Sunday 4th January

dawnysmiff
Jan 4
2 min read

(Covering the last 24 hours)

What a difference a day makes!

From yesterday afternoon into the evening, we finally picked up some wind from behind — and in the right direction. At the moment it’s only around 12 knots, with the odd stronger gust, but it feels like a gift. It’s a million times better than hauling the boat against the wind.

It’s lifted morale on board no end and brought a bit of hope that we might not be out here for months on end…

(that definitely wouldn’t happen — I’m just being dramatic!)

🌕 A Red Moonrise

Near the start of my first evening shift, the moon rose bright red just above the horizon. It really did seem to pop up, and I managed to film it — from first appearance to fully clear of the horizon took just 1 minute and 28 seconds, which felt incredibly fast compared to a sunrise or sunset.

The moon appears red when it’s low because its light has to pass through a much thicker layer of Earth’s atmosphere. The shorter blue wavelengths get scattered away, leaving the warmer reds and oranges — the same reason we get red sunsets.

Although it looks like it rises quickly, the Moon actually moves more slowly across the sky than the Sun. A lunar day (the time between one moonrise and the next) is about 24 hours and 50 minutes, which is why the Moon rises later each day. Out here, with a perfectly flat ocean horizon and no visual reference points, that slow movement feels sudden and dramatic.

It was one of those moments that makes you stop rowing for a second and just watch.

🐦 A Morning Visitor

This morning brought another visit from a long-tailed tropic bird. This time it didn’t collide with the boat — thankfully — but instead circled gracefully overhead.

It came so close at times I could hear its wings flapping, the sound surprisingly loud in the still air. It looked down at me as if asking whether there might be somewhere to land for a rest.

☀️ Small Wins

The sun is out today, happily charging the batteries. The conditions are following, morale is high, and I’m off shift until 1pm.

Breakfast is pulled pork, so honestly… all is good with the world on board the good ship Penny B.

Onwards we go.

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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