Thursday 6th August- Day 42
- dawnysmiff
- Aug 6
- 2 min read
It’s been a pleasant, although fairly slow, 24 hours.
There’s very little wind now, so every mile has to be earned the hard way. It’s back to being a proper slog on the oars, but at least we’re making steady progress.
Yesterday was beautifully sunny, which meant the final bits of kit that got soaked during the knockdown have finally dried out.
It’s amazing how much of a difference dry clothes make to your mood.
The dolphins seem to have become regular visitors now.
They’re the ones with the distinctive white bellies—most likely common dolphins—and they seem to love surfing the bow wave before darting underneath the boat. Even after all these weeks at sea, I still stop to watch them whenever they arrive.
The sea still has a bit of a leftover swell from the stronger winds earlier in the week, but apart from that it’s relatively calm.
As the sun rose this morning, the light reflecting off the water was incredible.
The whole surface looked like it had been poured from liquid mercury, shimmering silver as far as the eye could see.
Last night also brought one of the best night skies of the entire crossing.
I saw the brightest shooting star I’ve ever witnessed.
Normally you only spot them because you’re already looking in the right part of the sky.
This one was so bright it actually caught my attention first.
For anyone wondering, a “falling star” isn’t actually a star at all. It’s usually a tiny piece of rock or dust from space that enters Earth’s atmosphere at enormous speed. As it burns up, it leaves that spectacular streak of light across the sky before disappearing just as quickly as it arrived.
It’s one of those magical moments that only lasts a second…
…but stays with you for much longer.
One thing that’s becoming increasingly exciting is watching our position on the chart.
When I zoom out, the outline of the UK is now starting to appear on the screen.
We still can’t see land with our own eyes yet, but somehow seeing it on the chart makes everything feel much more real.
Home is no longer just an idea.
It’s becoming a destination.
Breakfast this morning is one of my favourites…
Macaroni cheese, with a generous helping of Tabasco stirred through it.
Not everyone’s idea of breakfast, I know, but it certainly works for me!
Looking ahead, the next 24 hours are expected to remain very light, with only gentle winds.
After that, the forecast is showing some southerly winds, which will try to push us north. Our job will be to stop ourselves being carried too far in that direction so we’re perfectly positioned for our final approach towards the UK shoreline.
Every day now feels like another important step.
Home is getting closer.
Dawn
“Together Paul and I are rowing home — the long way round.”
Hometown Row
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