect it to reach around 10 knots over the weekend, so will be getting as many miles in as possible tonight.
More tommorow,
B & Miss Olive
md-070330_1beard
Ah! Ze Beard

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Day 29 – No rudder. Beam on Scotty!.

29 Mar, 07 – 21.30    
18.0495N,31.5127W


24 hr progress: 28.1 Nautical Miles
A very nervous night spent without the rudder. Sitting in the dark cabin with all hatches closed, trying to anticipate an imminent capsize.
Without the rudder, the boat is beam on to the waves. Nasty waves, about 7 ft from crest to trough. Rolling from side to side with the gunwales just 4 inches over the water.
The balance of the boat feels very different. She is still quite heavy, which is good. I've moved a few more heavy items, such as rope, tool kit etc from the front cabin to the water tight compartments in the hull. In order to get as much weight as possible down below. Ran the water maker as well, to fill up the water tank, so as to increase the ballast.
Progress has dropped off a bit without the rudder. I am finding it incredibly hard to steer any kind of course without the rudder. It still takes me around 15 mins to bring her around to the right bearing and any gain is usually lost while surfing down the next couple of waves.
As I was having my coffee on the deck at sunset the radar alarm started to go off. I am near the New York – Cape town shipping lane, so I suspected it was a cargo ship or tanker en route to or from NY.
I got on the VHF, but no response at all. Channel 16 none. Channel 13 none. The mast appeared on the horizon, about 2 miles off the port bow and the radio was finally answered by a lookout on the bridge. Turned out to be a Russian cargo ship, heading for New York. A negative response to my visibility on their radar. Quite worrying. I hope to check the radar reflector with another passing ship to make sure its not a problem with the radar reflector. A happy ending to the story this time however.
Seeing the ship made a good break in the monotony of watching the water desert around.
Weather forecast for the next few days is looking good (thx Erden)
Mar 29, am 20 kt ENE, pm 20 kt ENE
Mar 30, am 20 kt NE, pm 15 kt NE
Mar 31, am 15 kt
Apr 01, am 10 kt
Must get cracking on the repairs,
watch this space,
B
md-070329_1barnicles
Barnicles on the stern
md-070329_2leaningout
Leaning out of the rear hatch
md-070329_3russiantanker
sign of human life!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Day 28 – State of fear, Rudder out

28 Mar, 07 – 21.30    
18.0084N,31.2212W

24 hr progress: 34.8 Nautical Miles
My worst night so far. The waves have been merciless all night, breaking against the stern.
As I sleep in the hatch, my head is right up against the other side of the fiberglass back that holds the rudder. Just 2 inches of fiberglass and plywood between me and the waves. The sound is deafening each time a wave hits. First there is an eerie silence and a drop in activity. No waves to be heard as the Atlantic silently re-gathers its troops for the next assault. It's dark outside, so there is no indication of where the wave is, unless the foam can be seen in the moonlight. Within a few minutes there is the sound of foam and white water as the crest of the wave starts to break and tons of water come tumbling down towards the stern. 2 seconds later, it hits the stern with a resounding crash. Being inside the hatch is like being inside a guitar. With no escape.
As the wave passes under the boat, it lifts the boat up about 6 feet before there is another crash as the stern drops back into the water, shaking the whole boat. In the meanwhile, the tiller lines from the stern are creaking and rubbing against the side as they start to chaff under the stress. I have wedged them tight with whatever I could get hold of. At this moment, there is a tin of peas and a bottle of deodorant on the port side. On the starboard side, there is another tin of peas (I never liked peas anyway), a bottle of mouthwash and an empty can of peaches.
Around 4.00 am the vibrations got significantly worse. They come and go in fits and starts. They stop for about 20 minutes after I have adjusted the tiller lines start shortly after. It's pitch dark. I struggle to squeeze myself out of the rear hatch, which is too small for me to maneuver. Finally get both my hands free and leaning out of the hatch. Here I am in the dark, hanging out of the rear hatch with a torch, hoping it's just a large fish under the boat that is causing all the problems, while looking for any cracks in the stern.
It's impossible to continue the journey living in fear of the rudder, so I finally decide to take the rudder out. Easier said than done. One of the challenges of sailing alone is that everything takes twice as long as you try and figure out how to hold things in place and the order of activity to do a task.
As there is no-one around to hold the rudder, I first tie the top of the rudder securely to the stern. Next, tie another line around the rudder and throw the rest of the coil over the top hatch so that it lands in the boat. Close the hatch in case a wave breaks thru and go back to the front of the boat. Secure the second line (tied to the rudder). Release the tiller lines from the cleats.
Good. Now the rudder is secured to the boat and will not be lost if it floats away. Go back into the cabin and squeeze out of the rear hatch. Take the pair of pliers. Dismantle the foot steering. Dammit, It's rusted tight with sea water. Put some WD40. Loosen it trying not to drop the parts into the sea below. Remove the line attaching the rudder to the foot steering. Next remove the top pin of the rudder. Good. Pull the tiller lines and secure them around the rudder. Undo the first line that secures the rudder to the stern. Good. Now there is only one line securing the rudder to the boat. Wait for the boat to drop into a trough. Watch out for a breaking wave. Watch the hands. Quickly lift the rudder off the pins. Good. Set the rudder to float in the water, making sure it is tied to the boat. Good. Close the rear hatch. Back out of the cabin and onto the deck. Pull the rudder in using the second line.
After 3 hrs the rudder is finally out!
B
md-070328_1rudderremoved
Damaged rudder on deck

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Day 27 – Rudder or not

27 Mar, 07 – 21.30    
18.0956N,30.4551W
24 hr progress: 36.6 Nautical Miles


A massive day today with fantastic progress in the right direction, thanks to the large waves.
I've been thinking of removing the rudder but re-considering my decision, based on the fast progress I am making. Having the rudder, helps the boat maintain its direction while surfing down a wave and helps keep the stern into the wind. Without the rudder, the boat will go beam on to the waves and I run the risk of capsizing.
Last night was a bit of a nightmare, with heavy waves breaking on the boat and the rudder threatening to pull the fiberglass out of the back of the boat. Unless I can think of a fix within the next 24 hrs the rudder will have to come out.
I usually try to take a photo a day, for the log book. Today, my adventure in the world of photography had an unfortunate ending, as I decided to try the so called cool sounding Multi Burst mode on the camera. Just out of pure inquisitiveness.
The boat was heaving and falling as I hung out of the back hatch trying to take a photo of a wave rising over the boat. So anyway, this feature, as I correctly assumed (from the name), the Multi Burst mode takes simultaneous photos at very very fast intervals, thus reducing the blur effect you would normally get with a moving subject.
The result: I have a 4x4 matrix of passport size photos, showing a wave progressively crashing over the boat.
I cannot figure out how to publish it as just one photo nor can I think of any uses for a passport photo of a wave. I've posted it up here anyway. Since its too dark outside to take any other pictures for the day. So here you go.
Signing off with aching arms,
B
To send a SMS message to my satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
md-070327_1waveppf
Wave passport photo

Monday, March 26, 2007

Day 26 – In the 30's

26 Mar, 07 – 21.45    
18.2371N,30.9877W


24 hr progress: 29 Nautical Miles
Big day today! Crossed the 30 degree W meridian!. What a great psychological lift. After the slow progress last week, I was starting to think I still had one mooring line attached to the marina at La Restinga.
Sky continues to be overcast, with the sun and moon hidden behind the clouds. Had a bit of rain this morning to add to the condensation in the cabin. The sea has been a dull grey color all day, making it feel more like rowing on an oil slick rather than water. Wildlife has disappeared again.
I've been so caught up with putting the miles in that I've hardly realized the time go by. Looking forward to a small celebration at the 1 month anniversary.
Life on board is good. Whipping my way thru the tinned food first, so as to lighten the weight. Wish I had brought more tins of fruit though. I think I have just enough to last me for another 3 weeks or so, as I am eating about 2 a day. I reckon the boat is about 50 kilos lighter over the past three weeks, judging by the food and water consumed.
Well that's all for now, keep the messages coming, any form of contact is much appreciated!
Cheers,
B
To send a SMS message to my satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
md-070326_1overcast
Overcast

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Day 25 – Flying Fish & Route

25 Mar, 07 – 21.30    
18.3689N,29.4063W


24 hr progress: 29.4 Nautical Miles
Last night's squall brought favorable winds, pushing me further SW. A bit better mileage with the rudder in a neutral position. The rudder is still problemo numero uno. I had to go out on deck several times last night to tighten the tiller lines and then lean out of the rear hatch to tighten the lashing around the rudder. As I was hanging out of the rear hatch, a large wave came thru, putting an end to my plans for getting any sleep for the rest of the night.
This morning, I found a flying fish on deck that must have jumped in over the side of the boat
As routine dictates, Sunday, is also my day for looking at the weekly progress and if I need any course corrections.
In a prefect world, I would me making a fairly straight line route to Antigua at 17N and 61W. However, taking the winds and current into account, the route plan is to continue SW to 15N and then head W using the prevailing easterly winds at 45W. Finally, making a SE approach to Antigua from from 55W using the South South – Easterly winds and WNW current.
This is of course, assuming that I have managed to resolve the rudder issue over the next few days.
Bracing for more rain tonight, and hoping and praying that I don't have to go about adjusting the rudder in the night.
(Erden, Rune & Tiny – thanks for the help).
B
To send a SMS message to my satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
md-070325_1fff
the first flying fish found onboard

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Day 24 – Repairs fail & heavy weather expected

24 Mar, 07 – 21.50    
18.4352N,29.1038W


24 hr progress: 23 Nautical Miles
Yesterdays repairs did not hold up with the rough weather at night. Been spending all day to try and find a way to strengthen the rudder hinges. The 3 pins on which the rudder rests are fitted into the fiberglass stern. I spent an hour today watching the rudder underwater as well as out, trying to figure out the cause of the problem. My analysis is that the force of the water on the rudder has caused one of the pins that go into the fiberglass to come loose. As a result, when the waves are rough, there is excessive pressure on the rudder. I fear that the vibration of the rudder my rip the holding pin off the back of the stern leaving a large hole in the stern. Would not be nice to be bailing water out all the rest of the way across the Atlantic.
So, I'm trying to take the pressure off the stern pins using ropes and additional tiller lines to the rudder.
I've made a slight improvement on yesterdays solution by wedging the tiller lines even tighter using 2 pieces of plywood and tin cans. I'm expecting worse weather tonight with some rain so hoping this solution holds.
I've given up trying to steer a course due W due to the pressure on the rudder and instead row SW with the wind with the rudder back in its central position. Hopefully this will get the mileage back into the 30's.
Thanks to all for the messages,
B

md-070324_1overcast
overcast :(
md-070324_2squall
a bit squally

Friday, March 23, 2007

Day 23 – Rudder problems

23 Mar, 07 – 21.30    
18.4745N,28.4640W


24 hr progress: 25.5 Nautical Miles
Distance to Antigua (Straight line): 1882 Nautical Miles
The winds has started to pick up a bit, reaching around 25 knots. The rudder continues to be a problem.
I spent most of the day trying to lash the rudder together with rope, tightening the cable that leads from the rudder to the foot steering and adding additional tiller lines.
I've been steering a course of 270-300 degrees across waves, trying to make progress westwards instead of south west. I suspect this may be the reason for the additional stress on the rudder.
If I was trying to flood the cabin on purpose, I would have been inclined to say that my timing was impeccable. Every time I open the rear hatch to reach out to the rudder, a huge wave comes crashing thru. Its impossible to see this coming, until the very last minute, which in turn is only when I get my head out of the hatch. But as time goes by I am getting better at judging the waves.
This time, I've only had 4 waves break into the cabin as I was trying to lash the rudder with rope. Not enough hours of sunlight to dry the cabin out. So looks like tonight I will be spending the night in my survival suit, as its the only dry place on board.
Expecting a squall tonight, so will see if my repairs hold in the bad weather. As soon as I finish adjusting the ropes, it feels like it's going to hold. Until a huge wave sweeps across the boat in the next hour, undoing all my work. This squall should be a good test. I need a fix good enough to last the rest of the way.
Highlight of the day: Dropping below the 1900 Nautical Mile way point. Only 1882 Nautical miles more to Antigua. ( FYI 1 Nautical mile is 1.85 Km)
To send a SMS message to my satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
md-070323_1roperudder
lashed rudder, temporary fix
md-070323_2rudcables
rudder cables
md-070323_3storm
expecting a bit of bad weather

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Day 22 – 360 degree sunrise and sunset

22 Mar, 07 – 21.32    
18.5299N,28.2027W


24 hr progress: 24.9 Nautical Miles
Distance to Antigua (Straight line): 1908 Nautical Miles
Shoulder is recovering. Still resting it and no rowing last night.
Had an early start this morning at 5am to start rowing just before sunrise. Watching the Sun rise and set uninterrupted all around for 360 degrees is an incredible experience. Not something we get to see in the city.
The wildlife has increased around the boat which makes a good change from the water desert of the past few weeks. Wind has dropped to 10 knots and seas are fairly calm.
Today's also been a double bonus, crossing 1 parallel (18N) and 1 meridian (28W) on the same day.
The hatch needs a bit of house keeping. Wish they had room service in this parts. Wires, protein bars, chargers, maps, books, batteries, sleeping bag all mixed up together.
Holding course and in good spirits.
B
To send a SMS message to my satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
md-070322_1sunrise
part of 360 degree sunrise
md-070322_2sunset
part of 360 degress sunset
md-070322_3hatch
living quarters needs a little house keeping

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Day 21 – Freak wave, 3 weeks complete

21 Mar, 07 – 21.43
19.0197N,27.5622W


24 hr progress: 26.9 Nautical Miles
Distance to Antigua (Straight line): 1930 Nautical Miles
Another amazing day. Wind dropped to about 15 knots with large broad waves with about 100 meters from crest to crest. For the first time in many days, I have been able to see an unbroken horizon. Fantastic 360 degree Sunset and Sunrise. Makes a nice change from being stuck between water mountains.
Been able to keep the boat on a bearing of 260 – 270 deg most of the day.
Still resting the shoulder, so todays progress has been just marginally better by 0.3 miles over yesterdays progress.
The highlight of the day, if you can call it that, was getting caught out by a freak wave that broke over the deck.
So, its my third week complete at sea today and getting used to the routine quite well and learning something new everyday.
The gas burner is not working (its got corroded by the salt water), so I cannot heat any water. Living off cold food. Will try and get it sorted out once I have the rudder problem out of the way. Not too concerned. Getting used to eating food straight out of the tin. I must add though that the metallic taste is an acquired taste. Will get around to replacing the burner once the rudder issue is out of the way).
Have not seen a human being since leaving, and no other contact with the outside world apart from the occasional cargo ship over the vhf radio. What a strange dream like existence.
B
To send a SMS message to my satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
md-070321_1breakingwave
Wave, seconds before it broke over the boat
md-070321_2sunset
Different sunset each day
md-070321_3dusk
Dusk as I have coffee on deck

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Day 20 – Rudder, Shoulder Fish, Diving

20 Mar, 07 – 21.30    
19.2139N,27.3674W

24 hr progress: 26.6 Nautical Miles
Beautiful weather today. Warm, clear skies and a cool breeze. A school of flying fish (the first I have seen) put on a display as I was having my Beef Teriyaki lunch on deck. Around noon, they were chased away by a large group of Doradas and Pilot fish, that kept me company for the next 3 hours. The wild life around the boat is ever increasing as big fish comes to eat the little fish.
The rudder continues to be a problem and the vibrations got particularly bad last night. I took another dive underneath to have a look at it and take some photos of it so I could see the damage. It looks like there is too much stress between the holding pins for the rudder and the fiberglass stern. I'm a bit worried that when the weather gets rough again, it's going to rip the rudder off the fiberglass, leaving a hole in the stern, which also happens to be the back of the water tight cabin.
I will have to find a solution soon. I'm not looking forward to bailing water out of the boat for the next 1900 miles across the Atlantic...
I spent about an hour in the water today to try and fix the rudder. The Doradas and Pilot fish were still around in rudder, in a mass of blue, silver, black and yellow. They were surprisingly tame and came right up to the underwater camera, attracted by the fluorescent float attached to my life line.
I've posted the pictures here, but due to bandwidth restraints, the high resolution images and video will have to wait till I am back on land.
There is always either too much of something or too little of something on the Atlantic. The wind has been Northerly all day with waves heading SW.
Along with the SW Canary Current at 0.5 Knots, I am being pushed more South than desired. Desperately trying to maintain my current position between the 19th and 20th Parallel, at least for the next 800 miles before I gradually drop down to the 17th Parallel on my approach to Antigua. Saturday is my weekly navigation day, so will leave it to then to assess the progress and plan any course corrections for the following week.
With the current conditions, I've been rowing all day mostly one handed (with the port blade only) across waves most of the day, trying to maintain a course due West. I may have exerted it a bit too much as my shoulder just has started complaining. I've taken my first dose of pain killers and rowing has been taken off the itinerary for tonight.
Frustrating progress, only 26.6.Nautical Miles, about 60% of my usual distance.
Thanks to all for the messages, they are very welcome.
B
To send a SMS message to my satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
MD-070320_1fish
Over the side
MD-070320_2rudder
Fish by the rudder
MD-070320_3fish
Dorada and Pilot fish

Monday, March 19, 2007

Day 19 – Dolphins & Progress

19 Mar, 07 – 22.30
19.3858N,27.1516W


24 hr progress: 38.4 Nautical Miles
Stayed up all night on watch and finally established contact with what turned out to be a Polish cargo ship heading towards Ghana. The captain confirmed that he could not see me on his radar, even at 4 miles off starboard, which is quite worrying. Fortunately, we established my position on VHF so that he could alter course. I will consider raising the hight of the radar reflector on the mast. Looks like its not being picked up while the boat is between high waves.
Morning started off as cloudy and raining. Cleared up by afternoon and as I was having lunch on the deck, a pod of Dolphins stopped by. I gave them some of the Lasagne I was eating, but the seem to prefer the pilot fish underneath the boat.
Difficult rowing conditions today with Northerly winds of 30 knots. Have been steering beam on to the waves all day, struggling to maintain a course W. Got a sore back from being thrown off the seat.
A few calculations I made while assessing my progress so far.
Distance from La Restinga to Antigua – 2499 Nautical Miles
Distance from Present position – 1969 Nautical Miles
Total distance rowed to date - 824 Nautical Miles
True Progress – 530 Nautical Miles
The total distance rowed is one measured by the GPS. The true progress is the straight line progress that I have made towards Antigua. The distance rowed is larger that the true progress as I have been tacking to make the most of the wind and the wave direction. Going by the ratio, I am rowing 1.6 nautical miles for every 1 nautical mile towards Antigua. Well, who said progress would be easy?
B.
To send a message on the satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
MD-070319_1crash
Crashing wave
MD-070319_2ondeck
On deck
MD-070317_3trough
The bottom of the water mountain

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Day 18 – 4000 ft of Blue

18 Mar, 07 – 21.35    
20.0243N,26.4336W


24 hr progress: 37.6 Nautical Miles
So, my 18th day of isolation. Gradually starting to loose a sense of place and time as days merge into a big blue background. Maintaining the ships log daily helps maintain a degree of sanity and differentiate each day. I try to set a goal or point of focus each day. Either mileage, speed, crossing a parallel (N), crossing a meridian (W), fixing something on the boat,
Its been getting hotter with the progress to the South, so I took the Sunday afternoon off (not that it matters in the Atlantic!) and had my first swim around the boat. The view, was well just as how I imagined 4000 ft of water would look like over the Cape Verde Abyssal Plain.
Spotted some pilot swimming around the stern, as I swam back to check the rudder. It has been making a noise since last week and looks like one of the holding pins at the bottom has come undone due to the force of the waves on the stern. Fixing it is on my to do list for this week.
Had a very welcome rain shower in the evening, giving me a chance to wash of the salt from the afternoons swim. Sea has decided to turn nasty again and as I type this the radar alarm has gone off its head again. I am about 240 miles North of the Cape Verde Island, so I assume it is a ship on its way to the islands. No response on the VHF once again, so will be on the deck for the next few hours keeping watch.
B
To send a message on the satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/atlantic/messages.htm
MD-070318_1bird
Bird
MD-070318_2sunset
Sunset
MD-070318_3laptop
Uploading the news

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Day 17 – Night rowing

17 Mar, 07 – 21.22    
20.2129N,26.0926W


24 hr progress: 44.51 Nautical Miles
Had a few good hours of rowing last night in solid darkness. Starting to prefer rowing at night as the temperature is a bit cooler than in the day and the starts are more interesting to navigate by than the sun in the day. I find that the body is much more alert to the sound of the wave and the direction in which its approaching. As the boat is just 1 foot above the water, it does not take much for a wave to break over the side, catching me off guard on more than one occasion. Makes rowing more interesting anyway.
Not too shabby on the mileage front today. 44.51 Miles. Highlight of the day was crossing into 26W.
To send a message on the satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
More rowing into the night...
B


MD-070317_1stern
Over the stern
MD-070317_2me
Beard coming along nicely!

Friday, March 16, 2007

Day 16 – Surfing Waves

16 Mar, 07 – 21.34
20.4213N,25.2711W


Note: I take the GPS readings to calculate the 24 hr progress daily at 21.00 GMT. Hence, the 24 hr progress reported by the Argos satellite tracking beacon on the ORS website may vary slightly as it is measured from 12.00 noon. I prefer updating the ships log book at the end of the day so as not to interfere with rowing during the day.
A bit of rain last night at about 02.00 GMT. The days progress has been good, 43.1 nautical miles despite cross waves going SW. The waves are a bit higher today than yesterday, 4-5 meters (12-15 feet). Getting used to surfing down waves. Recorded my highest speed yet, of 6.8 knots.
The rudder lines are starting to chaff due to the hammering of the waves on the rudder. Got 2 massive waves break over the rear hatch and into the cabin while I was leaning out trying to examine the rudder. Impeccable timing as usual ! It soaked everything inside including the mattress and sleeping bag. The Toughbook laptop has survived despite receiving more than its fair share of sea water. The external satellite antenna is no longer working, so I am on the backup system.
If the bad weather takes the weekend off, it will give me a chance to dry out the cabin and some clothes. Till then, it looks like a very soggy Friday night ahead.
B
MD-070316_1sunset
Sunset

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Day 15 – Night watch

15 Mar, 07 – 21.40    
21.0119N,24.4611W


24 hr progress: 42.8 Nautical Miles
The radar alarm was screaming its head off all of last night, as I am currently crossing the Rio de Jenero – Bishop Rock shipping lane. Kept trying the VHF but no response on Ch 16 or Ch 13. No option but to keep watch so rowed all night, as I had to keep up anyway.
Pitch dark with no moonlight, but a brilliant star show out. Much harder to watch the horizon as it is hard to say where the water ends and sky begins and the stars get mistaken for ships light. The boat rising and falling about 3-4 meters (9-10 feet) with the large waves caused by a storm to the North. Only a few seconds at the top of the crest before plunging down again between 2 black walls of water on either side.
Finally saw the the shipping vessel and made contact at about 03.00 GMT. A cargo ship, headed for the English channel, which passed a little too close for comfort.
The sea has been nasty most of the day. More akin to white water rafting that rowing.
Some cloud cover, expecting rain tomorrow.
We're moving in the right direction anyway. In good spirits!
B
Thanks to all for the messages.

MD-070315_1evening
Evening

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Day 14 – 2 Weeks at sea

14 Mar, 07 – 21.23    
21.3318N,24.2644W

24 hr progress: 40.2 Nautical Miles
Distance to Antigua: 2127 Nautical Miles
Distance rowed: 615 Nautical Miles
Today is exactly 2 weeks since I started my fourth attempt to row across the Atlantic.
Last night was rough with waves breaking over the stern and some rain. For the past 2 weeks, the winds have been near gale conditions, around 35 knots, NNE and the wave height around 4 meters (12 feet). Making fair progress SW, but trying to make more progress due W. Cannot row beam on to the waves as much as I would like to due to the wave height and the risk of being capsized.
I'm currently rowing in 4 hour shifts, about 10 – 12 hrs a day. The weather pretty much dictates the routine out here. It's usually from midnight to 4 am or from 3 am to sunrise, then from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm, 4.00 pm to 8.00 pm. The days are getting warmer as I progress towards the south and I find that rowing at night is much more comfortable.
Had a surprise visitor this morning. Found a small black bird taking shelter by the bilge pump by the boat. Guess it had lost its way during the night and was attracted by the nav lights on the boat. Not sure what type it is. Its small and black with webbed feet, does not eat oreo cookies, protein bars, pringles or peanut butter, and has a white stripe on its head. Any guesses?
In case you missed it, the previous post gives a brief summary of the news for the past 13 days.
The ships log book is updated daily at 21.30 GMT. All positions mentioned are taken at 21.00 hrs GMT.
To send a message on the satellite phone visit http://www.bhavik.com/crossatlantic/messages.asp
Well, back to rowing!
B
MD-070314_1bird
Suprise visitor
MD-070314_2rough
Ruff seas

Day 13 – Re-cap PART 2: 08 Mar to 13 Mar

13 Mar, 07 – 21.58
22.1228N,24.0431W

Day 8 - Thu, 8 Mar
N24.14.666, W021.26.286
Fantastic day. Good strong winds. Clear blue sky. Getting settled into a routine. Hands starting to get sore with the rowing. No shower for 1 week as yet. Just using baby wipes.
Day 9 – Fri, 9 Mar
N23.41.331, W021.45.307
No human contact till now. Just the odd conversation on the VHF radio, from ships heading SE towards Africa. Making better progress every day. A lot more settled. Condensation inside the cabin is still a bit problem. It gets really damp at around 4.00 am, impossible to sleep in the dampness, so rather row at that time. Crossed into the 23 rd parallel yest. Its a great psychological lift each time a meridian or parallel is crossed.
Day 10 – Sat, 10 Mar
N23.13.160, W022.14.161
Caught up reading a book that I have been trying to get thru for a while – A true story, Papillon by Henri Cherier. Difficult rowing conditions. Northerly winds all day. Managed about 6 hrs today trying to make progress west. No marine life spotted as yet as the sea is too rough. Took a much needed break.
Day 11 – Sun, 11 Mar
N23.00.673, W022.50.664
The boat took a beating last night by the waves. Woke up this morning to find about 6 inches of water in the bilge from the waves breaking over the side as I set the rudder up in the night to steer the boat W, so its been beam on to the sea. Everything is wet. Tried to dry clothes today and wash off the salt from the skin but each time the clothes got anywhere near dry another wave would break over the side and wet them all over again.
Day 12 – Mon, 12 Mar
N22.41.255, W023.21.381
Woke up this morning to find a larger tanker just about 1/2 mile off starboard. I checked the radar alarm, as it had not gone off all night and found that it was switched off. Must have knocked it off when I hit my head against the control panel. That was a close call. Could have been run over in the night very easily. Very angry with my self for not having double checked it before sleeping. The control panel is right at the entrance to the cabin and I'm often thrown against it with the rocking of the boat. Improvised a switch guard using the cap of a bottle of sun cream and some tape.
Day 13 – Tue, 13 Mar
N22.11.289, W024.03.312
Inching my way westwards. Would have liked to maintain a course between the 23 and 22 paralell, but the Northerly winds are too strong. Tried to get some news on the Short Wave radio. Only channels being picked up are Radio Netherlands and Chinese National Radio. Listened to a 15 minute broadcast about land ownership and property law reforms in China, before giving up on the radio. Its back in storage.
The last bits of fresh fruits are over today. The oranges will be missed. From now its just tins. tins. tins.
MD-070313_1rain

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Day 13 – Re-cap PART 1: 28 Feb to 07 Mar

13 Mar, 07 – 21.48    
22.1128N,24.0331W


For the benefit of those who have not been receiving updates for the past 2 weeks, here is a quick re-cap of the past 2 weeks.
I started my Fourth attempt to row across the Atlantic from La Restinga on the Island of El Hierro.
El Hierro is the smallest and western most of all the Canary Islands, about 50 miles south west of La Gomera. El Hierro was the end of the known world, before Columbus discovered America and the lighthouse just south of La Restinga marks the 0 degree meridian, before it was changed to Greenwich.
The population of the Island is just over 2000 ppl.
La Restinga, with about 300 people, is a small fishing village built next to a harbor created by a volcanic crater.
I was welcomed by gale force winds of around 45 knots upon arrival in La Restinga on the 22nd of Feb. I spent about a week on standby waiting for the winds to drop. They finally eased out to 30 knots at noon on the 28th of Feb. I took the decision to leave at 13.15 GMT despite the still near gale conditions as the time left for us before the start of the hurricane season was running out.
Excerpts from the ships log book:
Start Day – Wed, 28 February entry at 21.30 GMT
N27.38.192, W018.12.829
Good initial progress SW, reaching about 10 miles off shore by 20.00 GMT. Winds starting to drop off again at night. Woke up at night to find boat caught in a strong current pushing the boat back towards the rocky cliffs to the south. Far too close for comfort. Alerted friends at the dive center on the island, to remain on standby in case a rescue was required. Can't believe my bad luck with the currents. I lost 5 days on the last attempt fighting currents around the island. Very angry and frustrated start to the trip.
Day 1 – Thu, 1 Mar
N27.32.453, W018.26.699
Spent most of the night monitoring the GPS and rowing to get away. Still caught in the current and drifting towards shore on the leeward side of the island despite 10 hrs rowing. Looks like a strong 1.5 knot current. All progress made on the first day lost. Still too close to land. Made some progress further south during the day, but the winds are still not strong enough as I am stuck on the leeward side of the island.
Day 2 – Fri, 2 Mar
N027.05.710, W018.57.847
Getting pushed closer and closer to land judging by the lighthouse. Been rowing all night again to move out into the winds, that should pick up in the morning. Angry enough to just throw the towel and call it a day. Finally caught the winds at about 25 knots and have started moving away from land. Woken up from my afternoon sleep by a sortie of fighter jets flying low overhead at supersonic speeds. As if I needed a reminder of how slow I was going. Making progress in the right direction. Spirits have improved. No time or energy to post updates to the web. It will have to wait. Not eaten much apart from a few bars of protein.
Day 3 – Sat, 3 Mar
N26.53.285, W019.12.077
Big day today. Finally lost sight of land around 11.00 am. Crossed the my first meridian, W 019 degrees at 03.24 HRS GMT and crossed my first parallel, N26 degrees at 15.24 GMT. Out in the open Atlantic. 2500 nautical miles between me and Antigua. Much more relaxed now that the islands are out of the way. Celebration with a 1 miniature of Jagermiester. Brief phone call to Rune to relay the good news and check the weather forecast. Based on the weather forecast, I'm expecting high winds for the next few days as there is a low pressure system moving into the North.
Day 4 – Sun, 4 Mar
Rough seas. Waves 4-5 meters (12-15 feet) breaking over the top of the boat. Lost the external satellite antenna to a big wave. Visited by a sea bird at night, possibly lost or tired. Kept slipping off the plexi glass hatch in the high winds and ended up scraping up the solar panels. A bit of amusement for the evening. Did not get much sleep as the sound of the waves crashing into the side of the boat kept waking me up. The fiberglass is only around 1 inch and the noise is incredibly loud.
Day 5 – Mon, 5 Mar
N25.53.963, W019.43.647
Large breaking waves with lots of white horses. No let up in the weather. Lost first pair of navigation lights to a wave. Appetite picking up. Had my first decent (sort of) meal since leaving. A tin of Argentinian corned beef and toast and with Chocolate cake for dessert.
Day 6 – Tue, 6 Mar
N25.15.470, W020.14.782
Rough and windy. Waves from all directions. Difficult rowing conditions. Mostly steering with oars. The sleeping mats that I bought in Tenerife are not very good. I've got 1 neoprene, 3 foam rubber and 1 inflatable stacked together to sleep on. The movement of the boat keeps making them slide all over the place. Got thrown to the sides of the boat a couple of times last night. A few cuts and bruises. Another issue to be fixed.
Day 7 – Wed, 7 Mar
N24.34.967, W021.05.406
Lost second replacement of navigation lights. Rudder starting to make a noise. Had a small celebration to mark my first week at sea with a whole pack of chocolate chip cookies.
MD-070228_1larestng
Stormy coast at El Hierro
MD-070303_1fullmoon
Full moon at sea