Friday 23rd January
- dawnysmiff
- Jan 23
- 2 min read
(Covering the last 24 hours)
We are now just two days away from Antigua. I won’t lie — we are really looking forward to land and, more specifically, a proper shower. It’s been so relentlessly rainy that stripping off and tipping a cold bucket of water over yourself is not the most enjoyable experience. Invigorating? Yes. Pleasant? Absolutely not.
I am dreaming of a warm shower, for at least ten minutes, with loads of soap. Ohhhh… bliss.
In fact, during one of the recent rain showers, Paul actually got his soap out and had a full-on rain shower wash on deck. Needs must!
🌧️ Damp Everything (Except Spirits)
It really hasn’t stopped raining — one rain cloud after another. Everything is damp. Clothes, gloves, sleeping bags… the lot.
Everything except our spirits, of course.
At this point we’re well on our way to becoming human prunes.
🤝 Neck and Neck
We’re currently neck and neck with Team Force Horizon. We absolutely love these guys — we were berthed next to them in the marina in La Gomera and became good friends. I messaged them to say we miss them so much that we’ve decided to finish at the same time! 😂
⏱️ Tactical Rowing
We’ve deliberately reduced our speed slightly to try and time a daylight arrival on Sunday. If we kept pushing at around 80 nautical miles per day, we’d arrive at about 3am, which isn’t ideal.
So we’re playing it tactically:
Not slow enough for the fleet to overtake us while drinking cocktails on deck
Not fast enough to arrive when everyone sensible is still asleep
Let’s be honest — at 3am, even people who love us might choose a bit more time in bed… and I wouldn’t blame them!
⚡ Mystery Solved
One final little note — my lovely dad, Barry, did some research on the green glow we saw on the aerials after the lightning storm. Turns out I wasn’t imagining it at all. It was caused by the huge amount of electrical energy in the atmosphere and is part of the same family of phenomena as St. Elmo’s Fire, which sailors have been reporting for centuries.
So that’s another thing learned out here — and another reminder of how wild and powerful this environment really is.
And finally… it’s our last Pineapple Friday for this leg. 🍍
Smiling as always — even if a little soggy.
Dawn
“Together Paul and I are rowing home — the long way round.”
Hometown Row
Leg 1 – La Gomera to Antigua
Leg 2 – Antigua to Florida
Leg 3 – Canada to the UK
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