Sunday 10th January

dawnysmiff
7 days ago
2 min read

(Covering the last 24 hours)

We’ve had another dip in mileage, but we’re not overly concerned. We’re planning to scrub the bottom of the boat again shortly, and with some decent wind on the way, we know things will pick up.

We’ve been sitting second in our class (Mixed) for most of the row. The next boat is now just a mile behind us, so hopefully the hull clean will help us pull away again. I keep saying we’re not racing — which we genuinely aren’t — but it’s impossible not to feel a bit competitive when you can physically see the boats around you gaining or pulling away. Ocean rowing has a funny way of messing with your head like that.

🚣‍♂️ A Pringles-Fuelled Encounter

Talking of seeing other boats — we came within one nautical mile of Jake last night. One of our solo rowers and a genuinely lovely guy.

We remembered watching him pack his boat before the start — including a full-size tube of Pringles for every day of his 50-day row. Naturally, we had to ask how many he had left. Turns out he’s been smashing one tube per day, because he still has 23 tubes remaining!

If this had been a daytime encounter, we might have crept a bit closer, gone full pirate, boarded his boat and liberated his Pringle supply.

Jokes aside, it was really good to see him and hear a friendly voice in the middle of all this.

Keep going, Jake — I am very aware you’re ahead of us at the moment!!

☀️ Looking Ahead

Today looks like it’s going to be a sunny one, which means making water and recharging all our equipment — always a good feeling when the batteries are happy.

I’ll finish with a quote that feels pretty relevant out here:

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.

Onwards, one step… or one stroke… at a time.

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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