My right buttock has had more adventures this trip than some people have
in a lifetime. Having been featured on this blog at the peak of the red
rash / baboon bottom crisis, it then went on to fall victim to my one
(literal) slip-up of the trip, when I lost my footing and sat down too
suddenly on the round-topped pin of a seat runner, puncturing the skin.

Then, today, in its worst indignity yet, my derriere was attacked by a
mystery creature from the deep. Let me tell you my sorry tale (tail).

This morning brought a complete change in the weather conditions. After
the incessant 20 knot winds of the last 12 days, today has been dead
calm, the ocean eerily silent, the red ensign hanging limp. I decided to
make the most of the quiet conditions by catching up on some
housekeeping. Boatkeeping. Whatever.

First I cleaned out the galley locker. Its lid isn’t 100% watertight,
and after the regular deck-lashing waves of the last couple of weeks it
was getting a bit swampy in there. So I took everything out, mopped and
dried, and put everything back in.

Then it was time to go overboard and scrub barnacles. I hopped in – a
welcome relief from the sweaty heat. As I was working my way around the
boat with the plastic scraper, I became aware of a few tickling
sensations. I assumed it was the pilot fish that usually hang out in the
shade underneath my boat. I didn’t really like being tickled. Even
though the water was relatively calm, it wasn’t calm enough for me to
see clearly what it was that was doing the tickling, so it was rather
disconcerting and not very pleasant.

Suddenly I got the distinct feeling that something had gone beyond
tickling. It had attached itself to me. To my right buttock, to be
precise. Not good. OK, I admit it. I freaked out. Whatever it was, it
wasn’t welcome. I wanted to get out of the water, and I wanted to get
out NOW.

With undignified haste, I put my foot in the grabline and hoisted myself
up. I looked over my right shoulder to see what was going on. Yup, there
was definitely something glomming on to my bottom. This was even worse
than last weekend’s aerial squid bombardment. Eeeuuwww.

I can’t tell you what the something was, because I let out a very girly
shriek and swept it off with the flat of my hand as fast as I could. My
impression was that it looked squid-like, but I only got the briefest of
glances, and maybe I’ve just got squid on the brain. But right then,
zoological classification was not uppermost in my mind. Getting rid of
the grotesque glomming critter was.

Are squid known to do such things? Or could it have been a jellyfish?
Whatever it was, I’m not wild about the idea of getting back in the
water any time soon. I realize we’re not exactly talking Jaws here, but
this really is taking “getting close to nature” a bit far.

[photo: it was so hot today with no cooling breeze, so I rigged up this
sunshade using a sarong and a couple of rhino clips. It helped.]

Other Stuff:

With the lighter winds today, I’ve been able to make some good progress
south – more SSW than WSW. Good news for chances of making landfall,
depending on how long these conditions last.

Thank you so much for all the comments, posted on the blog, Facebook and
Twitter. Lovely to know that although physically I am very far away,
there are so many people who are following along and wishing me well.

Thanks too for the great information about hotels, bars, and boat
storage in Funafuti and Tarawa. After however long at Hotel Brocade
(Brocade is my rowboat) I’m sure I won’t be too fussy about presidential
suites or hot running water. But good to know they have beer. Imagine
“Ice Cold In Alex” times ten!

Bikini Atoll – would prefer to skip that one. I think it’s still
radioactive after the nuclear tests there. I just want a cold beer, not
one that glows in the dark…

American Samoa – about a 1% chance I could make it there. The winds are
blowing E to W, and American Samoa is almost due south of me. You’re
right, it would be easy to fly to. But not to row to!

Joan in Atlanta – thanks for the appreciation. It’s true, there are many
nights when writing a blog is not top of the list of Things I Want To Do
Right Now – hitting my bunk usually being significantly higher. So it’s
very nice to be appreciated!

Tiny Little – you’re a legend. Lovely to hear from you. Looking forward
to joining you for a pint at the Alex as soon as humanly possible!
Lovely to hear from Hermione too.

Once in a Blue Moon – thanks for the lovely message. Amongst your
armchair adventures you mentioned swimming to Antarctica – presumably in
reference to Lynne Cox. I’ve met her, and she’s a fantastic woman.
Hoping she’ll write a blurb for my book.

On the subject of my book, Rowing The Atlantic, it’s available for
pre-order on Amazon. As of now. Just so you know! We’re also planning a
book tour. Details still to be confirmed, but hopefully taking in New
York, Seattle, Portland OR, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston,
between Oct 6-20.

Quick answers to quick questions:

Q: Are you going to row around the Cape Horn?
A: No. I’m adventurous. Not suicidal.

Q: Do I anchor at night?
A: No. To anchor to the bottom I’d need an anchor chain over 2 miles
long. I drift. Old Man’s response was absolutely spot on.

Q: What kind of beer would I like to be my first drink?
A: Actually, despite going on about it a bit recently, I don’t often
drink beer. But in these hot climes it seems much more appealing than
wine. I’d make a point of drinking local if possible. English beers
taste great in England – probably not so good in the South Pacific. Not
sure what they’d serve in Tuvalu/Gilbert Islands/wherever. So long as
it’s really, really good and icy ice cold, I’m not too fussy!

Weather report:

Position at 2200 HST: 10 27.594N, 170 51.116W
Wind: 5 knots E
Seas: 4-6 ft E
Weather: mostly sunny, some cloud

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com

As of Monday, 29 Jun 2009. The easterly trade winds 20+kts hanging on
a little longer. Expect a brief period of lower winds then back to
20+kts. Seas abate to 8-9ft.

Sky conditions: Partly to mostly cloudy with multilayered clouds of low
to mid level. Very isolated rainshowers.

ITCZ: The most active part of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
has drifted westward to 175W between 2N and 8N. There are widespread
areas of wind 30-40kts in heavy rainshowers have been measured. These
systems are often times accompamied by thunder and lightning. You may
observe these conditions. There are some holes in this activity of
lesser conditons.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
29/1800-30/0600 ENE-E 17-22 8-9
30/0600-30/2100 ENE-E 12-17 6 -7
30/2100-04/1800 ENE-E 17-22 8-9

Next Update: Thursday, 02July

I'm now within 10 degrees of the International Date Line, and 11 degrees
of the Equator, and I'm starting to wonder just where I'm going to land
up. I'm really not too fussy, so long as it has an airport, a
restaurant, and a bar. A bar with beer, and lots of it.

I've been aiming for Tuvalu, although it's far from ideal – very
difficult for my shore team to get to, most likely nowhere to store my
boat, and very little infrastructure. Beer situation currently unknown.

There are lots of other options – the South Pacific has lots of islands
- but there are also very big gaps between the options, so if I miss one
I could be out here for a long time. Which would not be good. I have
places to go, people to see. With my book coming out on October 6 and
the march to Copenhagen (for the climate change summit) setting out from
London on October 24, I'm keen to be back on terra firma long before
then.

I don't have as much maneuverability with a rowboat as, say, sailors
have. I can influence but not totally control my direction. Say the wind
is blowing me west (as it is) and I point my boat south (as I do) then I
end up going southwest, or south southwest, or west southwest, depending
on the strength of the wind and, I suppose, the strength of my rowing.

For the last couple of weeks the east wind has been strong –
consistently around or over 20 knots – so my trajectory has been west
southwest. On my current bearing I would miss Tuvalu, passing too far to
the north.

But here's the joker in the pack, or in fact two jokers – the Inter
Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), and the Equatorial Counter Current.
Both will come into play soon. But both are shifting and changing all
the time – see the latest forecast at the bottom of this blog. The
previous forecast was that I would be spared the worst of the ITCZ, but
alas 'tis not to be. It has moved, and now lies in my path. And we won't
really know how it will affect me until I get there. As far as rowboat
voyages go, this is uncharted territory, and the variables are too
complicated to predict with any degree of certainty.

So who knows? I'll keep pushing south as much as I am able, which is the
best way to keep my options open. Failing Tuvalu, other options are
Tarawa, or somewhere in the Marshall Islands, but both would leave me
with a tougher task for Stage 3 of the row next year, which I very much
hope will end up somewhere in Australia..

I should know by now that oceans are no respecters of human schedules.
I've never yet been on an open ocean voyage, either by sailboat or
rowboat, that ended up where it was supposed to be, at the time it was
supposed to be.

And that's just the way it is. To paraphrase Winnie the Pooh's comment
on heffalumps – you never can tell with oceans. .

Other Stuff:

More wildlife encounters today. I found a dead squid tucked behind my
sea anchor. I think he must have arrived at the same time as the other
two. He was looking a bit dried out and crispy. Not very appetizing.

Then there was a very pretty flying fish that flew in and bounced off my
neck while I was rowing. I would have taken a picture but he was still
very much alive, and it seemed more important to keep him that way than
to ask him to wait for a photo opp, so I swiftly chucked him back into
the blue.

And tonight, towards sunset, there were some birds being very excitable
and noisy, diving down at some fish within a few yards of my boat. The
fact that the fish were huge mahi mahi, about 10 times the size of the
birds, didn't seem to deter them in the slightest. Needless to say, they
didn't catch one, and I don't know what they would have done with it if
they had.

My, what an inquisitive lot you are! Answer 7 questions, get 14 more…
I've made a note of them for future blogs. I don't have time to answer
them all now, but here are some of the quicker, shorter ones.

Someone asked if I have children. Oh do pay attention! I said yesterday
that I don't, and I can assure you that the situation has not changed
since then.

Have I had my appendix removed? No. Let's hope appendicitis doesn't
strike while I'm at sea.

How do I get connection in the middle of the ocean? Satellite phone.
Very expensive, and when used as a data modem, very slow.

More answers coming in future blogs, including the answer to the Number
One Most Frequently Asked Question Of All Time – what do I eat? If I had
a dollar for every time I've answered that one….!!

But seriously, it's nice to know you care. Keep the great comments
coming. Thank you!

Weather report:

Position at 2130 HST: 10 52.484N, 170 27.400W
Wind: 20 knots E
Seas: 6-8ft E
Weather: overcast morning, sunny afternoon, some small clouds

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com

As of Monday, 29 Jun 2009. The easterly trade winds 20+kts hanging on
a little longer. Expect a brief period of lower winds then back to
20+kts. Seas abate to 8-9ft.

Sky conditions: Partly to mostly cloudy with multilayered clouds of low
to mid level. Very isolated rainshowers.

ITCZ: The most active part of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
has drifted westward to 175W between 2N and 8N. There are widespread
areas of wind 30-40kts in heavy rainshowers have been measured. These
systems are often times accompamied by thunder and lightning. You may
observe these conditions. There are some holes in this activity of
lesser conditons.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
29/1800-30/0600 ENE-E 17-22 8-9
30/0600-30/2100 ENE-E 12-17 6 -7
30/2100-04/1800 ENE-E 17-22 8-9

Next Update: Thursday, 02July

There may be a few questions that have occurred to you, but for reasons
of propriety, politeness, or respect for my privacy, you have chosen not
to ask them. I know, if I were you, there would be a few things about me
that I would want to know but would hesitate to put in writing.

But I feel I am amongst friends now, so I am going to offer up some
tidbits of information for your delectation. But feel free to skip to
Other Stuff if this is more than you ever wanted or needed to know!

Q: How do you go to the loo?
A: Colloquially known as "bucket and chuck it". Or in fact I use a
bedpan instead of a bucket – takes up less space and fits under my side
deck. For, ahem, liquids only, I use a female urinal – a jug with a
shaped top. Dr Aenor gave it to me last year, and it rocked my world! So
much easier to use on a wildly pitching boat.

Q: How do you keep your toilet paper dry?
A: No hope of keeping normal TP dry, so I use wet wipes instead. First
use is as a general cleansing cloth – for face or whatever – then
recycled as loo paper. The ones I have for this trip are impregnated
with tea tree oil for extra antiseptic qualities.

Q: How do you finance your adventures?
A: A combination of donations through the PayPal button on my website,
corporate sponsorships, and revenue from speaking engagements. For this
trip I had quite a shortfall, but the advance on my book (Rowing The
Atlantic, due to be published on October 6 this year) helped keep the
show on the road. My overheads are really low – I don't have a home or a
car, so that saves me a heap of money – and people are often very kind
in offering accommodation and meals. So somehow it all works out.

Q: Are you, or have you ever been, married?
A: Yes, I was. My ex-husband and I were together for 11 years, but had
no children. We're still on very amicable terms. He has remarried and
lives in London.

Q: Do you ever miss, errr, male company while you are on the ocean?
A: Yes, but not often. It's not a very sexy situation living on a
rowboat! And it might sound strange, but I don't especially think of
myself as a woman out here. I'm just a human, focusing on survival. But
it's nice to rediscover my femininity when I get back to shore, and
return to being a woman rather than a rower.

Q: Do you shave your legs while you're on the ocean?
No. But I'm not a very hairy person so you wouldn't be able to tell.

Q: Armpits?
A: Absolutely!

[photo: taken yesterday – the other squid. The one that didn't land in a
mangled heap of inky gloop. It's quite pretty, really – certainly a lot
prettier than yesterday's gore-fest.]

Other Stuff:

Conditions remain as windy (20+ knots) and splashy as ever. It's like
trying to row a mogul field. I fell off my seat a couple of times today,
when broadsided by particularly large waves, and I never know where the
water is going to be. Airshots with the oars are common, while at other
times the oar digs too deep as a wave rises. Through advice and
experience the oar length is designed so that when a wave catches the
oar there is enough room for the oar handle to swing past the side of my
body, rather than jamming itself into my midriff. It doesn't always work
that way – if the boat is off-balance the handle still sometimes scrapes
my thigh or punches my stomach – but it's better than it would be if the
handles of my two oars overlapped as they do in a conventional sculling
boat.

Crave of the Day: a massage!

Rave of the Day: Richard Russo. I love his books. I listened to Nobody's
Fool on Stage 1 of my Pacific row, and am currently listening to The
Risk Pool. I just love how very, very ordinary the people and places
are. If reading about my ocean adventures is your escapism, reading
about normal life in small town America is my escapism!

Quick answers to quick questions:

Can I post a picture of the night sky? No. The only way to take a
picture of the stars with a normal camera is to use a very long exposure
– absolutely not feasible from the deck of a rolling rowboat!

Weather Report:

Position at 2110 HST: 11 11.177N, 169 57.338W
Wind: 20+ knots E, no signs of easing
Seas: 9-10ft waves, steep and choppy
Weather: mostly cloudy, some sunshine

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

As of Thursday, 25 Jun 2009. The easterly trade winds gradually abate
throughout the forecast period. Expect winds to subside to around the
15kt range (possibly less) by Saturday, 27Jun. Seas abate to 5-7ft.

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy with consistent cloud cover next five
days. Very isolated rainshowers.

ITCZ: The most active part of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
lies between 3N to 8N along 160-170W. In this area, winds in heavy
rainshowers have been 30-35kts. To the west of this area, the ITCZ is
relatively quiet.for now. If projected southwestward, Roz's current
coursetakes her west of 170W south of 10N and into the more quiet area
of the ITCZ. However, this could change depending on Roz's progress.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
25/1800-27/0600 ENE-E 17-22 6-9
27/0600-01/1800 ENE-E 12-17 5-7

Next Update: Monday, 29 June

This morning I suffered an aerial bombardment of the ickiest kind. I was
rowing along in the sunshine with my earbuds in, happily insulated from
the roar of the wind and the crashing of the waves, lulled by Michael
Palin's description of his travels through the Sahara. Then, suddenly
and without warning, I was hit by two missiles. One rocketed into the
cabin hatch just behind me, and exploded in a mass of black gore. The
other thudded into the seat runner next to my left leg, and slithered
gelatinously down the deck into the footwell. It was the attack of the
giant killer squid.

Well, ok, so they weren't giant. They were in fact only about 5 inches
long. But they did nearly give me a coronary, so could very well have
been killer.

Dazed, I hit the pause button on Michael Palin and surveyed the
situation. It looked like a cross between a crime scene and Alien. By
the fore hatch, one silvery squid was leaking more ink than I could have
ever expected to fit into one small body. His tentacles were lying in an
expanding pool of black. His slimy body flashed with a few dying gleams
of iridescence as he breathed his last. His friend was quietly expiring
in the footwell. The cockpit was liberally spattered with black body
fluids. I felt rather queasy.

I felt even more queasy at the thought of having to clean up the mess.
I'm not very good with slimy stuff. But I had to get these corpses off
my boat somehow.

So I took out a small measuring jug from the housekeeping locker and,
with my nose puckered in disgust, scooped up the bodies. The one who had
slithered down into the footwell, under my rowing shoes, proved rather
difficult. His tentacles stuck to the jug and I couldn't get to the
smoother, less sticky end of his body. Eventually I managed to scoop up
both sets of remains and deposit them over the side of the boat.

I hadn't even known that squid could eject themselves from the water
with such explosive force. Even if I had known, nothing would have
prepared me for the onslaught of airborne slimy things as I paddled
along, minding my own business. It was all rather shockingly yucky. A
few hours later just the memory was enough to spoil my appetite for
lunch – especially when I noticed there was still black ink dripping off
the fore hatch. Of course it was much worse for the squid than for me.
Let's just say that none of us were happy with the situation.

Don't get me wrong – I do like squid. But for future reference, I much
prefer them battered and deep-fried with a wedge of lemon on the side.

[photo: Eeeuurch. Messy. I hope this doesn't put you off your
breakfast. I can only post one photo per blog via email, so here's the
nasty one. Tomorrow I'll post the pic of the squid that didn't explode
in a mess of ink. Much prettier.]

Other Stuff:

Good progress today. But I'm still waiting for the wind to subside as
forecast. It's still around the 20kt level. I'm hoping that once it
slackens to around 15kts I'll be able to make a more SSW course which
will set me up better for making landfall. The other benefits of lesser
winds will be that I can once again use the sun canopy to save me from
the worst of the midday sun, and with fewer waves crashing over the side
of the boat it will be easier to keep my still-delicate bottom dry and
free of rashes.

I'm glad that my blog about Michael Jackson seems to have struck a
chord. Some great comments on that – thought-provoking as always. Thank
you.

Stormcloud – interesting perspective. There surely is always room for
improvement, but as you say, lots of room for happiness along the way.
As I have to remind myself on the tougher days at sea, it's important to
enjoy the journey as well as the arrival!

Gregory – I may have to manage your expectations about my MJ dance
moves. I'll use the impossibility of dancing on a rocking rowboat as an
excuse, but in truth I never did get to grips with the moonwalk…

Christa – thank you for the really lovely comment. Made my day!

Maui Bob – good to hear from you. Next time you talk to Marlene, please
tell her that her rawfood crackers are absolutely awesome. Really
enjoying them. Favorites so far are the chia sweet crackers and the
walnut pumpkin. Delicious!

Thanks, Ania, for the great quote. "And if you clear your mind and
cleanse your soul,
listen to what the spirits and nature have to say, and trust yourself
… you will find your own destiny" J.A.H. Very wise words, and yes, it
does sound like the process that I went through. Beautifully summed up.

So the fish was a mahi mahi? And a very handsome fella he was too. If
I'd had a harpoon gun, he might have been in trouble – although I doubt
if it could ever compare with the mahi mahi I had with the Hunks from
the Junk last year. The combination of company, being cooked for – oh,
and being saved from death by dehydration – made for the best dinner
party ever!

Quick answers to quick questions:

What color is the water and can I see far into it? The water is the
color of the sky – whatever that may be – blue, grey, black, pink,
yellow – and it's really hard to gauge how far down I can see. Not to
the bottom, that's for sure!

Have I seen the garbage patch? Last year my row was all about raising
awareness of the plastic pollution in the oceans, so I do know a lot
about it. But I haven't been through it myself. Would have been
seriously off-course if I'd landed up there! But I've heard that there
may be a belt of garbage at the equator. I'll be on the lookout…

Weather report:

Position at 2045 HST: 11 31.166N, 169 25.790W
Wind: 20+kts E
Seas: 6-8ft E
Weather: some cloud, mostly sunny
In other words, same old, same old…

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

As of Thursday, 25 Jun 2009. The easterly trade winds gradually abate
throughout the forecast period. Expect winds to subside to around the
15kt range (possibly less) by Saturday, 27Jun. Seas abate to 5-7ft.

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy with consistent cloud cover next five
days. Very isolated rainshowers.

ITCZ: The most active part of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
lies between 3N to 8N along 160-170W. In this area, winds in heavy
rainshowers have been 30-35kts. To the west of this area, the ITCZ is
relatively quiet.for now. If projected southwestward, Roz's current
coursetakes her west of 170W south of 10N and into the more quiet area
of the ITCZ. However, this could change depending on Roz's progress.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
25/1800-27/0600 ENE-E 17-22 6-9
27/0600-01/1800 ENE-E 12-17 5-7

Next Update: Monday, 29 June

Today has been a strange day. The sea has been rough, really rough.
Chastened by the news of Sarah Outen's capsize on the Indian Ocean
yesterday (sarahouten.co.uk) I've been very careful.

But more than that, I've felt a little off-kilter, and have struggled to
figure out why. It seems strange, but the most likely cause appears to
be the death of Michael Jackson. I wasn't even particularly a MJ fan.
Yes, when I was 13 my best friend and I spent hours practicing the dance
routine for "Thriller" – but hey, who didn't? ('Fess up – surely my
friend Helen and I weren't the only ones?!)

My overwhelming feeling is one of sadness – not so much about his death,
but more about his life. He was so talented, so successful, so rich –
and yet apparently so unhappy.

Of course, I didn't know him. And I don't read the celebrity mags
(except at the dentist's, when nobody is looking) so I don't even have
those facts / factoids at my disposal. But my assumption is based on the
radical way he changed his appearance, from the cheery little black boy
who sang "ABC" with the Jackson Five to the strange, gaunt, pale ghost
of his final years. What does it say when you have such an uneasy
relationship with the man in the mirror?

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the rights of every
American. But why does it have to be the PURSUIT of happiness? All too
often the pursuit seems to involve conspicuous consumption and cosmetic
surgery – and as routes to happiness these seem sadly superficial and
ineffective. Isn't it better just to BE happy, regardless of what you
own or how you look?

Again, I'm aware that I'm not an American, and I don't want to sound
critical. I think the same ethos has spread worldwide, including the UK
– we just haven't ever codified it in quite the same way as the US. And
it concerns me. There are values much more important, much more
conducive to true happiness than the accoutrements of celebrity – values
such as integrity, strength of character, right livelihood and empathy –
and I'd love to see these values prized more highly.

In many ways, Michael Jackson epitomized the American Dream, but his
dream seemed to go sour. I hope we can pass on rather different
aspirations to the next generation – aspirations that will lead them
towards TRUE happiness and fulfillment.

[photo: on a different subject entirely – I took these stills from a
video shot over the side of the boat this morning. I can't identify the
fish. Can anybody help me?]

Other Stuff:

Thanks for the comments on my last blog. I'm glad you didn't mind
indulging me and my favorite movie scenes. And honestly, I will get back
to talking about rowing again soon.

Eco Champion of the Day! DrKatyLancaster via Twitter: "Love the blog!
The car stays at home far more often as a result."

Thanks to Gregory for the quotes – I just love good quotes. Especially
like the ones from Tin Cup and Dead Poets Society.

Sinead and Cheryl – well done on the running, and I'm happy to provide
some inspiration. And you inspire me back too, so we're all happy!
Cheryl – thanks for the reminder to "Keep Faith, Expect Miracles"

Vern – great to hear from you. Hope our paths cross in the autumn.

Amyran – thanks for the hypothetical ship's log if you were to row an
ocean. Made me laugh! Totally agree on the Starbucks – oceans are
lamentably lacking in coffee shops. Amongst many shortcomings this is
surely the most egregious.

Rob Moir – thanks for the update on the Climate and Energy Bill. Good
news. I have some comments in response to the debate that seemed to rage
on this blog following my call to action, but will hold them back for
now in the interests of balance. When the time is right…

Weather report:

Position at 2000 HST: 11 56.402N, 169 02.011W
Wind: 20+ knots E
Seas: 7-9ft E, steep and rough
Weather: mostly overcast

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

As of Thursday, 25 Jun 2009. The easterly trade winds gradually abate
throughout the forecast period. Expect winds to subside to around the
15kt range (possibly less) by Saturday, 27Jun. Seas abate to 5-7ft.

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy with consistent cloud cover next five
days. Very isolated rainshowers.

ITCZ: The most active part of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
lies between 3N to 8N along 160-170W. In this area, winds in heavy
rainshowers have been 30-35kts. To the west of this area, the ITCZ is
relatively quiet.for now. If projected southwestward, Roz's current
coursetakes her west of 170W south of 10N and into the more quiet area
of the ITCZ. However, this could change depending on Roz's progress.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
25/1800-27/0600 ENE-E 17-22 6-9
27/0600-01/1800 ENE-E 12-17 5-7

Next Update: Monday, 29 June

Thursdays are media days – when I record my podcast with Leo and also
make a short video to be inserted into its prepared shell and posted to
YouTube. But apart from my mulitmedia activities today was fairly
unremarkable. I tried listening to the audiobook of Revolutionary Road
but it was too depressing.

So I decided to amuse myself by compiling a list of my favorite film
scenes. Not the movies themselves, note, but most
entertaining/amusing/dramatic scenes. Kept my brain busy for several
hours. Sometimes you just have to make your own entertainment!

7. Four Weddings and a Funeral – the first scene, where they have
overslept and are late for the first wedding. Never has the f-word been
so entertaining.

6. Apollo 13 – Ed Harris, tipping a random selection of objects onto the
table at Mission Control: "Come on people, let's work the problem" With
Ed Harris on their side, failure is indeed not an option.

5. Indiana Jones (can't remember which film) where the Arab-type guy is
threatening Indie with an impressive and lengthy show of swashing and
buckling with his scimitar. Indie pulls out his gun and shoots him.
Violent and pointless, I know, but very funny.

4. The Sound of Music: Julie Andrews is making her way from the convent
to the Von Trapp house for the first time, full of trepidation. She
sings "I Have Confidence" and talks herself into an ebulliently positive
frame of mind. Then she arrives at the gate to the mansion. Her
confidence waivers. She whispers "Oh help" I know that feeling so well….

3. Blade Runner – the Rutger Hauer death scene as the rain pours down
his face: "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe…" etc. I wish I
could remember all the words. It's so beautiful.

2. The Commitments – Billy the band manager goes to visit one of the
band members, who lives on a run-down housing estate in Dublin. He gets
into the lift, which is already occupied by a small boy and a horse.
"You're not going to take that horse in the lift, are ye?" "I got to,
sir. The stairs'll kill him." Love it!!

1. The Life of Brian – Brian has been rather surprised, when he flings
open his bedroom shutters, to find a crowd of several thousand people
waiting below. As he's trying to persuade them to clear off and stop
following him around, he says, "You're all individuals". "We're all
individuals," they chorus in unison. Then, with perfect comic timing, a
solitary little voice pipes up, "I'm not". The more you think about it,
the funnier it gets!

Ahhhh, I do like a good film. I'm sure there are lots of other classic
movie moments, but these are the ones that came first into my head.
Sorry if you wanted a blog more about ocean rowing, but there's a limit
to how much can be written about rowing 10,000 oarstrokes a day….

[photo: the cancan-dancing porpoises didn't show up today, so here is a
pic taken yesterday of the procession of fish that swam under my boat
for a while]

Other Stuff:

Devastated to hear about the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah
Fawcett. (Nicole emailed me to let me know.) As a little girl I was a
big fan of Charlie's Angels, although for some reason I wanted to be
Jaclyn Smith rather than Farrah. But Farrah was, of course, the icon.
And Michael Jackson – what a talent, but in so many ways what a tragic
life. Someone who, literally, found it impossible to be happy in his own
skin. Farrah battled cancer, Michael fought his own cultural identity.
Both are now at peace, their battles over.

Other bad news reaching the rowboat Brocade today – my friend Sarah
Outen, rowing the Indian Ocean, suffered a 360 capsize, injuring her
wrist, breaking an oar, and spending some time in the water before
managing to get back into her boat. She was understandably quite shaken,
according to the email I received from her weatherman Ricardo Diniz. But
she is a strong and resilient young woman and I am sure she will get
over this scary episode. If you have a moment, please go to her blog (at
sarahouten.co.uk) and post a message of encouragement and support to
cheer her up.

I am informed that I crossed the 1,000 mile mark at 11:20:50pm Hawaii
Standard Time on June 24, 2009. Approximately. To the nearest second. I
think Nicole will be announcing the winner of the sweepstake in due
course…

If you haven't already, please sign the petition and make your views
known on the Waxman Markey Bill – also known as the American Clean
Energy Security Act – which goes before Congress tomorrow. Details in
yesterday's blog.

Thanks to Julie Johnson for the beautiful excerpt from "Down the Nile".
I really enjoyed it. Sigh. Reading such evocative prose makes me feel
like I should give up writing altogether and leave it to the
professionals!

Answer to Ann Onimous's question: How would you feel if you weren't
using your rowing adventure to bring attention to environmental issues,
and you weren't setting any records? Would you still want to row oceans?
(I'm guessing you wouldn't, it wouldn't be as much fun).
A: Records are not a significant factor at all. Eco awareness is a much
bigger motivation, but actually I probably would still have rowed at
least one ocean. I learned so much about myself, and about life, and
about facing challenges, when I rowed the Atlantic – I wouldn't have
missed that experience for anything! The main reason I've carried on
rowing, as you say, is to use what influence I can to bring attention to
eco issues. Just trying to do my bit to help.

And thank you all so much for the comments posted on Blogger, Facebook
and Twitter. I love reading them, and wish I had time to respond to all.
Be assured – they are VERY much appreciated!

Weather report:

Position at 2000 HST: 12 10.269N, 168 35.254W
Wind: 20kts E
Seas: slightly less than yesterday – 7-8ft E
Weather: hazy this morning, hot and sunny this afternoon. Sun lotion and
sweat running off me in rivulets!

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

As of Thursday, 25 Jun 2009. The easterly trade winds gradually abate
throughout the forecast period. Expect winds to subside to around the
15kt range (possibly less) by Saturday, 27Jun. Seas abate to 5-7ft.

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy with consistent cloud cover next five
days. Very isolated rainshowers.

ITCZ: The most active part of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
lies between 3N to 8N along 160-170W. In this area, winds in heavy
rainshowers have been 30-35kts. To the west of this area, the ITCZ is
relatively quiet.for now. If projected southwestward, Roz's current
coursetakes her west of 170W south of 10N and into the more quiet area
of the ITCZ. However, this could change depending on Roz's progress.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
25/1800-27/0600 ENE-E 17-22 6-9
27/0600-01/1800 ENE-E 12-17 5-7

Next Update: Monday, 29 June

All sounds good to me. Lighter winds would allow me to head on a more
southerly route, improving my chances of landfall sooner rather than
later. And I'm also quite happy to skip the heavy rainshowers and 35kt
winds. Ouch!

Day 32

Today was a good day for fishy-spotting. The ocean was rough, and as a
big wave passed under my boat and out the other side I noticed several
fish silhouetted in the peak of the wave. I got out my waterproof video
camera and dangled my arm over the side, trying to get shots of the
ghostly forms as they filed past under my boat, heading from east to
west.

Unfortunately my faithful followers got jealous of these
Johnny-come-latelies stealing the limelight and kept getting in the way,
hamming it up in front of the camera lens. These are the dark stripey
chappies who regularly hang out in the shade under my boat, using it as
a kind of mobile marine parasol. My friend Sarah Outen (currently rowing
the Indian Ocean – see sarahouten.co.uk) tells me these are pilot fish.
More like prima donna fish if you ask me.

But they're quite cute – and in fact, because they were so keen to get
up close and personal with the camera I got much better shots of them
than I did of their more aloof cousins cruising lower down.

Later on this afternoon my eye was caught by a blue fish doing a
backflip. Twice. Not quite sure what it was up to, but it leaped clear
of the water in a vertical motion – maybe to escape a predator, or maybe
just for the sheer joy of it. But it didn't do it again, and so remained
unphotographed.

So, attention-seeking little critters that they are, the pilot fish are
the ones that make it into tonight's photo slot. If nothing excitingly
photogenic happens tomorrow (like a row of porpoises dancing the cancan,
or a shark eating my rudder for breakfast) then I'll post a pic of the
other guys on my next blog.

[photo: pilot fish against the underside of my boat. The black loop is
the grabline that I use to get back on board. Hmmm, looks like it's time
to go scrub barnacles again!]

Other Stuff:

IMPORTANT ECO UPDATE FOR AMERICANS

Here's the scoop: there is a seriously important climate change bill
going before Congress this Friday for a vote. When I was in Nashville
for the Climate Project conference just before I embarked on this
voyage, this bill was the topic on everybody's lips. They were very
excited about its potential to put America at the forefront of action on
climate change.

It's called the Waxman Markey Bill – also known as the American Clean
Energy Security Act. This historic piece of legislation is long overdue
and would be a major step in the right direction. This bill will achieve
REAL carbon reductions by 2020 and passing it would send a message to
the world that the U.S. is serious about solving the climate crisis NOW.
Not only that, but it would help create a new green economy, creating
about 1.7 million new jobs.

Now, I'm not American so you could say this is none of my business, but
climate change is everybody's business, no matter what country we're
from. This issue does not recognize national boundaries. As Al Gore said
yesterday, "The rest of the world will follow OUR lead. The next
generation is counting on us. Our economy and our planet cannot afford
to wait."

So please call or write to your Representative, asking them to vote in
favor of this bill. A very easy way to do this is to go to
www.repoweramerica.org and add your name to the petition. Nicole tells me
that she called her Representatives in Arizona and left a voicemail this
afternoon urging their action on this as a registered voter and taxpayer.
You can do the same.

And if you're not an American, you don't need to feel left out. This
December in Copenhagen representatives from all over the world will be
gathering to decide what to do about climate change. Let them know you
care. Let them know what kind of a future YOU want. Write to your
government and your representatives and make your views known. It all
counts!

Other, Other Stuff:

Nicole is going to be on the Andy Bumatai show tomorrow to give everyone
an update on my progress. You can watch it at www.TheAndyBumataiShow.com
at 1 pm Hawaii time. She will probably be up at the top of the show. The
video will be posted to YouTube shortly thereafter.

Nicole predicts that I will cross the 1,000 mile mark at about 1am Hawaii
time tonight. So raise me a glass and wish me luck for the next 1,000!

I seem to be in the wars. Following on from yesterday's strained
pectoral, today I took a tumble and found myself sitting down rather
abruptly – and not on a seat, unfortunately. I landed on the end of one
of my seat runners, where lives a removable pin with a ring on the top –
the imprint of which is now firmly embossed on my right buttock. It bled
a little so I duly daubed it in disinfectant but am having extreme
difficulty in applying a band-aid to a wound I can't see. Most
inconvenient.

Conditions continue rough and windy, with all the weather coming from
the East. But I continue to plod stoically south as much as I can. It
would be much easier to go with the wind and the waves. But then I'd
probably end up in the Philippines – which isn't the game plan.

Crescent moon: was sighted at sunset, around 1930 HST or 2030 local
time. But I suspect this is too late to be of interest to the crescent
moon spotters. Sorry!

Weather report:

Position at 2100 HST: 12 28.815N, 168 11.212W
Wind:15-22kts, E
Seas: 7-9ft, E
Weather: sunny, about 5-10% cloud, cumulus and cirrus mostly

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

As of Monday, 22 Jun 2009. The easterly trade winds bump up a notch
above 20kts and seas increase to the 10ft range until tomorrow. Then
abate to below 20kts, increase again on the 25th. Seas 7-10ft.

Sky conditions: Partly to mostly cloudy with variable cloud cover next
five days. Very isolated rainshowers. The Inter-Tropical Convergence
Zone (ITCZ) has quieted down since last report. This is an area of
converging winds from the northern and southern hemisphere which can
cause convective activity which increase the chance of heavy
rainshowers, thunderstorms, and lightning. Presently, the ITCZ lies
between 8-10N.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
22/1800-23/1200 ENE-E 17-23 7-10
23/1200-25/1800 ENE-E 13-18 6-9
25/1800-27/1800 ENE-E 17-22 8-10

Hi Everyone,  

Day 31 – Reasons to be Cheerful

I'm feeling rather beaten up today. I've developed a twinge in my right
pectoral, which is causing discomfort on every stroke. But where
there's a will there's a way. I've had to adopt a rather different
rowing style, placing the blade carefully in the water with my arm at
full extension and using the muscles in my shoulders, back and legs to
complete most of the stroke, only using my arm to finish off the stroke
once the other parts of my body have created enough momentum.

This is more like the classic rowing stroke I would use on flat water –
on rough ocean water it's usually easier to take the catch with bent
arms to help compensate for not knowing quite where the water is going
to be at any given time. It means that I've been able to put less power
into it than usual, but at least I've been able to keep myself on a more
SW course than I would be on if I'd just taken the day off.

An incipient patch of baboon bum has also been causing me concern, and
eating a couple of last year's falafel crackers for lunch might have
been a mistake. I felt a bit queasy for the rest of the afternoon, so
the rest of the batch went overboard as fish food. I hope it didn't give
them gippy tummies too.

So all in all I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself. But no day is totally
without redeeming features, and today has had several.

I optimistically decided to try Lazarus's On button, and surprisingly
the stereo popped into life, having steadfastly resisted all attempts
over the last couple of days. And the weather was sunny without being
too hot. And I saw a few birds (terns? with black caps on their heads,
white bellies, and black backs and edging on their wings). Also a flying
fish making an impressively long flight across the waves, his silver
body gleaming as he skimmed just inches above the blue water.

So all in all, life isn't too bad. Nothing that can't be remedied by a
good night's sleep, a few painkillers and a dollop of hydrocortisone
cream applied liberally to my nethers.

[Photo: still smiling. Ish. Tonight in my cabin.]

Other Stuff:

Nicole tells me I'm coming up on 1,000 miles. And tomorrow marks the end
of my first month at sea. I tend to focus on how much still needs to be
done, rather than what I've already accomplished, so it's nice to be
reminded that a small celebration might be in order. Yayyyy!

Today's Eco Champ is Megan L in Chicago, who posted this comment:
Roz, I'm working on being more green and this is what Ive done since you
started on this leg:
-Installed two rain barrels so I can use rain water in my garden.
-Set up two double compost bins. I eat a lot of veggies (local-from the
Farmers Market) and I used to put the scraps down the disposal.
-Put up a clothesline to use sunshine and wind to dry the laundry.
-Put solar lights around my patio.
Thanks for the inspiration!

All fantastic ideas, Megan – and don't you just LOVE Farmers' Markets?!
So much more friendly than a supermarket, great to know where your food
is coming from, good sense to save on those food miles when food has
been flown halfway around the world – and best of all when they give out
free samples!!!

UncaDoug – I've been looking out for the crescent moon all day, but not
a glimpse, alas. Sorry! Maybe the sun was just too bright? It's been
dazzling today…

Some swift answers to questions:

Do I worry about lightning strikes? No. What good would worrying about
them do?

Does the boat drift off course when I go to sleep? Kind of, yes. But I
have a very flexible concept of the word "course", so I don't lose sleep
over it – literally or figuratively. Provided I go a bit west and a bit
south, I'm reasonably happy.

Would I consider stopping at another island en route to Tuvalu? No.
Ocean rowboats and land do not get on well together. Landfall is the
most difficult and dangerous bit. Best avoided until required.

Have I seen the space station? No, but will look out for it now I know
it's there. Have I seen the zodiacal light? No, not that I'm aware of.

What happens if the boat flips over? It flips back upright again.

Do you ever feel like the "noise" from the blogging and twittering and
facebooking, and other communications is too much – that it distracts
from getting into a zen-like meditative state? No, not any more –
because I don't let it. But the ocean itself often interferes with
zen-like meditative state by being constantly rough and splashy!

Been doing much inner soul searching and having discussions with God?
Did enough of that during 103 of silence on the Atlantic to keep me
going for a while. Still check in regularly, but even in the Bible they
drew the line at 40 days and 40 nights!

Why do I row without clothes? Why not?! But seriously, because:
a) clothes chafe
b) clothes get in the way of applying sun lotion
c) clothes get sweaty and smelly, and/or soaked in saltwater, and I
have limited laundry facilities
d) easier to go to the bathroom with no clothes, while still
maintaining 3 points of contact with boat
e) it's too bloody hot!

And thanks for all the feedback on my questions yesterday about
meridians and the equator. A quick digest of the responses:

Where the prime meridian crosses the equator: they cross in the Gulf of
Guinea at a point about 380 miles south of Accra, Ghana, and 640 miles
west Libreville, Gabon.
(Thank you Michelle Driskill-Smith and aquaphoenix)

(And I quote SV Billabong): I couldn't find the name of 0 180, but you
do drop the NSEW designation as no clarification of hemisphere is
required (you're right on the edge).

(Thanks to Tom B): Regarding your 0deg N/S and 0deg E/W…not sure about
the answer. But I do know you'd be a "Goddess" on the "Degree Confluence
Project"
http://confluence.org/

Basically, (from the site) "The goal of the project is to visit each of
the latitude and longitude integer degree intersections in the world,
and to take pictures at each location."

There are A LOT of points along your path that nobody has been to
before! You would rack up quite the list if you managed to take a
picture showing your coordinates at each point of confluence!

And if you happen to hit 0deg N/S and 0deg E/W at the same time AND get
a picture…I don't know what will happen! (parties? people fainting?
children named after you?!)

(And to JohnH for this): I do not think that there is a specific name
for the point where the date line crosses the equator, but if you do
cross at that point you will be entitled to the title of "Golden
Shellback". Crossing the equator at the Greenwich Meridian (360 miles
out in the ocean south of Ghana, Africa) you would be entitled to the
title of "Emerald Shellback". So maybe we should name them the "Golden
Point" and the "Emerald Point"?

Very good ideas for the names, JohnH, although a bit too sensible for my
tastes. I'm trying to think of something a bit more entertaining, but am
feeling rather devoid of inspiration. Any offers?!

Weather report:
Position at 2035 HST: 12 46.240N 167 49.211W
Wind: 15-20kts E
Seas: 7-10ft E
Weather: sunny, some cloud

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

As of Monday, 22 Jun 2009. The easterly trade winds bump up a notch
above 20kts and seas increase to the 10ft range until tomorrow. Then
abate to below 20kts, increase again on the 25th. Seas 7-10ft.

Sky conditions: Partly to mostly cloudy with variable cloud cover next
five days. Very isolated rainshowers. The Inter-Tropical Convergence
Zone (ITCZ) has quieted down since last report. This is an area of
converging winds from the northern and southern hemisphere which can
cause convective activity which increase the chance of heavy
rainshowers, thunderstorms, and lightning. Presently, the ITCZ lies
between 8-10N.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
22/1800-23/1200 ENE-E 17-23 7-10
23/1200-25/1800 ENE-E 13-18 6-9
25/1800-27/1800 ENE-E 17-22 8-10

To answer some of your follower's questions regarding moon rise and set,
and time zone. On June 23, the moon rises about 6:50 AM (HST) and sets
8:39PM. New moon was 22Jun and the next full moon is on Jul 06. So the
night skies should be dark next couple of weeks. The time zone Roz is
currently in is one hour behind Hawaii time (HST). She will cross the
next time zone upon passing 180E/W.

Next Update: Thursday, 25 June

Day 30 – No Such Thing As Bad Weather?

The British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes once famously declared, "There
is no such thing as bad weather – only inappropriate clothing." I may
beg to differ. My clothing today was eminently appropriate – as usual I
was au naturel – but the weather was decidedly bad as far as I was
concerned.

I was woken this morning by a teeth-rattling blow to the side of the
boat from a big wave, which was shortly followed by a torrential
downpour. I lay on my bunk for a while, procrastinating. I'm usually at
the oars by 6am but this morning it was 7.30 by the time I put blade to
water. It was heavily overcast and I could see more bad weather
approaching from the East.

I'm not sure if it was hail or rain – the wind was throwing it at me so
viciously that it felt like bullets (not that I'd know) but maybe it was
just rain. Very hard rain. And that's the way the day has gone. Cloud,
rain, and more rain. With a few bakingly hot intervals.

I'd been prepared for this kind of thing once I get to the
Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, but that is supposedly still a couple
of degrees away to the south. To be honest, I'm not quite sure just what
the ITCZ is going to bring. In my mind it's some kind of meteorological
Twilight Zone, where anything could happen. Squalls, doldrums, flukey
and surprising winds. I guess I'll find out when I get there. (See also
the latest forecast from weatherguy.com at the bottom of this blog –
interesting.)

Looking at my current course, I'm not sure which I'll cross first – the
International Date Line (at longitude 180 degrees) or the Equator (at
latitude 0 degrees). It would be pretty cool to cross both at the same
time – a bit like being at the North Pole or the South Pole, it would be
a very special set of coordinates.

A few questions if anyone is inclined to do some research to satisfy my
curiosity:

1. Does that place have a name? The place at 180 degrees W and 0
degrees N?
2. Is it correctly 180 degrees W or 180 degrees E? And is it 0
degrees N or 0 degrees S? Or neither – does it drop the W/E and N/S
designation?
3. And where does its opposite lie? The place where the prime
(Greenwich) meridian crosses the Equator? Is it somewhere in Africa?
What country? Is there anything to mark its location? Or is it in the
ocean?

I get fascinated by this stuff, like celestial navigation – anything
that reminds me that we're living on this spinning ball, whizzing
through space, running laps around the sun while the sun itself hurtles
through space.

Is there a Google Universe yet, like Google Earth but bigger in scope?
Now that really would be something, to look back at our solar system
from, say, the middle stud of Orion's Belt.

Oooh, I'm suddenly feeling very small indeed….

Other Stuff:

A very special hello to Bernadette in Australia – today's Pull Together
Champ! She wrote this comment on my last blog:

Thanks to you Roz I am now walking to work each day. It's about 5.5kms
which I used to drive (if it's pouring with rain I take the bus which is
also how I get home unless I feel extra energetic). I figured if you can
row across the oceans to help save the planet the bare minimum I can do
is get up early and forgo the daily drive. I've found it quite a joy
actually and am also developing a nice audio book addiction.

Great going, Bernadette. I'm SO proud of you! Reading your comment has
made my rowing seem so much more worthwhile. Thanks for sharing.
Everyone else – please check out pulltogether.org. I'm encouraging
people to try and match my 10,000 oarstrokes a day with 10,000 steps,
preferably by walking instead of driving for short journeys. Even if you
can't manage to do 10,000, every bit helps – it all helps reduce your
environmental impact. Good for your body and good for the planet!

Great also to hear from my friend Olli – what are you doing in Austin?!
Anyway, good to hear that you're still on your bike, and saving on paper
towels too. Keep spreading the word!

Answers to questions:

When do I decide it's time to retire and batten down the hatches? Pretty
much a gut feel When I start thinking, oooh, this is a bit dicey, that's
about the time! But so far the boat has felt really solid. There have
been some big waves (like the one this morning) but she hasn't even
hinted at going over. Long may that last!

Do I have any pets back on dry land? No, I don't – mostly because I
don't have a home so I don't have anywhere to keep one! One day I'd love
to have a mynah bird, or parrot, or some such. And teach it to say all
kinds of rude things!

Do I have a tether? Yes, I do. It's err, around here somewhere. I don't
use it much.

UncaDoug – I'll see if I can spot the moon tomorrow. Totally overcast
tonight. Please don't count on me though – got a few other things going
on here, so want to manage your expectations on moonspotting!

And thanks for all the comments and sympathy I got on Facebook and
Twitter this morning when I Tweeted about rowing naked in a hailstorm.
Especially enjoyed Peter Hatley's comment:
Think of it as God giving u acupunture, but using hail instead of
needles lol

OK, all for now. Just finally:

Crave of the Day: Cornish cream tea (inspired by message from Dr Aenor
about being on holiday in Cornwall)

Rave of the Day: beansprouts with rawfood chocolate syrup. Sounds weird
but I'm not kidding – it's really good!

Weather Report:

Position at 2100 HST: 12 58.125N, 167 25.776W
Wind: 20+ kts E
Seas: 8-10ft E
Weather: think I've already covered this one!

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

As of Monday, 22 Jun 2009. The easterly trade winds bump up a notch
above 20kts and seas increase to the 10ft range until tomorrow. Then
abate to below 20kts, increase again on the 25th. Seas 7-10ft.

Sky conditions: Partly to mostly cloudy with variable cloud cover next
five days. Very isolated rainshowers. The Inter-Tropical Convergence
Zone (ITCZ) has quieted down since last report. This is an area of
converging winds from the northern and southern hemisphere which can
cause convective activity which increase the chance of heavy
rainshowers, thunderstorms, and lightning. Presently, the ITCZ lies
between 8-10N.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
22/1800-23/1200 ENE-E 17-23 7-10
23/1200-25/1800 ENE-E 13-18 6-9
25/1800-27/1800 ENE-E 17-22 8-10

To answer some of your follower's questions regarding moon rise and set,
and time zone. On June 23, the moon rises about 6:50 AM (HST) and sets
8:39PM. New moon was 22Jun and the next full moon is on Jul 06. So the
night skies should be dark next couple of weeks. The time zone Roz is
currently in is one hour behind Hawaii time (HST). She will cross the
next time zone upon passing 180E/W.

Next Update: Thursday, 25 June

Oh dear. This blog is supposed to be about me rowing across the Pacific.
But today I haven't been me – I have been Michael Palin following in the
footsteps of Ernest Hemingway. That's problem with a really good book.
It totally sucks you in so you forget who you are. And where you are.
And what you're doing.

Since the demise of my stereo I have to listen to audiobooks with
earbuds connected to my iPod in a waterproof Aquapac. So the effect is
even more potent – it's like I'm mainlining the book straight into my
brain.

On the upside, it did make the day's rowing pass much more easily. I
even rowed an extra half hour so I could get to the end. Then I emerged
from the book to find myself rowing along under the stars, rather
disoriented, like I sometimes feel when I come out of a cinema after a
gripping film.

So it was a darned good book. Michael Palin (ex-member of Monty Python
team, also star of A Fish Called Wanda) was commissioned by the BBC to
visit the places where the writer Ernest Hemingway lived – in Chicago,
Key West, Africa, Spain, Paris, Italy, Cuba and Montana. I learned a lot
about Hemingway, as well as what his old haunts are like now.

Hemingway sounds like a powerful character – one of those people I had
in mind when I did my ideal obituary exercise several years ago. He was
passionate, adventurous, larger than life, and intensely alive. All good
things, in my book. Also accident prone and a hard drinker, with a habit
of bagging both wildlife and wives in excess. Not things that I aspire
to (I like to drink, but would struggle to keep up with his prodigious
intake) but the thing I admire about him is that he lived life without
reserve. He held nothing back. He just went for it headlong.

I love to learn about people I admire. It helps me figure out the kind
of person I want to be. Nobody's perfect, and I would never model myself
100% on just one person. But an amalgam of 20 or so different people
creates a kind of idealized role model – the spirit of this one, the
courage of that one, the curiosity of another. It all helps me visualize
my ideal future self. It's fun – like pick 'n' mix for the personality.

[photo: tonight's sunset - photo taken with my Xacti waterproof video
camera since demise of Pentax Optio WP]

Other Stuff:

Some quick answers to questions raised in comments:

Do I run a light on my boat at night? Yes, I have a solar-powered bright
white light that comes on automatically at sunset and goes off at
sunrise

How often do I wash off the salt from my body? Many times a day! I have
plenty of water from my watermaker, and plenty of sunshine to power the
solar panels that keep it running, so I have more than enough fresh
water to bathe frequently with bucket and sponge.

How do I avoid getting burned to a crisp? I use copious amounts of my
Green People organic sun lotion. I'm nearly through my second large
tube. And I do have a small sun canopy, although I haven't been able to
use that much recently because it's been too windy and it flaps around
when the wind gets over 20 knots.

Do I wear sunglasses? I should, but I don't. My friend Ellen lent me
some really cool glasses but they slide down my nose when I get hot and
sweaty. So I just wear a baseball cap and that seems to do the trick.

How much sleep do I get and how many hours do I row? Sleep is a flexible
concept. I get about 7-8 hours of lying on my bunk each night, some of
which is spent asleep, but it gets pretty bouncy out here much of the
time. Noisy too. As for rowing, I'm taking it easier on this leg. Around
10 hours a day. That's all.

Can I post temperatures? No, not at the moment. I don't have anything to
measure temperature – or at least, I do, but I'm not planning to
download the data from the devices until the end of the voyage. But I do
happen to know that the temperature in the forward cabin (where my
Project Niu device awaits deployment) reached 100 degrees F the other
day. I'd say that's pretty warm.

Eve – I remember! Well done on your dissertation. Glad the photo helps
provide some inspiration. I think we both know a lot about the value of
perseverance!!

UncaDoug – if I see the moon, I'll report it. Do you know what time it
is due to rise on June 23? As for my time zone, I have no idea! I'm
still using Hawaiian time as ship's time, but I don't know what time
zone I am in officially. I suspect I might be an hour behind Hawaii. You
will have to check using my longitude.

Thanks to Anna and Karen for the lovely messages. Anna – I hope the back
gets better soon! You want to watch out for that gardening – truly
dangerous!

Earl-Baldwin – go for it! And good luck with the swimming. You are now
the second adult (that I know of) who has decided to learn to swim after
reading about my adventures. Thanks for letting me know!

Gary – sounds like an amazing project with the Navajo. I look forward to
hearing more about it. Keep me posted!

OK, all for now. Ernest Hemingway has kept me up past my bedtime and I
need to hit the hay.

Weather report:

Position at 2215 HST: 13 14.922N, 166 58.248W
Wind: 15-20kts E
Seas: 6ft E
Weather: occasional clouds, hot and sunny

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

The easterly trade winds persist in the 20kt range throughout the
forecast period. Seas 5-8ft.

Temperature: Hot and getting hotter with increasing humidity heading
towards the equator.

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy and consistent cloud cover next five days.
Very isolated rainshowers. About 11-10N latitude, increasing clouds
approaching the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). These clouds
become convective clouds which increase the chance of heavy rainshowers,
thunderstorms, and lightning normally associated with the ITCZ.
Currently, the convergence area of the ITCZ lies between 11N and 4N

Next Update: Monday, 22 June

Day 28 – Comrades in Oars

Since Nicole sent me some excerpts from the Golden Gate Endeavour blog,
I've been thinking quite a bit about my friends Chris Martin and Mick
Dawson as they row across the north Pacific from Japan to San Francisco.
And, sorry guys, but mostly I've been thinking I'm happy I'm not you! I
think that rowing an ocean in a pair would be a very different thing
from rowing as a solo.

Mick already has two Atlantic crossings under his belt (both in pairs)
and two failed solo attempts on the Pacific – both of which ended up in
a liferaft. So in determination to succeed this time he has enlisted
Chris Martin, who was the one other solo entry when I did the Atlantic
Rowing Race in 2005.

They are rowing in the shift pattern commonly used by pairs – two hours
on, two hours off, around the clock. I tried this on the Atlantic, and I
found it brutal. The human body (well, my human body, anyway) does not
take kindly to being roused from sleep at godforsaken hours of the night
to go and row. Nor does it respond well to never getting more than about
90 minutes of sleep at a time (it takes a while to get down, and then to
get up again – especially as the north Pacific is decidedly chilly so
the guys are wearing a lot more clothes than I do).

They described in their blog what it is like at changeover time, with
one man desperate to get to sleep and the other trying to drag himself
out of sleep. The resulting lack of coordination resulting in a snack
bar thrown by Mick to Chris landing in the poo bucket. Not good.

I really felt for them. At least my body, sunburned, aching and abused
as it is, gets a decent night's break from rowing and a chance to
recover. And when conditions prevent rowing I get the whole cabin to
myself rather than having to share with a large hairy-arsed crewmate.
Still, each to their own.

Even though Mick and Chris are many hundreds of miles north of me, it's
nice to know they're there. Gives me a feeling of comradeship. So a big
AHOY to the guys, and wishing Mick third time lucky. If you'd like to
follow their blog, it's at goldengateendeavour.com (note English
spelling of endeavour).

[photo: looking out for Mick and Chris – the view north from my boat,
showing the solar panels and aft hatch on the roof of my sleeping cabin]

And a note on ocean rowing:

To put it in context (and this is all from memory, so I hope I'm more or
less right) about 300 people in the world have rowed across an ocean.
Most of those crossings have been in pairs, and most of them have been
on the Atlantic, as contestants in the Atlantic Rowing Race. About 25
people have rowed solo across an ocean, of whom 6 have been women.

Not many people have rowed the Pacific. In contrast to the Atlantic,
most of the Pacific crossings have been solo rather than in pairs. The
ones I can recall are:

Sylvia Cooke and John Fairfax in about 1966, from East to West
Peter Bird, E to W
Gerard d'Aboville, W to E
Jim Shekhdar, E to W

Alex Bellini, E to W, although I'm not sure if his attempt counted
because he got picked up about 65 miles short of the Australian coast,
frustrated by repeated failures to punch through the currents that
whoosh up and down the Australian coast.

And a Frenchwoman, Maude Fontenoy, rowed about half the Pacific, from
Peru to French Polynesia.

I'm sure there are a few more that I can't remember. The definitive
statistics are at www.oceanrowing.com.

Other Stuff:

Conditions continue rough, with winds of at least 20 knots coming from
the East. I am rowing south, across the waves, which means they often
strike me broadside and give me a drenching. And it's challenging to row
efficiently in such rough seas. But it will be worth it in the end if it
sets me up well for Stage 3 next year, coming in to Australia.

Lazarus the Stereo finally died today. Bit the dust. Kicked the bucket.
Went to the big West Marine in the sky. I'd been managing to coax him
into reluctant action for the last week or so, since he developed a
rebellious streak and decided to ignore all button-pressing. But now he
flatly refuses to work. At all. From now on it's the Aquapac + earbuds.
Thanks to Aquapac for the free gear – seriously much appreciated. Need
to feed my audiobook addiction!

Crave of the Day: a glass of nice cold, ice cold milk

Rave of the Day: the walnut pumpkin rawfood crackers made for me by
Marlene Depierre. Just tried them out for the first time today. Very
yummy indeed!

Thanks for all the brilliant comments. I've just finished reading the
latest batch. I love hearing who you are and what you're doing, what
challenges you're facing and how you face them. Your comments really
help remind me that there is a real world somewhere beyond the horizon!
A wonderful world with some wonderful people. Thanks for being there for
me.

Weather report:

Position at 2100 HST: 13 36.074N, 166 31.935W
Wind: 20+ kts from E
Seas: 10ft from E
Weather: some overcast this morning, occasional clouds this afternoon

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

The easterly trade winds persist in the 20kt range throughout the
forecast period. Seas 5-8ft.

Temperature: Hot and getting hotter with increasing humidity heading
towards the equator.

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy and consistent cloud cover next five days.
Very isolated rainshowers. About 11-10N latitude, increasing clouds
approaching the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). These clouds
become convective clouds which increase the chance of heavy rainshowers,
thunderstorms, and lightning normally associated with the ITCZ.
Currently, the convergence area of the ITCZ lies between 11N and 4N

Next Update: Monday, 22 June

Day 27

Paddler's Pet Pacific Passions

As the flipside to yesterday's gripes about my pet peeves, here are some
of the compensations to life on an ocean rowboat (and in case this is
all a bit too Pollyanna for you, skip to Other Stuff where I once again
get something off my chest…)

Good things about ocean rowing:

7. Getting an all-over suntan – I even alternate my feet in my rowing
shoes now so that they get a bit of color. Didn't have this figure out
on the Atlantic crossing and arrived in Antigua looking like I'd stepped
up to my ankles in whitewash.

6. I get to eat as much as I want without getting fat. Quite the
opposite in fact – I tend to lose about 25 pounds on a crossing.

5. I do what I want, when I want, with very few restrictions apart from
scheduled calls on the satellite phone.

4. But having said that, I like having the steady routine that I never
seem to find in my nomadic existence on dry land. I even remember to
take my vitamin pills.

3. Glow of virtue from eating healthy food and getting lots of fresh air
and exercise.

2. The stars at night have to be seen to be believed – so bright, so
many, so very humbling.

1. Simplicity and purity – I have what I need (give or take a few tubes
of shower gel) and not much more. I often think of my boat as my little
floating nun's cell, in a good way. My time here reminds me what is
important in life – and what isn't.

Other Stuff:

Eeeeah. Aaarrgh. Eeeaawww. (Imagine lots of Jim Carrey-like face pulling
to indicate inner conflict.) I'm going to have to do it. I know you're
not supposed to dignify negative comments with a response, but I just
can't help myself. Two days ago someone (and we all know who you are)
posted a comment on this blog that I just have to reply to.

So you feel like this voyage so far has been "flat"? Disappointed
because so far I haven't been airlifted by helicopter (2007), had both
my watermakers fail (2008), broken all my oars or lost my communications
(2006)? You may be disappointed, but personally, I am quite happy about
this state of affairs, and would like it to continue. Dramas? Been
there, done that, got the press clippings.

Before every voyage I catch myself thinking "I hope it's not boring" and
then very quickly tell myself to be careful what I wish for. At sea,
drama = bad. It is life-threatening, stressful, and sometimes very
expensive.

This is not a Hollywood movie. It is REAL LIFE – you know, that thing
that happens when you get away from your computer keyboard and go and do
something more interesting instead. I am not a screenwriter, I am a
blogger. I don't make this stuff up.

I bare heart, soul and backside for your entertainment and edification.
I invite you to share my life, thoughts and adventures, and to abuse
that invitation strikes me as bad manners.

But just to keep you happy, I have arranged for some dramatic new
developments. In a few weeks time I will be hit by a giant killer
tsunami, resulting in an unrecoverable capsize. Then I get rescued by a
galleon, only to discover that it is manned by bloodthirsty pirates.
Luckily I manage to melt the heart of the ruthless pirate captain (who
bears an uncanny resemblamce to Johnny Depp). He whisks me off to a
tropical island where we make our own rum and live happily ever after.

I booked the tsunami for July 23, 6pm UTC. I do hope you can wait that
long for things to get less "flat".

I think I've made my point.

Meanwhile, thank you to the vast majority of people who have been
posting lovely, supportive, encouraging and entertaining comments on my
blog. I truly appreciate them. Especially enjoyed yesterday's comments
from Maria Pomponio, Anna Farmery, and the Old Man. Thanks also to
chep2m for the link to the Google Blog. Sindy – keep up the good work, I
know you'll find a way to fit those steps in somehow – and even if you
don't make it to 10,000 steps in a day, know that every bit helps!

On the question about sharks – yes, every time I go for a plunge I check
for ominous shadows around my boat. Haven't seen any yet, but can't be
too careful. A big shark bite is one drama I could definitely do
without.

And hello to Guam and India!

OK, time to get this blog posted. If you haven't yet checked out
yesterday's video RozCast on YouTube, please do. It took me 2 hours to
get the 30 second ocean bit uploaded because I kept losing the
connection to the satellites, so please make it worth my while! Easiest
to find it via the RozTracker. Enjoy!

Weather report:

Position at 2030 HST: 13 50.199N, 165 59.602W
Wind: over 20kts – very inconvenient. Lots of walloping around the head
by sun canopy until gave up and took it down
Seas: 8-10ft, often coming over side of boat
Weather: overcast morning, blistering afternoon

Weather forecast courtesy of weatherguy.com:

The easterly trade winds persist in the 20kt range throughout the
forecast period. Seas 5-8ft.

Temperature: Hot and getting hotter with increasing humidity heading
towards the equator.

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy and consistent cloud cover next five days.
Very isolated rainshowers. About 11-10N latitude, increasing clouds
approaching the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). These clouds
become convective clouds which increase the chance of heavy rainshowers,
thunderstorms, and lightning normally associated with the ITCZ.
Currently, the convergence area of the ITCZ lies between 11N and 4N

Next Update: Monday, 22 June

Day 26 – Pet Peeves

Generally I like to look on the bright side of life, focusing on the
positive rather than the negative. But once in a while it does me good
to have a quick rant, and a problem shared is a problem halved, so here
are my 7 top pet peeves of ocean-going existence:

7. Phantom noises – things that go bump in the night, or click, or beep,
or roll, or knock… and defy all efforts to identify the source of the
noise. Boats are noisy places, with things rolling around in lockers or
swinging against cabin walls, and it can drive a soul to distraction
trying to find out where the noise is coming from.

6. Losing things that, like the noises, can't be found. (Today I found
my shower gel – woohoo! But only one tube, and I know I had at least 4,
and I can't figure out why they aren't all together. Why would the black
hole suck all but one tube through into the parallel universe? The
mystery deepens….)

5. A stereo that won't play when I want it to, and won't stop when I
want it to either. Today before my podcast with Leo I had to open it up
and pull out the iPod from its slot, as the only way to get it to shut
up.

4. Being clobbered around the head by the sun canopy when the wind gets
to over 20 knots. But if I take the sun canopy down I get scorched by
the harsh tropical sun. If only the weather would choose between high
winds and sunshine, but not both at the same time…

3. Dropped satphone calls – Leo and I lost contact during the podcast
this morning, and when I tried to call him back my phone just kept
saying "Please try later". Doesn't it KNOW when I'm on an important
phone call?!

2. Finding decomposed flying fish in unlikely corners of the deck. If
they don't get returned to the waves pretty soon after death, they go
rather crusty if in sun, or horribly slimy if concealed behind sea
anchor or liferaft, or if hiding in the bilges. Yuck!

1. Inconsiderate waves that come crashing in unannounced just as I've
switched over to a fresh, dry seat cover. Or while I'm preparing my
lunch. Or at an otherwise inconvenient moment. They watch, they wait,
and then they come and get me. Or am I just getting paranoid?!

Phew, feels better to have got those off my chest. In the interests of
balanced reporting, tomorrow I will try and come up with 7 good things
about being on the ocean.

[photo: rowing action today]

Other Stuff:

And here's another pet peeve – winds that blow me the wrong way. If you
look at my route on the RozTracker you'll see that in the last 24 hours
it has taken a sudden jag to the west. This is very strange. The wind is
coming from the same direction, the rudder is set the same as it has
been for the last week, and as usual I have been rowing with my bow
pointed due south. But instead of heading nicely SSW, suddenly I am
going due W. Not amused!

REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK:

On a more positive note: we're talking with Archinoetics about the next
incarnation of the RozTracker. We are compiling a wish list to see what
might be possible. I think it would be fun to use a motion sensor so you
can see how much my boat is pitching about on any given day, maybe with
a little gauge like they have in airplanes so you can see how my boat is
moving relative to the horizon.

If you've got any special requests for features you'd like to see –
weather, moonphase, whatever – then let us know. Please send your
suggestions to [email protected]. We can't promise that they will
all be feasible, so let's look on this as a brainstorming session.
There's no such thing as a bad idea. Apart from the ones that are.

I'm uploading my latest video contribution as I write this, featuring
some rowing action. Dawn will probably have it edited into the prepared
shell and live on YouTube in the next 12 hours or so – so look out for
it there!

Weather report:

Position at 2045 HST: 14 09.940N, 165 39.826W (and heading WNW – grrr!)
Wind: 15-22kts ENE
Seas: 7-9ft, rough
Weather: some cloud, mostly sunny

Weather forecast courtesy of weatherguy.com:

The easterly trade winds persist in the 20kt range throughout the
forecast period. Seas 5-8ft.

Temperature: Hot and getting hotter with increasing humidity heading
towards the equator.

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy and consistent cloud cover next five days.
Very isolated rainshowers. About 11-10N latitude, increasing clouds
approaching the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). These clouds
become convective clouds which increase the chance of heavy rainshowers,
thunderstorms, and lightning normally associated with the ITCZ.
Currently, the convergence area of the ITCZ lies between 11N and 4N

Next Update: Monday, 22 June

Seems that so far this voyage's blog has been dominated by boobies,
bums, and bird poo. I felt it was time to raise the tone a bit, and talk
about my boat – or, more specifically, some of the people who have
worked on her.

I often feel like a bit of a fraud when I claim to be a "solo ocean
rower" because although the rowing bit is totally down to me (sigh… if
only it COULD be delegated, at least a bit of it!) there are countless
other people without whom I couldn't do what I do. Literally hundreds of
people give me support – financial, technical, psychological and moral.

Today I'd like to single out a few who have given very practical
support. I hope they don't mind. I know they didn't do it for the
recognition – and certainly not for monetary reward, because there
wasn't any.
I think of them often as I look around my boat, and see the evidence of
their contributions.

Ian Tuller is a retired educator living in San Francisco. He emailed me
some time back to introduce himself and offer some help. As well as
letting me stay on his boat and drive his car while I am in the Bay
Area, he came out to Hawaii to help work on my boat. Twice.

Ian is an amazing can-do kind of guy. He just gets on with it. I was
being a bit of a wimp about stripping all the defunct electrical
equipment off my boat – a clutter of stuff had accumulated over the
years, most of which had worked briefly before falling victim to
saltwater corrosion. "But we might be able to fix it," I pleaded. "We
might," he said, "but if it broke the first time it's going to break
again." The logic was irrefutable. The broken kit was duly stripped and
went to the next boat jumble.

I think of Ian each time I admire the clean lines of my newly
uncluttered cabin roof, where much of the dead stuff used to live.

And each time I look at my nice clean deck, newly painted in Seattle
Grey, I think of Liz Fischer, who I met for the first time only about a
month before I left from Waikiki. A professional woman and enthusiastic
paddler, Liz connected with me via Facebook. I don't know how we'd have
been ready in time without her help. No task was too big – or too small.
Sometimes it's easier to find someone to paint a deck than to find
someone to do the mundane, unglamorous jobs like buying batteries. Liz
would just dismiss all proffered thanks with a brisk "Girls gotta help
girls."

And last but not least, huge thanks to Scott Burgess, who I met at the
Ala Wai Paddling Challenge earlier this year. As well as being the
possessor of the most distractingly amazing set of abs I've ever seen,
Scott has been incredibly generous with his time and energy. During the
couple of months that I was away on the mainland, Scott toiled away in
his spare time in the Black Hole of Calcutta that was Pier 21 – the only
place we could find to store my boat at the time, a gloomy, grimy
warehouse – chipping away at the long To Do list. He also stored the
unbelievable quantity of stuff that came off my boat in his small
apartment. I think I had more possessions there than he did.

Scott got the worst job of all, the one nobody wants to do – sanding and
repainting the bottom of the boat. Covered in blue paint dust and
wearing a white paper overall, he looked like a hard-working Smurf. A
Smurf with great abs. Did I mention those already? (Sorry to embarrass
you, Scott!)

I can't possibly name everyone else who helped out, but would just
quickly like to acknowledge Morgan Kavanaugh, Ellen Petry Leanse, Aenor
Sawyer, Melinda Griffith, Nancy Glenn, Lyla Kempker and Brian Bilodeau,
all of whom contributed their unpaid labor during those last frenetic
days on dry land. I see little signs of your care and affection all
around me on this boat, and it helps keep me motivated to know that you
all believe in me.

And if any of you can remember seeing my shower gel on board…. Let me
know where to find it!

[Photo: I think my trusty old Pentax Optio WP is on its way out. This
photo I took today is looking decidedly psychedelic. And the ocean
wasn't. Sigh. That's the second camera I've killed so far this trip….]

Other Stuff:

32 miles today – not bad. Conditions rough but I've been in worse. Heat
continues to be the main issue.

Nicole sent me some extracts from the blog of GoldenGateEndeavour.com –
my two friends Chris Martin and Mick Dawson who are rowing the north
Pacific from Japan to San Francisco. They are suffering from the cold –
woolly hats and warm socks being their most cherished items. While I
swelter. Funny to think we're on the same ocean. But also quite
reassuring, in a way. They're a couple of thousand miles north of me,
but nice to know I'm not the only lunatic out here!

Thanks for a great batch of comments on my last blog. Too tired to reply
to all (and need to get off my bum – still taking good care of it), but
here are a few hellooos:

Sindy – so my average is up to over 30 miles a day. Woohoo! (not in
danger of breaking any water speed records any time soon though!)

Beau – getting a bit crowded on this rowing seat. You might have to take
the night shift!

Pegola – hi to all in Hood River. And have fun at the Guac Off! I hope
to be there in October on my book tour – see you then?!

Daniel Dion – I can't believe I've managed to connect with someone in
Gravelbourg! Your town, I'll have you know (with a smile) was the bane
of my planning exercise. About 1000 miles out of my way, the back end of
beyond, on the way to nowhere. Exactly the kind of place I would LOVE to
visit! I will be sure to look you up if I get around to my Johnny Cash
adventure.

Weather report:

Position at 2120 HST: 14 18.444N, 165 05.104W
Wind: 10-20kts ENE
Seas: 6-8ft ENE, breaking, rough, generally inconvenient
Weather: some welcome cloud towards the end of the day, otherwise hot,
hot, hot

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

As for Monday. New forecast arriving tomorrow.

This morning when I went out on deck, it was dotted with the little
corpses of about 10 flying fish. It was my solemn duty to give them a
burial at sea, by picking them up and rather unceremoniously chucking
them over the side. It's a sad and rather slimy chore, and a sure sign
that the seas are getting rougher.

Most of the fish, as far as I can tell, don't arrive by flying –
although occasionally this does happen, as I know from the times when
I've found myself on the flight path and have been struck on the side of
the head by a flying fish, to our mutual surprise.

No, most of them come up through the scuppers. The scuppers are six
little oval holes arranged along the sides of my boat at deck level,
each with an elasticated trapdoor. The idea is that these trapdoors act
like valves, allowing water to escape from the deck but not allowing
water back in.

But it doesn't always work that way. Forceful waves sometimes burst up
through the scuppers, bringing a flood of seawater and a few unfortunate
flying fish, seriously spoiling their day. One minute, there they are
swimming along, minding their own business. The next moment they're
lying thrashing on my deck, probably failing to appreciate its fresh new
coat of paint in Seattle Grey.

If I'm on deck when they arrive I try to throw them back in before they
asphyxiate, but I rarely succeed. My attempts to pick them up send them
into a frenzied wiggle that makes them impossible to get a hold of. So
they die. Over the side they go, to be recycled as somebody else's
dinner. That's life.

Other Stuff:

Hmph. Most indignant. Back to business as usual today, with a full day
at the oars. But I wonder why I bother. I did the same number of miles
today (full day of rowing) as I did yesterday (2 hours rowing before
sore bum stopped play). So I can only console myself with these facts:
1. I would have gone even fewer miles if I hadn't rowed all day
2. I'm still 24 hours closer to my goal
3. It could be worse – I could be a flying fish randomly washed up
on the deck of a passing rowboat.

The good news is that the posterior was perfectly well-behaved today and
caused no trouble. Time is a great healer – as is hydrocortisone. And I
reconfigured my seat cover too, which may also have helped to some
extent.

I can't find my shower gel. I had about 6 tubes of Mint and Tea Tree
Shower Gel – my absolute favorite – to use when I've finished my current
tube. And I can't find them. They're not in the same locker with all the
other toiletries, sun cream, wet wipes, toothpaste, etc. So if they're
not there, lord only knows where they are. Probably hiding out with my
second deck bag and Kestrel wind gauge, wherever those ended up. Maybe
on board, maybe not. Sigh. Amazing how easy it is to lose stuff on a 23
foot rowboat. I swear some of these lockers have black holes in them
that swallow my stuff and spit it out into a parallel universe.

Thanks for the comments on yesterday's blog about the list of
adventures. Peter Corless – your idea of the Welsh B&B sounds absolutely
wonderful. I know a couple of fantastic B&B's in Devon that would
probably serve just as well. Must add that to the list!

Also great to hear from cousin Juliet, adventurer Leven Brown, Michelle
Urquhart from NZ, and Sindy and her new t-shirt – and everybody else as
well, of course! Thanks for all the feedback – I can't tell you how much
it means to me to know that you are all there and pulling for me!!

Weather update:

Position at 2040 HST: 14 46.950N, 164 46.429W
Wind: 15-20kts ENE
Seas: 6-8ft ENE, rough
Weather: sunny, hot, few clouds

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com: as for yesterday

I rowed for a couple of hours this morning, and took a real drenching –
from waves over the side of the boat and from a passing rain squall.
Normally this would have been very welcome – some nice fresh rain to
cool me down. But wet conditions make skin much more fragile, and my
drenching did me no favors, given my current delicate condition.

So I went exploring in my first aid kit (see photo) and found a bag
nestled amongst all the medical terminologies, labeled simply "For The
Bum". It contained a veritable treasure trove of ointments and salves.
Thanks, Dr Aenor!

To while away the long, long hours while I heal, I decided to compile
some lists. Lots more in my notebook, but here is the first. Since the
Daily Telegraph named me as one of "Britain's Top 20 Adventurers" a few
weeks ago, I've been pondering a lot on the nature of adventure and
adventuring, with some philosophical thoughts that I'll share some other
time. But for now, here are 10 adventures I'd like to have before I die.

In no particular order:

1. North Pole (geographic, not magnetic) – so I can say, "I always
knew the whole world revolved around me"
2. South Pole – ditto, but upside down
3. London to Beijing by train via Moscow
4. Beijing to London by Land Rover via any country ending in "stan"
5. 3 months in a Buddhist monastery, somewhere in the Far East
6. Alaska/Yukon, maybe along the old Gold Rush route
7. Four Corners States (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah) to get
to know the culture of the Navajo and Hopi tribes
8. Visit every place named in the Johnny Cash song "I've Been
Everywhere" (I've actually planned this one out. It would be huge –
26,000 miles, all over North America)
9. Trekking in Patagonia (the region, not the store)
10. Trekking in Nepal

Maybe due to some misguided Protestant work ethic I can't just have an
adventure. It's not enough to say simply "Because it's there" – there
has to be a reason. I have to justify it to myself – or else it's just a
vacation. At the very least to write a blog or a book – at the most
maybe something very personal and meaningful.

I suppose that, for me, that is part of the essence of having an
adventure. It should change me in some way – expand my horizons, teach
me new things, change my outlook. It's more than an experience, it's an
evolution. And being an adventurer is not just what a person does – it's
who they are.

Having said that, you don't have to born an adventurer. I left it late
in life to start adventuring – my first proper adventure (Peru, 2003)
was when I was 35. But I've got a few years left in me yet. And a lot of
world to cover. So I'd better get a move on!

Other Stuff:

Update on Mum after her hip replacement got an email from my sister
today to say that Mum's operation went just fine. She is still groggy
from the anesthetic but otherwise in good shape.

Just the quickest of quick hellos to Anna Farmery (and the other Podcast
Sisters). Enjoy that cold glass of cider for me – ooh, why did I think
of that! Now my Crave of the Day….

And thanks to everyone else for the comments and questions. (UncDoug –
I'm posting videos every week – there are now about 20 or 30 of my
videos on YouTube. So hopefully you can find what you wanted there. To
post even a 30 second video involves half an hour of upload time and
close to $50, so I won't be able to post a video specially – sorry!)

Right, I've had enough. I can't tell you how uncomfortable it is sitting
here in this tiny cabin with a hot laptop on my knees. A muggy wind
blowing and I'm covered in a sheen of sweat. Yeurch. So I'm going to
post a quick weather report and then I'm done.

OK, now on to that weather:

Position at 2030 HST: 15 06.043N, 164 32.621W
Wind: 15-20kts ENE
Seas: 6-8ft, choppy
Weather: 50% overcast today, but still hot and humid

Weather forecast courtesy of weatherguy.com:

The easterly trade winds persist in the 20kt range with a slight
increase mid period . Seas 5-7ft.

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy and consistent cloud cover. Very
isolated rainshowers.

As coordinated with Roz, weather reports will normally be posted Mondays
and Thursdays each week.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
15/1800-19/0000 E-ENE 15-20 5-7
19/0000-19/1200 E-ENE 17-22 5-7
19/1200-22/0000 E-ENE 15-20 5-7

Phew, relieved to log on to email and find I'm not up on any obscenity
charges after yesterday's rather risque rump romp photo…

Today I took a day off from rowing to allow my poor suffering backside a
chance to recover. But the trouble with taking a day off on a rowboat is
that there isn't much to do on a rowboat apart from…. row. It is
definitely not designed as a sunbathing boat, as I found when I tried to
escape from the heat of the cabin to give my bottom some fresh air
therapy.

The main problem is that my deck area is split into thirds, lengthwise,
by the runners for my rowing seat, two ridges which rise up about 6
inches from the deck. The runners (made by Gig Harbor Boat Works, WA)
work admirably for their purpose, which is to give me a nice smooth
slide for my rowing seat, but they do get in the way of any attempts to
find a comfortable place to stretch out. And as for a game of deck
quoits, forget it….

Two other complicating factors:
1. not wanting to lie in direct sunshine, so I was playing a game of
hide and seek with the sun as it moved across the sky and around the sun
canopy.
2. not wanting to lie on the windward side, which catches all the
splashes as waves break against the side of the boat, and I didn't want
to get salt on my chafed skin.

But eventually, with the use of a sarong and a couple of rhino clips to
improvise an extension to the sun canopy, I managed to find a couple of
positions where, with careful deployment of limbs draped across rowing
seat, side decks and/or seat runners, I was able to lie in reasonable
comfort, using the sea anchor (in the red and yellow bag) as a pillow.

It was okay, but not so great that I'd be tempted to repeat the
experience on a regular basis. In fact – even though under normal
circumstances I'd be glad of any excuse to avoid physical exercise (yes,
honestly!) – it was a little frustrating not to be able to make the most
of reasonable conditions. I could have doubled today's mileage if I'd
been rowing – but at least the wind was kindly pushing me in the right
direction so no harm was done.

The evidence of the camera tells me that the strategy may have paid off.
My baboon bottom has now faded to a lesser shade of red, and has
developed an interestingly crunchy, peeling texture, like the aftermath
of a sunburn.

And with that I now resolutely bring an end to all updates on my nether
regions. I had to write about it because it has been the dominant news
story on board the Brocade for the last couple of days, but I don't want
to burden you with any more bulletins on my backside. Enough already!
And on to more elevated subjects….

Other Stuff:

Just at sunset this evening I saw a most amazingly long flight by a
flying fish. He must have gone about 50 feet. Most impressive.

Thanks for the feedback on names from the Terry Goodkind books. Good to
know how they're spelled – that's the way my brain works. I'd have been
no good in Shakespeare's day, before they standardized spelling!

BTW (and this really is the final, final word on my PITA), I'd like to
reassure people that I do not sit directly on that hard, black plastic
seat. I have a cushion provided by Bottomsiders, covered with a seat
cover made from Packtowl quick-drying fabric, which I rinse at the end
of every rowing shift as well as washing my skin. Please also know that
I have a huge and comprehensive first aid kit, and an attentive doctor
on call 24/7, so if there are any signs of infection I have ample
resources to deal with it.

And in answer to the question about previous botty issues – on the
Atlantic I had problems with saltwater sores, which are more like
pimples. Ditto but much less bad (due to better seat strategy and tea
tree oil) between San Francisco and Hawaii. This is the first time I've
had such a rash/chafe. I can only think it's due to the new factor of
intense tropical heat. Just when you think you've got it all figured
out….

Thanks for all the tea and sympathy and humor around my damaged
derriere. All much appreciated!

Weather report:

Position at 2020 HST: 15 26.437N, 164 16.896W
Wind: 15kts ENE
Seas: 4-6ft ENE, quite choppy
Weather: more clouds than recently, but still only about 10% cloud
cover. Bring me more!

Weather forecast courtesy of weatherguy.com:

The easterly trade winds persist in the 20kt range. Seas 5-7ft.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
12/1800-18/0000 E-ENE 15-20 5-7

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy next few days. Isolated rainshowers but
higher chance than yesterday.

Day 21 – International Day of the Bottom

Just the other day (World Oceans Day, I think) I was remarking how
important it is to have days of appreciation for things that go
unappreciated the remaining 364 days of the year. Well, today it
occurred to me that there is an important date currently missing from
the calendar – the International Day of the Bottom.

There they are, doing one of the body's less glamorous jobs, day in, day
out, without complaint. And what thanks do they get for it? Precious
little.

In fact, I even lost my bottom for a while and barely noticed it. It
happened while I was rowing the Atlantic. A friend remarked, shortly
after my return, that he was going to send out a search party across the
ocean to try and find Roz's missing bottom. I found a full-length mirror
and sure enough, there it was gone. I'd lost so much weight it had all
but disappeared. I'd noticed I was having problems keeping my trousers
up, but other than that I hadn't even noticed. Out of sight is out of
mind.

In fact, we generally show our bottoms a disgraceful lack of respect.
Just because of their proximity to some of the human body's less
fragrant functions, they have become figures of fun. Or, if you're
British, embarrassment. This is reflected in our range of names for them
– from the euphemistic (posterior, derriere, backside) to the biological
(buttocks, gluteus maximus) to the colloquial (bum, ass, arse, tush,
sure-you-can-think-of-lots-more).

As with so many body parts, it's only when they are damaged or painful
that we pay them attention. (I am talking about appreciating one's own
bottom here, not other people's. That is another subject entirely.) As
the current possessor of a bottom as red as a baboon's, I am suddenly
very much more aware of, and grateful for, my generally neglected nether
regions. I am impatient for them to heal so I can get back to a full
rowing schedule.

So pour yourself a glass and let's drink a toast to tushes. Let's put
the fun back in fundament. Celebrate the beauty of buttocks. Appreciate
our asses.

Bottoms up!

[Note: this blog is in no way intended to be disrespectful towards World
Oceans Day, World Environment Day, etc. They are valuable dates in
bringing vital issues to general awareness and I fully support them in
every way.]

Other Stuff:

I've been enjoying listening to the fantasy books of Terry Goodkind
(great distraction from painful bum). But I'm having a problem with the
proper nouns, and I hope someone can help me. I can't make out many of
the names, or not with any degree of certainty. The hero – his first
name is Richard, but what is his last name. Rall? Raul? His two
henchwomen – Cara? What is she – a Mordsith? And Nikki? It certainly
sounds like Nikki, but this seems to be a name better befitting a
hairdresser than a Slave Queen and Sorceress. Richard's grandfather –
Zed? Zeb? And the villain – sounds like Jegang but I very much doubt
it's spelled that way. If anyone can help me out with these, plus names
of any witches, evil forces, and place names, I'd be most grateful.

And now I need to get this blog posted so I can go lie down again and
get my buttocks in the air. If only Nikki the hairdresser/sorceress
could come work some magic from the netherworld (!) and make my bum
better!

Weather report:

Position
Wind: 15-50kts ENE
Seas: 6ft ENE, quite choppy
Weather: some clouds, but still wicked hot

Weather forecast courtesy of weatherguy.com:

The easterly trade winds persist in the 20kt range. Seas 5-7ft.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
12/1800-18/0000 E-ENE 15-20 5-7

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy next few days. Isolated rainshowers but
higher chance than yesterday.

Today was my best day's mileage so far – according to the ship's log
(writing that makes me feel like Captain Kirk) I've covered 42 nautical
miles in the last 24 hours. Very pleasing, although I deliberately don't
get over-jubilant about such things in case, as is likely, tomorrow is a
slower day. All things change, and everything passes, as I keep
reminding myself every time I have to sit on my poor raw, chafed bottom.
This too will pass.

Speaking of passing, yesterday I had just about written off my stereo as
a lost cause. It seems to be traditional that at least one electrical
item has to die on each crossing – watermaker, GPS, satphone, whatever,
and I was convinced that the stereo was just the latest in a long line
of casualties.

But today, like Lazarus from the grave (well, not very much like Lazarus
at all, really) the stereo has soldiered on, albeit in rather a
temperamental manner. It still resolutely ignores whatever buttons I
press – maybe I'm just being old-fashioned in expecting it to do my
bidding – and does what it damn well pleases. Which, fortunately, for
most of today has involved working. Sometimes it stops for a few minutes
before deciding that, after all, it may as well carry on. And sometimes
I have to actually pull the iPod out of it to get it to stop. But for
now, at least, we have reached an arrangement that seems to work most of
the time for both of us. It gets to assert its independence, and I get
to listen to my book. More or less.

Other Stuff:

New weekly video, podcast and newsletter all went out yesterday. Video
and podcast can be accessed via the RozTracker, and the newsletter goes
out to people who have signed up via the box on the right hand column of
my home page at www.rozsavage.com. If you're new to this blog, you might
want to go sign up and check it out.

Thank you very much for all the concern and comments about my backside.
I am almost embarrassed to have my rear end the subject of so much
interest! Brings a blush to my cheeks… (pun intended). And thank you
from the bottom of my heart. Or the heart of my bottom. I am following
all practicable advice, and expect a full recovery in due course. In the
interests of public decency, I will spare you the photograph.

To raise the tone….

My program director Nicole and I continue to talk 3 times a week via
satphone. We've been battling poor connections – satphone to satphone
seems to double the chances of dropping the call – but despite spending
half our conversation saying "hello, hello, are you still there?" we're
managing to keep going with business as usual. Lots in the pipeline,
specifically around planning our march from London to Copenhagen for the
COP15 climate change conference. All interesting stuff, and keeps me
powerfully motivated to keep on rowing.

If you haven't already, do please check out pulltogether09.org. This is
my environmental initiative for this year. The idea is that you match my
10,000 oarstrokes a day by doing 10,000 steps a day – about 60-90 mins
of walking, but if you use a pedometer you also get to count all the
steps you take around the house, office, pub, whatever – although
ideally you do at least some of your steps as a substitute for driving.
Good for your body, and good for the planet!

Speaking of walking, quite a few of you know my mother – by reputation
at least – as my staunchest supporter, website administrator, and
general factotum. On Sunday she goes into hospital for her second hip
replacement – she had the first one done a couple of months ago. Please
join me in wishing her all the very best for a successful operation and
a swift recovery. I can't wait for her to be pain-free and active again
– and I'm sure she feels the same a millionfold! All the best, Mum!

Weather report:

Position at 2010 HST: 16 08.712N, 163 41.676W
Wind: 8-15kts ENE
Seas: 3-4ft ENE
Weather: a few clouds, but mostly brutally hot. I'm dodging the sun as
much as I can, but suspect my weatherbeaten countenance isn't going to
get any relief anytime soon…

Weather forecast courtesy of weatherguy.com:

The easterly trade winds persist in the 20kt range. Seas 5-7ft.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
12/1800-18/0000 E-ENE 15-20 5-7

Sky conditions: Partly cloudy next few days. Isolated rainshowers but
higher chance than yesterday.

One of the joys of being on the open ocean is that I am far outside any
legal jurisdiction. British. American. Even my mother's. Of course,
opportunities for taking advantage of this freedom are rather limited.
If I decided it was okay to break all kinds of laws (which obviously it
isn't), there's not much I could do about it. No shops to shoplift, no
restaurants to do a runner from, not even any "Keep off the grass" signs
to ignore.

In fact, I'm a very law-abiding citizen. So much so that I even have my
own set of ship's rules – although these are very flexible and subject
to a large amount of personal discretion. After all, the captain has the
final word.

1. Always empty the bedpan over the downwind side of the boat.
Always. No exceptions.
2. Listen to audiobooks only while actually rowing.
3. Keep rowing until the Raillight comes on (it comes on
automatically at dusk – although dusk often seems a long time coming) –
see photo
4. Keep cabin hatches closed at night – just in case of rogue waves
5. Clear the decks before retiring for the night – sun canopy
furled and stowed, all other objects secured or put away. Any objects
left unsecured are likely to be gone by morning.
6. Blog every night before bed. No excuses, short of death – of
self, satphone or computer
7. No whingeing, whining, grumbling or bitching – although
enthusiastic and creative swearing is actively encouraged for
therapeutic purposes
8. Speed limit of 5mph strictly enforced (yeah, right, like I could
go any faster)
9. Strictly no consorting with members of the opposite sex (chance
would be a fine thing)
10. And of course, no smoking, drinking, or disturbing the neighbors
at closing time.

Other Stuff:

36 nautical miles today, according to the ship's log. Good stuff!

Tonight I took a photo of my bottom – the only way I could see what was
going on down there. Absolutely horrifying. I don't know whether to be
gratified or aghast that it looks even worse than it feels. Chafed
doesn't even begin to describe it. I definitely need a bum transplant.

My stereo is on the blink. This is rather annoying, given that I am less
than 3 weeks into my voyage and it hasn't even been a wet one, so
there's really no excuse. It now regards the on/off and play/pause
buttons as purely advisory. Sometimes it takes notice, sometimes it
doesn't. With some coaxing I can usually get it to play, but it seems
its days may be numbered. Not impressed.

Weather report:

Position at 2000 HST: 16 39.204N, 163 11.301W
Wind: 15-18kts ENE
Seas: 3ft E
Weather: hot sun, very occasional clouds

There has been a lot of speculation about my next destination. I myself
have conducted extensive research, consulting charts, websites, and
experienced sailors to find out where I should aim for. And the end
result of my quest? To decide not to make a decision. To specifically
aim for nowhere in particular. Destination Anywhere. At the moment I'm
trying for Tuvalu – but I'm very open to other possibilities.

This is not as reckless as it may seem. The key issue is that there are
many variable factors in the navigation equation – on any ocean
crossing, but especially at the equator. And we have no idea exactly how
strong each factor will be in this particular year, and how they will
impact on my course. I'll be working closely with weatherguy.com as I
approach the equator, and we'll see what seems viable given this year's
conditions.

Only one other person has ever rowed from California to Australia – Mick
Bird, great guy, originally from Hawaii but now living in Vancouver, WA,
with his wife and two beautiful twin daughters. I've stayed at the
Birdhouse several times, and have picked Mick's brains on choice of
route. He stopped off at the Marshall and Solomon Islands, but that was
because he was aiming for the Torres Strait with the intention of
heading straight into the China Sea. And his boat was a different design
from mine, so would have been affected differently by winds and
currents. And it was a different year – and every year brings unique
conditions.

It was Mick's advice to aim for whatever bit of Australia I want to end
up in at the end of Stage 3, and just see where I am when I'm about half
way there. Seems as good a plan as any, so that's what I'm doing.

Sydney would be the dream – one of my favorite cities – but the currents
that whoosh up and down the Australian coast may make this impossible.
But it would be nice to keep the option open – you never know. I was
told it was virtually impossible to leave from under the Golden Gate
Bridge, but I got lucky there, so I might get lucky again.

As a point of note, ever since I left Waikiki Yacht Club 18 days ago,
I've been aiming due south, so any west in my course has been as a
result of winds and currents. Today I looked at how far west I had been
pushed within each degree of latitude.

21-20 degrees north: 33 minutes west (1 minute = 1/60 of a degree)
20-19 degrees north: 54 minutes west
19-18 degrees north: 97 minutes west

So you can see that I am being increasingly pushed to the west as the
trade winds take effect. But then when I get to about 8 degrees north of
the equator, other factors come into play – the ITCZ (inter tropical
convergence zone) and the equatorial counter current. And then it's
anybody's guess what might happen….

I'm quite intrigued to see how this all plays out. If I had a crystal
ball, I'd love to know where I end up. It's all a magical mystery tour.

[photo: my GPS chartplotter – left. The box on the right with yellow
trim is my Solaradata tracking beacon, which is what updates the
RozTracker.]

Other Stuff:

Good mileage today. Nothing spectacular, but a solid day's work at the
office. Weather hot. Bum sore. Spirits good.

Crave of the Day: a new bum, please. I've worn this one out!

Rave of the Day: audiobook of Terry Goodkind's "Chainfire". Inspiring
escapism!

Thanks for all the comments on my recent blogs – especially thanks to
those who stumbled across my blog via the "Blog of Note" listing.
Welcome to my world!

Hi Inka – good to hear from you. Thanks for your help with the boat
preps while I was in Hawaii!

To the person who said I should have a mirror on board for signaling as
well as for spotting dribs of chocolate sauce on my chin – I do have
one, but it lives in the ditch bag, and there it will stay. If I ever
need to use the ditch bag, the last thing I want is to have to run
around the boat gathering up all the things that are supposed to be
inside it!

Thanks to Michelle Driskill-Smith and Dr.Vishaal Bhat for enlightening
me on the origin of "Square Meal". I'm learning something new every
day….

A special hello to Ken and Tanja, Julia & Lisa. Keep up the good work on
the trash-collecting – that is fantastic! Ken, I was a fellow Android –
Andersen Consulting 1989-1994, London office. Seems like another
lifetime now – in fact, it was! Thanks for being there at the fundraiser
and the Hawaii departure – happy memories!

Paul Schurke and all at Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge – thank you for your
lovely message. It's great to hear from you! Minnesota seems a very long
way away indeed… The cool breezes would be much appreciated right now!
Give Fudgie a hug from me. (Here is Paul's message – Thanks again Roz
for sledding with us last season! Your fans and sled dog friends at
Wintergreen are sending you cool breezes from the northwoods and a group
"h-o-w-l" to speed you along your way. Happy trails!)

Weather report:

Position at 2045 HST: 17 04 682N, 162 45.042W
Wind: 8-15kts E
Seas: 3-4ft E
Weather: hot, almost cloudless. Pheweee.

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

The easterly trade winds around 10kts continue until late evening on the
11th then increase to 20kts. Seas 3-5ft increase again to 5-7ft.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
10/1800-11/2100 E-ENE 10-15 3-5
11/2100-16/0000 E-ENE 15-20 5-7

Sky conditions: Clouds increase slightly and may provide some relief
from
the sun. Better chance of rainshowers.

YIPPEEEE! (Never thought I'd get so excited about a few clouds, but it
will be such a nice change!)

The other night a friend invited me over for dinner – and emailed me
afterwards to tell me in mouthwatering detail what he had cooked for me.
It was a real dinner, but it was in Hawaii and I was here, so I just had
to enjoy it vicariously.

So now it is time for me to return the hospitality, and I thought I
would share it with you too.

Let's overlook the logistical difficulties of you getting to my boat. I
don't think cabbies come out this far. ("300 miles southwest from
Hawaii, second on the left, then just past the third wave on the
right"). Let's just assume that you're here. I greet you on board – "I
hope you've got your sea legs – the boat is a bit tippy."

I've put on clothes specially for the occasion. I haven't worn a stitch
since Day 2, but a naked chef is a bit offputting, so I've dressed for
dinner.

Dinner, by the way, is served at 2.30 in the afternoon. That's the time
when the sun sneaks around the side of my sun canopy and seriously
starts to bake me, so I eat then and retreat to the cabin for a
post-dinner digestive siesta until the most intense heat of the day has
passed.

I show you to your seat. You get the rowing seat – I spend more than
enough time there as it is – and I sit on top of the liferaft, facing
you.

Now, I have to warn you, I look on my ocean sojourns as an opportunity
for a detox. So I eat very healthily out here. I like the food, but it
may not be to everybody's taste, and it's certainly not the kind of
indulgent foods that I would cook for you if you came to dinner on dry
land. And I run a dry ship – so no booze. Also very unlike the
hospitality I would offer on dry land. So please make allowances…

Most of my onboard meals are really just snacks – I eat 7 or 8 of them
in a day – but this one is the only one that can reasonably be called a
square meal. (Can anybody tell me why a meal is square, rather than
round or triangular?)

I open up my galley locker and take out a jar of bean sprouts, harvested
fresh from my sprouting pot this morning. I put a few spoonfuls in a
bowl, add a couple of scoops of tahini, a dash or ten of nama shoyu
sauce, and a good handful of tamari almonds and sunflower seeds. I give
it a stir. And open up a tub of rawfood crackers.

"Ta da!" I say. "Dinner is served. Sprouts Sauvage with crackers on the
side – buckwheat veggie crackers or falafel – take your pick."

"Hmmm," you say. "It looks very….brown."

"Loads of good stuff," I say. "Enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and loads of
fiber. Keeps you regular!" Too much information, I can tell. I
apologize.

"What would you like to drink?" I say. "I've got water – salt or plain."

You look dubious.

"Only kidding." I say. "I've only got plain water. But you can have salt
water if you like. I've got an oceanful." I hand you a Nalgene bottle of
water. "No ice, sorry."

We eat. I really enjoy the nutty, wholesome goodness of the food. You're
not convinced. Or maybe it's just the seasickness kicking in. The boat
is pitching and rolling so you have to hang onto your bowl of sprouts.
And you're looking a little bit green – and I don't mean in the
environmental sense.

The meal over, I raise my Nalgene bottle to propose a toast. "To absent
friends," I say. And, looking around at my deserted deck, I realize
that's all of them. Sigh!

Other Stuff:

Solid progress today – 29 miles according to my logbook, which may not
be the same as the RozTracker. Apparently there have been some issues
with the position reports from my beacon since the water got rougher –
as the boat tips, the beacon finds it harder to lock onto a satellite
for long enough to send the signal – but hopefully it is working better
now.

No boobies for several days now. I almost miss my poopy friends. To
paraphrase Oscar Wilde, if there's anything worse than being pooped on,
it's being not pooped on.

Fewer plunges overboard recently. It's still just as hot, but my poor
sore bum doesn't take kindly to the saltwater. (Even applying tea tree
oil to my nethers brings on all kinds of bad language and
"ayyyyayyyyyayyy" kind of wailing.) So I keep a bucket of fresh water at
the ready and sluice all necessary parts of my body in that from time to
time.

IPhone application – I can now confirm that this is definitely called
the RozTracker, and is available for free download from the iTunes
Store. So now you can keep up to date with my progress when you're on
the move – because obviously I move just SO fast (??!) that you wouldn't
want to miss a thing!

Weather report:

Position at 2030 HST: 17 24.647N, 162 20.334W
Wind: 8-10kts E
Sea: 3-4ft swell from E
Weather: few small cumulus clouds – not enough, in my view! I love the
relief from the heat when a small cloud covers the sun…

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

The easterly trade winds have temporary calmed a bit to the 10kt range,
but will regain strength on the 11th. Seas moderating to 4-6ft increase
again to 6-8ft.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
09/1800-10/1500 E-ENE 10-15 4-6
10/1500-11/0600 E-ENE 12-17 5-7
11/0600-15/0000 E-ENE 15-20 6-8

Sky conditions most clear and sunny with very not much chance of rain
showers.

I never know quite what I'm going to get when I retreat to my bunk at
the end of a long day. Will I sleep well, my night punctuated only by
dreams featuring variously food, parties, and random combinations of
people from my past, present and future? Or will it be one of those
nights when I twist and turn, trying to find a position that doesn't
hurt my shoulders/backside/sunburn, while the ocean callously shoves me
from side to side in my bunk?

So far I seem to be having more bad nights than good, but overall it's
not too bad. I'm not feeling fuzzy through sleep deprivation, so that's
ok. I need to be able to think clearly out here.

I seem to remember it was much worse on the Atlantic. Then, the trade
winds were energetically pushing me in the right direction for much of
the time, but I recall nights when I felt like a hapless tennis ball
about to be served. The ocean would bounce me up and down several times,
like a tennis player testing the ball and composing himself. Then there
would be a slight pause, up in the air, and BANG! Slammed from the side
by juggernaut of a wave, which would foam around the boat for a moment
before rushing on its way. I haven't encountered those this time – so
far.

Whether I sleep well or not, it's rest time, even if I'm not actually
asleep, and any time that allows muscles and skin a chance to recover is
welcome. So I lie on my side, wedged between the raised leecloths on
each side (see photo), with the clean, fresh smell of tea tree oil
rising gently around me. It's too warm for a blanket, so I'm using just
the thin silk inner lining for a sleeping bag, which is more than
enough.

And I wait for those dreams. I keep dreaming I'm on land, having a good
time with some friends, then I remember that I'm supposed to be rowing
across the Pacific and I have a sudden panic – how will I get back to my
boat? Where did I last leave it? The panic wakes me up and I realize I
don't need to find my boat – I'm there already. This leaves me with
slightly mixed feelings – relief that I'm where I'm supposed to be, but
a bit bummed that I'm not where I'd rather be!

Other stuff:

News from Mum in the UK – she tells me that the Daily Telegraph has
included me in their list of Britain's top 20 adventurers. Their main
criteria is that they have made genuine firsts or pioneering journeys.
I am very honored to be mentioned alongside the likes of Sir Ranulph
Fiennes, Sir Chris Bonnington, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Col.John Blashford
Snell, Sir Chay Blyth – although I still have a long way to go to match
their lifetime achievements.

Steady progress again today. Conditions fairly rough but not too bad.
Unfortunately now being pushed north slightly, but not much I can do
about it. Bum too sore to row any more today!

Crave of the Day: nothing really. Have almost forgotten that dry land
exists!

Rave of the Day: Passionate Pesto Walnutz by Living Nutz. Very yummy!
Also enjoyed listening to Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point. Thought
provoking…

Booby report: no birds on board today. Just as I was starting to think
that every day was going to begin with half an hour of poop-scrubbing.
Am almost missing the chaps now – although not their mess. Still plenty
of other birds around. Some frigate birds higher in the sky, and some
noisy terns (?) swooping around the boat.

Hi to UncaDoug – thanks for sharing the word with the Girl Scouts! Say a
big hi to them from me, and tell them to keep up the good work. It all
helps! Wish you could email me over some of those cookies…

I'd also like to catch up on a few thank yous – thanks to Aenor for
doing an awesome job on the sun canopy. The tension in the lines is just
right. If it gets too windy I still have to take it down because it
starts banging me around the head, but it's better than it was last
time.

And thanks to Liz Fischer for doing such a great job on painting the
decks. They're a lot cleaner now then when I departed – it was very
difficult to keep them clean with so many people working on the boat –
and they're looking really good. Great job Curtis, too, on the nonslip
Versatraction coverings on the hatch lids – looks good and much safer
than before.

An especially warm thank you to all who commented on yesterday's blog. Great
to get your feedback, and your thoughts on our collective future. Your
comnments have triggered more thoughts on my part – more soon.

And finally, a big hi to Keith and Teresa in Lake Havasu – lovely to hear
from you! Happy memories…

Weather report:

Position at 2015 HST: 17 50.555N, 161 26.356W
Wind: 15-20kts from E-ESE
Sea: 6-8ft waves, sometimes steep, white foam crests
Weather: some cloud cover – about 10% on average throughout the day.
Thin, light cloud mostly. No rain.

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

Strong and gusty, easterly trade wind breeze continue in the 20+kt range
until the afternoon of the 8th. By mid afternoon, wind speeds back off a
few knots. Rough seas build to 8-9 ft, a few waves could be higher.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
07/1800-08/1200 E-ENE 18-23 7-9
08/1200-13/0000 E-ENE 15-20 6-7

Sky conditions are partly cloudy with very isolated trade wind rain
showers.

I seem to be going through a spate of audiobooks around the theme of
time and time travel. The Time Traveler's Wife, The Hitchhiker's Guide
to the Galaxy, and now Fractal Time by Gregg Braden.

It reminds me of a time in 2004, before I decided to start rowing
oceans, when I retreated alone to a small cottage on the west coast of
Ireland, near Sligo. I arrived with a rucksack full of books and treated
myself to a one-month binge of reading, thinking and writing. At that
time, too, I seemed to have accidentally hit on a number of books around
a single theme. The books were about the Hopi prophecies, Edgar Cayce's
visions, pole shifts, and climate change – and the theme was the end of
the world as we know it.

I discovered that there is a growing body of literature, from the realms
of science, spirituality, and cosmology, indicating that we are
approaching the end of an era, and something significant is going to
take place on Dec 21, 2012. When I first started to see this message
emerging, I took it very seriously and very literally.

Now I am not quite so sure. It is, of course, possible to find
"evidence" to support almost any hypothesis (creation vs evolution, the
existence/non-existence of God, and conspiracy theories galore). When
the evidence is coming from many different spheres of human knowledge,
and from well-respected and credible authorities, then you have to take
it seriously. But there have been several previous dates that have had
various groups of people declaring that the end of the world is nigh,
only to look distinctly embarrassed the day afterwards.

But either way, what I took away from that Sligo retreat was the
incontrovertible truth that one day – whether in 2012 or not – MY world
is going to end. It was in Sligo that I really confronted for the first
time the fact of my own mortality. I realized that I didn't have an
endless supply of tomorrows, so that if I was ever going to do something
interesting with my life, I'd better get on and do it soon.

Regardless of if/when the world is going to end, or humans are going to
end, or this crazy era we live in is going to end, we can do a lot worse
than be prepared – not in the sense of going out and stockpiling enough
canned goods to last half a century – but in the sense of being
psychologically and spiritually ready to face the next stage of our
individual or collective existence – whatever it may bring.

Other Stuff:

This morning, just before I jumped overboard for my first plunge of the
day, I saw a lovely fish under my boat – a blue fellow with a yellow
tail, probably about 2ft long. Any ideas what he might have been?

It's shaping up to be quite a bouncy old Saturday night here on the
ocean. As the sun set, the wind was whipping up and I was regretting
having had my bucket-bath at 6pm. After being doused by several waves
coming over the side I had to do it all again so I didn't go to bed
salty – not good for the skin.

Lovely moon tonight – just a whisker away from full.

This evening I've been listening to Black Wave, a story about a family
shipwrecked on a coral reef in the South Pacific. Doesn't sound like
much fun – to be avoided, definitely!

Quite happy with progress today. Not a spectacular mileage, but I've
done well to make as much south as I have despite a wind coming straight
out of the East. It's all good.

Weather:
Position at 2015 HST: 18 02.801N, 161 01.222W
Wind: 20kts from E
Sea: Waves 6-8ft

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
06/1800-08/0600 E-ENE 18-23 7-8
08/0600-11/0000 E-ENE 15-20 6-7

Sky conditions return to mostly clear with little chance of rainshowers.

Today is World Environment Day — and as I mentioned in my blog
yesterday, I'm very proud to be working with the United Nations
Environment Programme to help inspire others to take action now on
climate change. My mission this year is called Pull Together, and I'm
asking you all to walk more and drive less, matching my 10,000 oar
strokes a day with 10,000 steps.

Pull Together will continue even beyond my completion of Stage 2 of
the Pacific Row. On October 24th, I'll begin a walk from London to
Copenhagen to help drive home the message that global action is needed
RIGHT NOW on climate change. I'll arrive in Copenhagen just as the
world's governments come together to discuss a new climate change
agreement. It's called COP15 – you'll be hearing about it much more in
the news in the months ahead. The new agreement must be ambitious,
fair and effective in reducing emissions while assisting countries as
they adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change.

Time is absolutely precious. The latest science shows our climate is
changing more rapidly than previously estimated. The effects of
climate change impact us all and will radically alter our way of life.
Leadership at the highest level is needed to protect the planet, save
lives, and build a more sustainable global economy for all.

This year my row and the walk from London to Copenhagen are my way of
getting world leaders to "Seal the Deal" in Copenhagen. What can you
do to help? Well, for starters, you can join me in my Pull Together
effort! You can also check out UNEP's Seal the Deal campaign by
visiting www.sealthedeal2009.org to sign the online petition or to
learn more about UNEP activities taking place in your home town.

I'd love to hear YOUR ideas about ways that you and your family will
help be a part of the solution to this, the most important global
crisis we currently face. I am absolutely certain that if we all PULL
TOGETHER, we CAN and WILL save the world.

[photo: taken tonight at sunset]

Other Stuff:

I now feel like I'm out in the open ocean. The waves have been much
larger today than previously – possibly because I am now beyond the lee
of the Big Island of Hawaii. Anyway, the bigger seas, and being south of
the Big Island, combine to make me feel that I have now left Hawaii
behind. And it is with mixed feelings that I realize I am now beyond the
reach of the US Coast Guard (see 2007…).

This morning I woke to find 4 birds hanging out on my fore cabin, and
overnight they had deposited a huge quantity of poo. I shooed them away
and tried to scrub away the evidence, but it has got quite ingrained in
the texture of the solar panels, and is tenacious sticky stuff that is
very difficult to shift. Grrr.

I've been taking it easy on the rowing front today. I've been struggling
with various skin issues that, errr, to put it delicately, were making
it quite painful to sit and row for prolonged periods. So after a few
hours rowing this morning, I've spent most of the rest of the day lying
on my front and anointing my backside with tea tree oil.

From trying to save the world to scrubbing bird poop to oiling my bum.
All part of the rich and varied life of an ocean rower….

Weather:

Position at 1930 HST: 18 17.484N, 160 40.674W
Wind: 20kts E
Sea: Waves and swell from E, waves steep at times, 8ft approx, getting
less rough towards evening

Weather forecast courtesy of weatherguy.com:

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
05/1800-06/0300 E-ENE 15-20 4-5
06/0300-07/1200 E-ENE 18-23 5-6
07/1200-10/0000 E-ENE 16-21 4-6

Partly cloudy with a slight chance of rainshowers.

Today the trade winds arrived. Or in fact, they arrived last night,
which gave me a few handy overnight miles but didn't let me get much
sleep as the waves are now considerably bigger and the boat is a-rocking
and a-rolling. As I sit here in the cabin writing this blog, I can hear
the waves crashing against the side of the boat. And working at my
computer is making me feel a little more queasy than usual.

In these stronger winds there will be more west and less south in my
course, although I'll keep doing my best to push on down across the
lines of latitude towards the equator.

Meanwhile, what to do about these unruly boobies? For most of this
afternoon, no fewer than three of them were hanging out and chuntering
away to each other on the roof of my forward cabin. When I wave my arms
at them and try to shoo them away, then just look at me in all
innocence, as if to say: "It is obviously our god-given right to perch
where we like, so why is she getting her knickers in a twist?" And they
just carry on sitting and preening and pooping all over my solar panels.
Sigh.

[Postscript: I just went outside to furl away the sun canopy, which was
flogging in the wind, and there are my three feathered friends, sitting
in the darkness, hunkered down for the night. Looks like they're here to
stay....]

Other stuff:

Please remember to go and follow UNEPandYou on Twitter. For every new
follower before Friday, they will plant a tree to help reduce climate
change – an easy way for you to do something positive to help. Happy
World Environment Day!

I've just emailed my latest video update to Dawn the editor for her to
pop it into one of our prepared shells. It should go online shortly. You
may notice a couple of amusing things in it:
1. Yes, I do hold my nose before I jump in the ocean. I know it's
wussy, but what can I say. I hate getting water up my nose.
2. And yes, I do forget to take my baseball cap off before I jump
in. But I managed to retrieve it after I surfaced, so there was no
increase in marine pollution. Phew!

Mitch – you asked what is my absolute favorite food…and how many audio
books do I have on my ipod? (and do I have a backup ipod):
1. At the moment my favorite foods are the chocolate syrup from
Wilderness Family Naturals, and the rawfood falafel crackers made for me
by Marlene Depierre. But not together!
2. I got 100 audiobook credits from audible.co.uk, and $500 of
audiobooks from audible.com. Plus the books from Leo. So I've got
plenty! And I now have a rather embarrassing total of 6 iPods….

Special hello to Susan and the Montessori Community School in Honolulu.
I hope you enjoy your ocean studies this summer – and thanks for showing
your solidarity with me by doing 10,000 steps a day!

Thanks for all the comments and warm wishes winging their way to me
across the waves. Much more welcome than the poopy birds! Thanks also to
John Dunning, Ellen Leanse, and all others who are helping to spread the
word about what I am doing and why.

Weather report:
Wind – substantial increase, to 15kts or so, from the E
Swell/waves – also a substantial increase, to 6ft+ with white breaking
crests

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

Easterly trades increase later tonight and reach the 20kt range by early
tomorrow morning. As trades increase, they may be shift in direction and
gusty.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
04/1500-04/1800 E-ENE 7-15 4-5
04/1800-06/0300 E-ENE 15-20 4-5
06/0300-07/1200 E-ENE 18-23 5-6
07/1200-10/0000 E-ENE 16-21 4-6

Partly cloudy with a slight chance of rainshowers.

Today I was listening to the audiobook of Cold Mountain, overall not the
most cheery of books, with a pretty dark view of human nature and an
almost ridiculously tragic ending. But I really enjoyed the passages
where the urban Ada is learning from Ruby how to manage their
smallholding, working with the rhythms of nature to ensure the success
of their crops and livestock. Ruby has acquired her knowledge from her
elders and her own observations what works and what doesn't. She simply
knows How To Live, how to work the land in a sustainable way.

One day, maybe, I'd like to have my own smallholding – it must be
wonderful to feel self-sufficient and self-reliant, knowing in a very
direct way where your food and your water come from. I'd need a Ruby (or
a Ruben), though, to show me how to do it – at the moment my
self-sufficiency skills extend only as far as growing beansprouts and
running a solar-powered watermaker.

I might lack the practical skills, but conceptually I think I get it.
Being out on the ocean puts me very much back in touch with the bigger
scheme of the natural world. I'm much more aware of the phases of the
moon (currently about three quarters full, waxing) and the time of
moonrise and moonset, sunrise and sunset.

I notice these things more out here because they matter. Will I be able
to see if I carry on rowing into the night? Or is it a new moon? Or is
there a moon, but it has squandered its light during the day and will
have set by the time I need it?

By contrast life on dry land seems so very far removed from the
elements. It feels good to reconnect.

[photo: After yesterday's badly behaved animal companions, here are some
much better behaved shipmates: from L to R - Quackers the duck,
Squishie the Dolphin, Quackers II (from Yorkshire), and Robin (from New
York).]

Other stuff:

I'm honored to be working with the United Nations Environment Program this
year — and as a UNEP Climate Hero, I want to remind you all that this
Friday, June 5th is World Environment Day. If you're on Twitter, be sure
to add UNEPandYou to your follow list right away. For every follower they
get by Friday, they'll plant one tree.

Trees and forests play a vital role in regulating the climate since
they absorb carbon dioxide. Tree planting is one of the most cost-
effective things we can do RIGHT NOW to address climate change. So
please, join me and join UNEP in this important campaign! Be sure to
check out UNEP.org for more information.

Today has been hot, hot, hot. The sun rose like a red ball, and apart
from occasionally retreating behind a cloud has been slowly baking me to
a crisp all day. With the wind from the East, while I aim my bows south,
it has been another long, slow day of rowing across the waves.

The other day I was asked what my perfect ice cream would be, and this
important question has necessitated lengthy consideration. My two best
ever ice cream memories are:
a) Emack and Bolio ice cream from the store on 7th Avenue in New
York – maple pecan flavor
b) A rum and raisin ice cream I once had at Henley Royal Regatta in
England, from the New Forest, I think.
With these in mind, my dream ice cream, with a suitably tropical/Pacific
theme, would be (of course) made with organic cream, and would be
studded with rum-soaked raisins and butter toffee pecans, with a swirl
of caramel for good measure.

I've been trying to think of a good name.
Paddler's Pleasure?
Pacadamia Perfection?
Too bad I don't like raspberry ice cream (put off by fake pink
flavoring) or we could create a Rozberry Ripple.
So how about Rozilicious Nut and Raisin?!

Crave of the Day: the ice cream above!

Rave of the Day: Chia and Pumpkin rawfood crackers dunked in raw
chocolate syrup made by Wilderness Family Naturals. Absolutely
delicious! Could only be improved by being served a la mode…

Weather:

Wind: 5-12kts from the East
Swell: 4-6ft from the East

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

Wind speeds have increased by 2kts indicating they are on
the uptrend. Easterly trades still slowly increase but should reach the
20kt range by Friday morning. As trades increase, they may be shifty
with variable wind speeds until settling down around 15-17kts.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
03/1800-04/0000 E-ENE 7-13 4-5
04/0000-09/0000 E-ENE 15-22 4-6

Mostly clear and sunny with a few clouds and little chance of
rainshowers.

Last night I was woken at about 2am by a bird scrabbling to keep its
footing on the skylight just above the head of my bunk. I was quite wide
awake, so I got up and rowed for half an hour or so, just to get tired
again, then went back to bed and slept relatively soundly.

But when I got up again at 6 this morning, I found the boat in a
horrible state. The bird who had alighted on the skylight had evidently
told his friend to come on by, here was a handy place for a sleepover.
When I went out on deck I found the two of them, a mature booby and a
younger one still acquiring its adult plumage, perched on the fore cabin
and looking at me guiltily, like two naughty teenagers caught smoking
behind the bike sheds.

And quite right that they should feel guilty. They had made a hell of a
mess. I don't mind feathered friends dropping in, but what makes them
think that it's okay for them to poop all over my boat? Why, with a
whole ocean to do it in, did they have to liberally dollop their
droppings all over my cabins? The whole boat stank of guano, and long
white streaks ran across Brocade's pretty silver paintwork. Not a flying
(no pun intended) start to the day.

I swore at them and shooed them away, and spent some time, nose wrinkled
in distaste, scrubbing away the evidence of their visit. I know there's
a superstition that it's good luck to get pooped on by a bird, but I
think I've had about as much good luck as I can handle for the immediate
future.

[photo: playing the innocent - the two culprits. I will spare you the
photo of what is hidden beneath the sun canopy... but it wasn't pretty.
Or fragrant.]

Other stuff:

A nice day, with high wispy cirrus clouds giving me hope that the trades
might be about to kick in. But despite my best efforts, another day of
slow progress. 10.5 hours of rowing, 20 miles covered. Sigh. Still, at
least I've got a good book to listen to – Cold Mountain. A contrast with
Hot Ocean.

Crave of the Day: nothing, really. Even getting used to drinking very
warm water. Only wish would be to instantly eradicate the soreness of
the skin on my bottom and the sunburn on my back.

Rave of the Day: Cold plunges into the ocean at the end of every rowing
shift, and rawfood falafel alongside beansprouts with tahini and nama
shoyu sauce for lunch. Mmm, mmmm.

Weather:

Wind: 5-12kts from the East
Swell: 5-8ft from the East
Other: sunny, hot, with cumulus and cirrus clouds giving occasional
relief from the sun

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com
(with feedback on my lament that it's not easy to maintain a southerly
course…)

Easterly trade winds slowly increasing tomorrow and increase to the 20kt
range by June 4th.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course. Proceed the most southerly course
possible. Since leaving Hawaii, you have made more south progress than
west by about 50% in distance. So hang in there. You are doing great!

Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
02/1800-03/0900 E-ENE 8-13 3-4
03/0900-03/1800 E-ENE 13-18 3-4
03/1800-04/0000 E-ENE 15-20 4-5
04/0000-08/0000 E-ENE 18-23 4-6

Continued clear and sunny with little chance of rainshowers.

I used to take weather very personally. When I was rowing the Atlantic, just over 3 years ago, I used to imagine that helpful weather was some kind of a reward, and unfavorable conditions had been sent to teach me a lesson.

I don’t know if this sprang from some kind of Hollywood myth, or classical mythology, or just from my own confused psyche, but I had this notion that if I could just figure out what it was I was supposed to learn from my present circumstances, then everything would suddenly be transformed, the wind would change direction, and I would be whisked on my way towards my goal.

Of course, weather doesn’t work that way. This was brought home to me in one pithy phrase delivered by a massage therapist in Antigua, while she was trying to alleviate some of my post-row aches and pains. She said that when something bad happens to her, she asks herself, “Does this have my name on it?” Sometimes it does – and there is a useful lesson to be learned. And sometimes it doesn’t.

So now I’ve learned not to take weather so personally. It hasn’t rearranged the laws of physics for my personal enlightenment. It’s just doing what weather does.

And this is a very long way of saying that – today – the weather has been a bit of a pig. I have rowed for 10 hours, 10,000 strokes – same as yesterday, same as the day when I did 38 miles, close to my personal best – but today I have achieved a measly 16 miles.

I used to get very bent out of shape about this kind of thing. My mood index was almost a precise reflection of my day’s mileage. But what can I do? Sure, it’s a bit demotivating to work so hard for so little result. But it’s not my fault. It’s not the weather’s fault. It just is as it is. Sigh.

And the best thing about weather, as with most things, is that it changes. Eventually.

Crave of the Day: ice cream. I was listening to Barack Obama’s “The Audacity of Hope” and he talks about how he and Michelle went to Baskin Robbins on their first date, and how their first kiss tasted of chocolate. This brought on daydreams (no, not of kissing Barack Obama) but of ice cream sundaes with maple pecan ice cream, bananas, and chocolate fudge sauce. Ooh, and maybe some nutty sprinkles.

Rave of the Day: Carob Energy Nuggets, bought for me by Lorrin Lee from the Down To Earth healthfood store in Honolulu. Honey, sunflower seeds, carob, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews and peanut butter. Very good indeed. In fact, would be nice sprinkled over an ice cream sundae (see above).

[photo: yesterday I promised you a picture of the small fishy escort party that has congregated under my boat. And here it is – sorry it's a bit blurry. They might defy identification. But they are most definitely fish.]

Special hellos to:

- Dogmouse33, teacher in Pearl City, and all your students. Aloha!

- Laurey Masterson, who runs a carbon neutral catering company and restaurant in Asheville, NC – FANTASTIC!! What a great example – keep up the good work!

- And everyone else who has posted comments on my blog. I can’t read them directly, but Nicole is copying and pasting them into an email and sending it to me daily – lovely to know you’re all following me and wishing me on – thank you!!

Today’s weather:

Wind: 5-10kts, SE-E Sea: swell increasing, 4-6ft, from E Intentions: have been pointing due south, rowing parallel to swell – not fun, but trying to mitigate W drift

Weather forecast:

Easterly trade winds slowly increasing tomorrow and increase to the 20kt range by June 4th. Forecast below is for SWerly course at 30nm/day. A Serly route (180 deg T) is preferred. Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft) 01/1800-02/0900 E-ENE 7-12 3-4 02/0900-03/1800 E-ENE 12-17 3-4 03/1800-06/0900 E-ENE 17-22 4-5