Tuesday 30th December

(Covering the last 24 hours)

Wow… the slog continues.

There is literally no wind out here at the moment. When you stop rowing, the silence is eerie — no rush of air, no movement, just the gentle slap of water against the hull. It’s getting to the stage where the monotony and sheer physical effort are starting to wear on both of us.

The days are a little quieter now. We talk less and think more — about the better conditions that will come, and about how to get through each row shift in front of us. It’s a real test of mental resilience. We both know we can do this — the challenge is convincing your brain of that fact when progress feels slow. One stroke at a time. One hour at a time.

🐋 A Moment I’ll Never Forget

A few things have helped ease the pain — and the biggest came at 03:30 this morning.

I didn’t see it at first. I heard it.

In the stillness of the night, I heard the unmistakable breath of a whale. As I looked to my left, its back rose out of the water, humping just six feet from the end of my oar, lit by the moon and glowing silver in the darkness.

The sound of a whale breathing is eerily human — something that always stops you in your tracks. I paused rowing for a few minutes, hoping for another glimpse, but it slipped silently away into the night.

No photos. No footage. Just a moment that will stay with me forever.

📊 A Much-Needed Boost

The next lift came just before writing this blog. At 10am, I logged into Starlink (I promise I’ll explain that properly another time) to check our stats and weather and plot the course for the next 24 hours.

The numbers showed we’ve moved up a couple of places in the fleet, and we’re generally moving slightly faster than the boats south of us. That was a huge morale boost.

We’re not racing anyone. We don’t have goals to win or beat others. But seeing that our routing decisions are working and that our hard work is paying off — even quietly — means a lot.

Sometimes, that’s exactly the encouragement you need.

Right — time for spicy pasta for breakfast. Because if nothing else, at least meals still bring a bit of excitement.

Until tomorrow,

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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🌐 Or visit the website: www.rowaurora.co.uk