Day 52 – HALF WAY! 2 Milestones, Antigua in Sight.

21 Apr, 07 – 21.30    
16.1741N,40.2301W
24 hr progress: 32.3 Nautical Miles
Distance to Antigua: 2499 Nautical Miles
Distance left to Antigua (straight line): 1229 Nautical Miles ( 2322 km) (1 NM = 1.85 km)
Wave height: 10-12 ft, Winds: 15-20 knots ENE, Bearing: 270 -310 degrees.

At 00.21 GMT last night (morning, 21st Apri), I checked the GPS to find a reading that I have no way of explaining. I was exactly 5 miles short of my halfway point (my first milestone) AND 5 miles short of crossing 40 degrees West (my second milestone). A very unsual co-incidence.
Last night was the big one. After writing on here and 3 protein bars for ' a late snack', I decided to row into my halfway point. With the moon and stars hidden behind the thick cloud cover, I rowed away in the solid darkness.
At just a little before 4.00 am GMT I reached my halfway point, 1250 nautical miles from El Hierro, and crossed 40 degrees W. The two biggest milestones I have been looking forward to since Feb 28.
Since leaving El Hierro, my North Atlantic pilot chart is folded into two sections along the 40 degree W meridian. For the past 51 days, as I have plotted my daily position, the view has been of Europe, Africa and the Canary Islands. Today, I finally turned over the chart and made a little pencil mark, about 1400 nautical miles directly above Brazil. Antigua and the rest of the Caribbean islands are finally within sight. Though I still have 1250 nautical miles to go, it's unbelievable what a great psychological difference it makes to see Antigua finally on the map.
As I sat alone in the solid darkness after crossing the halfway mark, I had a few moments of mixed emotions. Elation - at the thought of making it even halfway this time around, after 3 failed attempts. And sadness - as I know the second half will go much faster than the first and this dream like existence will end.
I am determined to get the jobs on the task list (fixing the watermaker etc) possible and enjoy the last leg of the journey much more.
I will write on here more about my mental and physical state after my 52 days of solitary confinement. For now, I am going to celebrate my half way crossing by trying to get some sleep to make up for no sleep last night. As I type this, its 11.30 pm GMT here.
Celebration was extravagant by on board standards. Fruit. A tin of peaches, a tin of lychees (woohoo!), double ration packs, coffee and the last bit of aquavit. Warm coffee would have been nice, but could not get the Primus to work. Nah worries! Its only 7 weeks away now.
I thought the Half Way point would be a good a day as any to give you all a photo tour of what my typical day on board is like. So here you go. Indulge!.
/ B
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Turning the map over: My North Atlantic Pilot Chart - The Orange land mass on the lower left is Brazil.