After 40 hours cabin-bound, and out with Bob, now pleased to report a wind shift and settling of the seas. I lifted Bob at 1300 and am hoping to row once I’ve cooked a meal and tidied up. For the time being we are headed NW – hooray! We only lost 18nm to the East so its not too catastrophic in the grand scheme. All crew safe and well, the worst issue being me skinning my knuckle while getting Bob out and a dose of cabin fever, so nothing critical .
Winds gusted 35knots overnight, making for very excitable seas and a lumpy bumpy ride. Think Bucking Bronco, crossed with the Waltzers at the fair, crossed with the sort of rollercoaster where your tummy gets left behind, crossed with rolling down a hill in a barrel (I know what this feels like because, aged 9, I was stupid enough to try it). Not ashamed to admit that was one of the scariest nights of my life – stormy seas in a small boat by yourself in the daylight are one thing, but by a dark night quite another. Especially whn the SeaMe started bleeping at 0100 – we haven’t seen a ship since Day 16, and the next appears on the roughest night yet when my tiny boat would be indistinguishable from wavetops. How ironic?! I spent two hours on the VHF in the hope they might hear me and not squash me. No response, as anticipated, but also no squashing, so all was OK in the end.
Read: ‘The curious case of Benjamin Button’ and ‘Seven years in Tibet’.Listened to a couple of chapters of Richard Dawkins ‘The God Delusion.’ The latter was a daring and hilarious feat, for without headphones (broken on day 10) I can only play things through the speakers on deck. In a loud raging sea this means you have to sit by the hatch, opening it so you can hear the words, then pulling it shut quicklly when a wave washes over the boat. Suffice to say the sea is better practised
and we had a face full of salt on more than a few occasions.
Now for some hoosh and then to the oars….
S, D & Bob x
PS
Geoff – Tell your comedians I’ll teach them to row if they want a real challenge.
Glesni Jones – Please pass on a hello to the PV girls for me. Hope they’re all alright. I met Sarah and another (can’t remember name) at the London Boatshow in January.
Grandma Barb – Will have a think and do a whole blog on it sometime.
Charly – Good luck with those exams and all the training.
Ashika – Was thinking the other day how perfect it was at the London Boatshow – with Dippers and I just opposite the gin stand! Lovely bit of Serendipity methinks.
Joan Beaton – Sunsets lovely out here. 360° show of colours. The sunrise and sunset on the day the heavy weather came were the most spectacular I have seen out here.Indeed, the Tweedles are still here with me-we’ve got quite a crowd under there.
Sarah is my morning girl before breakfast, every day. So pleased the sea is abating. Crossing that 90o a chalenge. The map looks good distance acheived makes distance to go feasible. Keep it up Sarah. Donald
Everyone make sure they listen to Sarah on Woman’s Hour TODAY at 10.00am BST with Jenni Murray on BBC Radio 4 – you can tune in live wherever you are in the world at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 It will be live on the radio in 1 hour 20 minutes from now.
You might find this link easier
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/
Seven years in Tibet is excellent, and then when you get home you can watch the film with ol’ Brad Pitt for eye-candy!!
Looking forward to Woman’s Hour in a bit!
Well done!
X
Glo
Good work Sarah – and how’s the choco situation? Many bars a-munched?!
Hello Sarah,
Huge, huge congratulations to you and Serendipity and Bob on getting through the storm. Hope suitable quantities of chocolate are available to celebrate! I see you’re currently following the green line perfectly as per advice from this blog, awesome beans 😉
Seriously, am so impressed by your trip (and a little bit jealous of the adventure!). You are my daily ‘fix’ of rowingness now I’ve given up for finals. Hope you can now get in some hench rowing SHBC style!
Sarah x
Best wishes to yuo and Bob. Keep smiling!
Dyl Powell Head -SHS
Hi sarah glad you have come through unscathed, and not lost to many nmiles. keep on going…… We will be visting Stuart, and elaine on sunday so we will say a toast of encouragement for you..
best wishes robert, tracey, (Stanley,Mollie da dogs)
Helllllloooooooooooo Miss Outen (still cant get used to calling you Sarah…sorry) Have been following you all the way, I cant describe to you how nice its been, especially with all the awful stuff happening at school, to realise what you can do if you put your mind to it!! keep going and loads of love Lil xxxxx
Brilliant news, Sarah – now – you are not only tough, determined and skilled but you are BRAVE – so ‘Row,row,row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily – life is but a dream!’ or something like that!!
having followed u all the way cant wait 4 the book 2 come out not only is ur journey inspiring ur writing is so entertaining. good rowing and may your god row with you
ps didnt read comment 9 till now. got the same line 2 start lol
Great to hear you on the live link up, so glad the storm is over for the time being. You are so brave, we ish you all the best in getting to teh 1/2 way mark, what a tremendous time so far.
Look forwrad to getting back to my daily bulletin.
Have been in touch with your Mum so she will give you bits of news etc.
Much love and take care
C & K
Hello darlin’, I’ve just heard you on Woman’s hour driving back from Tobermory to my house after having cooked several full Scottish breakfasts – I’m filling in for some pals in their B&B whilst they are away. It was a pretty hilarious juxtaposition to be honest to hear your lovely voice chirping away about how your birthday treat was going to be a tin of butter beans when I’d just been staring half a creature’s-worth of black pudding in the face. Or shouldn’t I mentioned the black pudding? Sorry…
Caant tell you how awful its been yoday not getting the regular before i left home. What a relief to fing it, Well donr through the storm. unlike Sarah B I am not the lest bit jealous, but certainly overawed.keep that hatch shut!! Jill
I was just a tad worried about you so I was so glad you weathered the storm. I saw what it did to all our trees when it got here so I can only try to picture what you went through.It really must have been terrifying through the night. I can’t really think that you got much sleep. Hope you have good weather ahead. Margot
hi sara glad you ok my birthday in Agadir 7/5/09 with champagne nothing compared to you keep it up you are one hell of a brave lady its raining in Stoke but wish I was there with the rain take care row well robxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sarah some night hey!!!
must have been a massive bad mood that Eddie had and decided to be very excited to give all of you out there nasty bumps of hell, Flying Ferkins and the rest got it too ….. what have you all done to deserve that?
Soooo glad you weren’t made into Squash and that you have been able to eat,wash up, dry up and tell The Tweedles you are all on the move again. ( wish i could see them they do sound sweet)
take care
xtina
In stark contrast I had a delicate cycle down the Kennet and Avon alongside solar powered boats as part of an Ecowave to Bathampton in glorious sunshine. The only hair raising moment we had was when the wind lifted a table parasol in the pub garden and deposited my beer into my lap! Thinking of you, keep at it gal!
Great going Sarah.
I can imagine how scary it must have been. Let’s hope its smooth sailing (rowing) from now on.
On Sunday, I am going with some friends to survey your Finishing Line at Ile de la Passe in Old Grand Port…and do some swimming, eating,swimming, drinking, swimming…..
Working on the accomodation for your mum n party and also the packages for those who wish to travel here to welcome you.
Cheerio
M
Sarah,
Talk about extream reading! Or is it listening when the book is on tape?
Are you capturing this voyage on video? If so will you be presenting it at Telluride’s own “Mountain Film Festival” next year? The annual festival runs in May (like right now).Last year we had an ocean rowing film, and two rowers to speak and raise funds, this year none.Consider this your unofficial invitation to the Telluride MFF. Regards,
D.B.
P.S. …. Telluride is in Colorado in the U.S.
YeeHa Sarah! How’s the tummy feeling? Time for some speed rowing to make up for lost miles. Pull…pull…pull!
While looking at the track you are leaving I realized what was going on… You must secretly be trying to sign your name in the middle of the ocean. Good job so far… only 3 letters to go 🙂
Good luck with the remains of the storm and best of speed be with you.
Sarah i was so happy to read your blog, and to know that you are OK after you went through this wild weather. It must have been soooo scary….I kept thinking about you, Guy and Andy, as we went through a stormy day and night in Perth yesterday.I could not get on the computer last night as the power went off, so did not know how you went through the day. Well back on track and hope that that you have seen the last of the bad weather until you reach Mauritius….. Take care, you have proven that you can take on anything. Hope that your hand gets better…Row Row Row, Go Girl!
Hi Sarah,
Good to hear you on WH, sounding calm after the storm. Despite your usual chirpy sangfroid, it was evidently a pretty thumping experience and it’s good to hear you and Dippers managed it so ably. Like the faithful Tweedles, perhaps the seagods were on your side after those graceful libations of your precious port.
Hope you don’t have to work yourself too hard to regain the groove – we are all thinking of you and happy to hear you have bouncxed back.
Best wishes Jane
Hi Sarah, Heard you on Radio 4, As a 28 year old woman with 4 children, coping with Arthritis is very hard, but someone like yourself who does something like this to raise money for people like your father and myself is truly inspirational, Will keep checking your blog, Am sure your family is very very proud of you as would your father have been, Keep doing so well !!!!!!
Take care and let us know if you see the sea turtle, all i could think of was the film finding nemo when i heard you telling us about where you are !
Love Laura x
Awesome, what else can describe your resolve and spirit, strength and courage. Back on track and definitely a special person being looked after by the sea gods. Soon be party time, washing the socks out as we speak and ironing the lycra shorts. Susie
Hi Sarah, Jamie heard you on womans hour yesterday, he said you sounded very calm talking about the storm and still very positive! It must have been scary out there, in the dark with the beepie going off! I hope the wind will continue to blow in your favour. Have a good birthday, Jamie’s birthday is on Saturday – only a decade older than you! Oh yes, Bob did well to limit your looses to only 18 naughties! You will be back flying again soon. Take care, love Emily and Jamie x
Hi Sarah
Today at Swanbourne beach in cold wet WA weather looking out across the Indian Ocean and thinking of you. We follow you everyday and so glad that you have weathered the storm. You are always so chirpy and positive. Everyone full of admiration. You continue to be an inspiration. Onwards and forwards – safe and smooth to Mauritius.
Roger and Caroline