Thursday 23rd July- Day 28
- dawnysmiff
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
It was a bumpy start to the day.
The wind continued to howl through the morning and the rain seemed to be falling straight from the heavens until about 11am. We stayed on the parachute anchor because there was simply no way we could have achieved the course we wanted in those conditions.
Then, almost as if someone flicked a switch, everything began to ease.
The rain stopped.
The wind dropped.
It was finally time to haul the parachute anchor back on board.
Hopefully…
…for the last time.
Although this is the North Atlantic, so we won’t be packing it away too neatly just yet!
As we got underway, the swell left behind by the strong winds was still rolling through. That meant the infamous five-minute wave was always lurking somewhere, just waiting for the perfect moment to drench me before the end of my shift.
Thankfully, the sea was kind.
A small victory, but I’ll happily take it.
By 3pm my shift came to an end and Paul took over. The conditions had settled into light winds, gentle seas and a favourable current. It doesn’t produce spectacular boat speeds, but after the relentless headwinds of the last couple of weeks, it felt wonderfully peaceful.
I climbed into my bunk and simply enjoyed the quiet.
Compared with the crashing, banging and rolling of the previous night, the silence was almost strange.
As I lay there, I could hear Paul’s music playing quietly on deck. I took a deep breath and found myself feeling incredibly grateful.
Grateful that, hopefully, the worst of the battle is behind us.
Grateful that, for the next few days at least, the forecast is finally showing more favourable conditions instead of another endless fight into headwinds.
Of course, we’d quite like a little more wind than we have now to help increase our speed.
But for the moment…
I’ll happily settle for pleasant.
Well…
…as pleasant as living in a tiny box that’s cold, damp and floating in the middle of the North Atlantic can be!
As I write this, it’s around 9am.
There’s very little wind, and the fog has wrapped itself around us once again. Sunrise was about two and a half hours ago, so we’re hoping the warmth of the sun will gradually burn it away.
If it does, we might finally enjoy a full day rowing under blue skies.
Who knows…
…we might even be able to take off one more layer of clothing.
Now that really would feel like summer.
Dawn
“Together Paul and I are rowing home — the long way round.”
Hometown Row
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