Tuesday 14th July- Day 19
- dawnysmiff
- Jul 14
- 2 min read
Another twenty-odd hours of slog...
But finally, a little bit of good news!
Since about 3am, the wind has actually been behind us.
Yee haa!
It's not forecast to last very long, but we'll happily take every minute of it while it's here. After so many days battling headwinds, feeling the boat being gently pushed in the right direction again has given us both a real lift.
The the previous 18hrs, however, was exactly the opposite.
We spent hour after hour rowing into a headwind that, on paper, we probably shouldn't have been able to row against. The only reason we managed it was because we'd positioned ourselves inside a favourable current, which was helping us just enough to keep our bows pointed where they needed to go.
Between 1am and 3am, we made the decision to deploy the parachute anchor again.
Not because we couldn't keep rowing...
...but because we couldn't afford to be blown north and miss the current we'd worked so hard to reach.
Those couple of hours bought us exactly what we needed. Once the wind eased and the timing was right, we hauled the parachute back aboard and got straight back on the oars.
Looking back at the weather charts, I genuinely didn't think we'd be able to hold the position we wanted.
So we're both incredibly proud of ourselves.
It wasn't strength that got us through.
It was good planning, patience and refusing to give in when things weren't going our way.
Sometimes positive energy really does bring positive results.
If you've been following the tracker, you'll notice where we altered course. That's all part of positioning ourselves to take advantage of the weather and currents over the coming days.
Other than that...
There's really not much else to report.
It's still grey.
Still wet.
Still miserable.
We're desperately in need of some sunshine—not just to lift our spirits but to recharge the batteries and finally get some of our kit properly dry. Living in permanently damp clothes and climbing into a damp cabin every few hours definitely loses its novelty!
The forecast for the next 24 hours actually looks quite encouraging.
A bit more helpful wind...
...and maybe, just maybe...
...a little sunshine.
After that the outlook becomes rather uncertain again.
But forecasts are only forecasts.
Out here we've learned that the Atlantic likes to write its own script.
So we'll do what we always do.
Take the next 24 hours as they come...
...and keep rowing home.
---
Dawn
“Together Paul and I are rowing home — the long way round.”
Hometown Row
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