Mel: Highs & Lows
This race is all about the highs and lows, the days when we just plod on will all just merge into one, in fact they already are, but the highs and lows are what we will remember. And yesterday was a bit of both. I was not a happy bunny yesterday morning after a night on the anchor, although I felt very rested after 6 hours sleep for a change I couldn’t stop thinking about where all the others were and how many miles we’d lost.
When Jason sent the email and it was 20 miles on average I was very disappointed – don’t get me wrong though, I think putting the anchor out was the right thing to do, but then I started questioning why we hadn’t got going again sooner etc etc, sometimes being very competitive is not good for the mind!!
But after a bit I decided to stop going on about miles lost (much to Annie’s relief!) and turn the whole thing into a positive, the auto helm hadn’t been able to cope in the choppy water and changing winds so I decided I would change all the settings to make it cope – after all what’s it for if it can’t keep a course!! After some fiddling around (and surprisingly little swearing, but I was being a girl and reading the manual!) I got it sorted (although it’s now munching through battery power like a crazy thing!) and despite some choppy conditions again we were flying – and we both agreed it was a pleasure to row again, rather than be fighting a boat which was all over the place. I haven’t seen any figures yet but I reckon the last 24 hours might have been our fastest to date, our GPS shows an average speed of 2.4 knots – yee hah!!
Mel x
We will be tracking Annie and Mel’s progress and posting more of their blogs here. Keep up to date and find out why we are supporting therm here. Track their progress across the Atlantic here.
Tags: atlantic world first, Woodvale atlantic rowing challenge 2009
Hello Ladies, am sat in a cosy office here in Brussels ( weather dull, grey, moist ) catching up with your blogs. Hugely impressed with Mel’s chart-related-technical-abilities, well done that woman ! Hope the weather is being kinder to you and the bulb has been replaced in the moon. Best wishes, Dave.
Helo chickens, am sooo very impressed with yr achievement. I am from Nyamezela land so am rooting for Pete our man. But U as well. Hope mother nature is being kind enough to you for you not to jump off the side of your boat and catch a ride on a dolphin or a flying fish. hang in there. U R 21 days closer to your dream. Stay safe, row well, eat well, sleep well and go swell. May the wind carry you across the ocean like a rubber duck xxxx best wishes fr Tess – East London (SA)