My wake up call on day 17
Today turned into a rest day rather than a rowing day, filled with laundry and lunching and general pottering. It always amazes me how long I potter and tinker on such a tiny boat – there is always something to do.
The wind has been light but from exactly the direction I want to row in and, with rather large residual swells rolling in from the north, and the Kuroshio now starting to swing the boat eastwards once more, it made sense to let the current do the work. It will fade out in three degrees’ time i.e. about 180 nautical miles and more of the miles will have to come from muscle power, so for now the rest was welcome. The sea anchor is still out, hooked into the current, pulling us through the wind and swell.
Washing day is a happy day
The main activity today was washing some clothes, having made water this morning. My machine makes about 25 litres an hour when the battery is fully charged, so about fifty minutes fills my tanks nicely. There is still a rather sulphurous waft to the first few litres, I think due to having checked the system worked when we first got to Japan and then left the unit unused for a few weeks. So the first lot always gets ditched and then it tastes of nothing.
Delicious oatcakes and cheese and bratwurst, but where did I pack the chutney?
Ahead of lunch I delved about in the treasure troves that are the Outside Lockers for some treats and in search of mustards and the like for adding to my dried meals to make them more palatable. The mustards and sauces remain AWOL for another day but a hip flask of ginger wine and a tin of bratwurst made a rather welcome addition to today’s feasting which, happily, involved far fewer biscuits than yesterday’s cabin time did when I ate 1500kcal of biscuits over `12 hours. ( I never thought I would hear myself complain about eating lots of biscuits…)
So ‘twas a gentle happy sort of day out here on the blue. No more sealions , though I did throw five fishlets overboard this morning who had kamikazed themselves on deck at some point over the last couple of days. And there has been no swimming yet either – I have this daft rule that it has to be flat calm and the sun has to be out so I can see through the water at least a little way. Yes, I am a great wimp when it comes to swimming in the sea, especially when it is six kilometres to the bottom. Hopefully soon though – I know my muscles will love it and I am keen to see what is growing on the patch of cleared antifoul.
Until next time,
Sarah and Happy Socks x
PS:
C and K: Water temp was 18.1 degrees today – so rather warm in the current. It is the wind that chills things.
Alan Hind: I guess I could eat them in theory but they have all been tiddlers so far. Hoping to do some fishing of my own soon though.
Heather and Cameron: Thank you for my thumbstone – lovely.
Jonesy: Thank you for the G&T lip balm – found it today and only saw afterwards that it should have been saved for my birthday. Oops!
Hi Sarah. Another interesting day , even time to do the washing! When do you get to do the ironing? ha!ha!
Had a good natter with your Mum today , met up in Melton and put the world to rights!!
Hope the G&T tasted good even though it was only lip balm. Great to see you are making fantastic progress across the Ocean. Love and hugs Heather and Cameron xx
Sarah,
Your description of snacking-out, way out there in the middle of that huge bowl of water, got me remembering how on my month-long canoe trips, I would fire up the Coleman Stove (pump up gas stove) to cook breakfast, while it sat in the middle of my canoe, after paddling out to the middle of the lake. This was done to escape the clouds of bugs which swirled out of the morning mist in Northern Ontario (Canada). Just me and the birds and the smoke of frying bacon, out bobbing around on the surface of this planet.
I’m with you in spirit, girl. I hope you don’t mind. (While in spirit form I don’t take up too much room.) ;)>
-ray-
Langley, BC
CANADA
Hi Sarah and Happy Socks,
Glad to hear you are doing so well. it seems like you’re more or less using the Sea Anchor in Reverse: It’s TOWING You Instead of SLOWING You … LOL. Hope you get a chance to have a Swim soon. But Be Careful.
As for Fishing, if you have any Chewing Gum, you can Chew It Up and Use It For Bait: just make little balls and push hook through it so that the Barb is Protruding ….. Very Hard for The Fish To get it Off The Hook. Another idea is to mix Cotton Wool from your first Aid Kit, with Bread and Water. The Cotton Wool helps hold it on the Hook.
Try it and let me know how you go.
Bye For Now,
Stay Safe and Well … but Have Fun 🙂
regards, Neville M. (Australia)
Sea lions, turtles, the current pulling you along. 🙂
Hoping most of your journey is so charmed.
We’re loving your photos and updates. Best of luck sent to you all the way from Brazil!
Hello Sarah
Thanks for your message better you in that temperature than us. Its great to hear about your adventure and what you are geting up too. We were glad that you were able to have a bit of a rest day but caught up with your household duties. Back into our routine now of checking on you first thing on going downstairs and more so throughout the day. You certainly give us so much inspiration to do things now which we would never have believed we could.
Take care and happy rowing.
Big hug
C & K
Hi Sarah. No rowing but no rest day either. Great stuff.
Love reading your adventures – even doing the laundry!
May you have good wind, currents, and spirits.
Comox, BC
I like your treasure hunt approach to your meals and I know how impotent it is with small surprises on long journeys.
Keep smiling and stay strong Sarah
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for that lovely newsy update. My husband and I only have to ‘look’ at a boat on a swell and we feel our stomachs starting to turn over! We read ‘anchor’ and think ‘attached to the sea bed’ but yours is dragging you in the direction you want to go? Is it some kind of cone that works in that way – Yea I know …. I willl …… look up Google!!! My other thought is that when packing for your next sea trip, what about making up a chart of the boat giving each cubby a letter and then make a list of what gets packed in to that cubby….. then you just have to look at your list to see where the ‘mustard ‘ is!
Think about you bobbing about out there when I am toiling in my garden, in what are at the moment cool days in Brittany. We think you are incredibly brave to be out there on your own, especially after that nightmare end to your last attempt. How brave your Mum is too……. must go …… gardening to be done…. sun is shining.
Keep the news coming – I eagerly open my email to see what you are up to. Keep safe XX
Pamela and Robert
Hello Sarah,
Thank you for that lovely newsy update. My husband and I only have to ‘look’ at a boat on a swell and we feel our stomachs starting to turn over! We read ‘anchor’ and think ‘attached to the sea bed’ but yours is dragging you in the direction you want to go? Is it some kind of cone that works in that way – Yea I know …. I willl …… look up Google!!! My other thought is that when packing for your next sea trip, what about making up a chart of the boat giving each cubby a letter and then make a list of what gets packed in to that cubby….. then you just have to look at your list to see where the ‘mustard ‘ is!
Think about you bobbing about out there when I am toiling in my garden, in what are at the moment cool days in Brittany. We think you are incredibly brave to be out there on your own, especially after that nightmare end to your last attempt. How brave your Mum is too……. must go …… gardening to be done…. sun is shining.
Keep the news coming – I eagerly open my email to see what you are up to. Keep safe XX
Pamela and Robert
Great to know things are going (s)well Sarah. Happy Socks Days!
Sarah YOU ARE NOT I REPEAT YOU ARE NOT A WIMP it might be 6 miles to the bottom but how far is it back to Japan the mind boggles God bless Lesley and Pongo (my dog)
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