Thursday 9th July- Day 14
- dawnysmiff
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The Past 24 Hours
Yesterday wasn’t quite the glorious sunny day we’d been hoping for, but it was a definite improvement.
The sun never fully broke through the cloud, but there was enough light filtering through to keep our solar panels charging the batteries. After days of gloom, even that felt like a victory and gave us hope that brighter days are finally on the way.
The conditions themselves were a bit of a mixed blessing.
There was very little wind and hardly any current, which made for another proper slog on the oars. Every mile had to be earned the hard way. But there was one big upside…
No wind meant no Five Minute Wave!
For the first time in days I managed to finish a rowing shift without being completely drenched just before climbing back into the cabin. It’s amazing how something so simple can feel like such a luxury.
Last night, for the first time in what seems like forever, I actually caught a glimpse of a few stars through breaks in the cloud.
One of the easiest constellations to spot was Cassiopeia. It’s shaped like a giant “W” in the sky, making it a great one for finding your bearings. In Greek mythology, Cassiopeia was a queen whose vanity got her into trouble with the gods, and she was placed amongst the stars where, depending on the season, she appears to circle around the North Star. Seeing even a handful of stars felt like greeting old friends after so many nights hidden behind fog and cloud.
This morning the sun is actually trying its best to poke through the overcast. It’s still mostly cloudy, but it feels like we’re finally winning the battle.
The coolest thing that happened over the past 24 hours, though, involved our feathered friend.
Remember the bird that has spent the last few days attacking our VHF aerial?
Well…
This morning it landed on my head!
I have now officially named him Berty the Bird.
He seems to have adopted Penny B as his own little patch of ocean. Every time another bird comes anywhere near us, Berty flies out to chase it away before returning to his perch as if he’s standing guard over the boat.
I’m not entirely sure whether we’ve adopted him, or he’s adopted us.
Either way, it’s nice to have another member of the crew.
Dawn
“Together Paul and I are rowing home — the long way round.”
Hometown Row
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