The ocean and I had serious words tonight. Well, actually, I suppose I did most of the talking. And it was not Happy Talk – so much for South Pacific, the musical, from which the song comes. In fact it was very Unhappy Talk.
I won’t repeat it here, as it was mostly unrepeatable, but it was words to the effect that I’m tired of having to fight so hard for every degree of latitude, and it would be really nice if for a change I could make progress and actually hang onto it instead of being pushed so far back that even if/when the conditions become favorable again it’s going to take me days to make up for the ground I’ve lost. Having been within 13 miles of the line of latitude at 2 degrees North, I’m now almost all the way back up to 3 degrees North. By rowing standards that is a long, long way to re-row.
I try to tell myself that these are just imaginary, man-made lines of latitude, and aren’t really important, but psychologically it would be quite tough to cross back over 3 degrees North – in the wrong direction. I have the lines of latitude written up on a writeboard in front of my rowing position, and I cross them out as I pass them, like the Count of Monte Cristo marking off his days in prison. I’d hate to have to un-cross a number.
In keeping with the recent theme of the Law of Attraction and positive thinking, I had decided to give vocal vent to all my frustration, and let the ocean know just exactly the kind of improvement I expected to see in its behavior from now on. For my part I would stop obsessing over the numbers on my GPS and start enjoying the ride – but I would enjoy it a lot more if it was taking me in the right direction so I can make landfall and start getting on with all the very interesting and exciting things I’ve got lined up for the rest of the year, thank you very much.
[photo: a turtle that popped up to say hello this morning]
Other Stuff:
THANK YOU, ROZLINGS!!! You are all wonderful, generous, lovely, supportive people and I love you all. Okay, so my love might be somewhat financially motivated, but whatever, I still think you’re all GREAT! This outburst of love and affection has been prompted by your amazing
response to my plea for help with raising money so we can bring Conrad the Filmmaker out to Island X to record my arrival and interviews with locals on the subject of climate change. We had an offer of $2,500 provided we were able to match that sum with donations from elsewhere.
And, in the space of JUST 48 HOURS we have achieved just that! We were halfway by this time yesterday, and I’ve just received an email from Nicole my program director to let me know that today we reached our target. So, in addition to yesterday’s thank yous, I’d like to express my gratitude to:
Mark Scarpa, Kenneth D Scott, Chialing Jolly Young, Jane Heritage, Eric Kauzmann, Patricia Luebke, William Mosley, Robert Locher, Susan Patterson, Naomi Durkin, Jeffrey King, Richard Cort, Anthony Swift (especially!), Barbara Henker, Claire Winston, Anna Sonderegger, Roger Mercier, Eric Mccallum and Mylene Paquette.
If you intended to contribute but hadn’t got around to it yet, donations are still most welcome. My satellite phone bill (voice and data) is likely to be over $10,000 for this stage of the row. Data uploads form the greater part of this bill. To upload a blog with a photo costs about $15, to record a podcast about $45, and to upload the short video segments for my RozCasts on YouTube is closer to $80. At the moment funds are getting very low, but with a bit of help we can keep the Roz Show on the road (or on the row!). Thank you also for all the big Rozling hugs winging their way across the Pacific waves to me to console me after a tough day yesterday. Hugs back to you too. And please send some more today because it has been another toughie…
I really enjoyed reading the responses to my blog yesterday about my eco-epiphany. I’m glad that the idea resonated with so many of you. When it came to me it had the feeling of something special, like one of those Big Ideas that comes from outside yourself (like my initial idea to row across oceans, in fact). I’ll be including the idea in a speech that I hope to be giving later this year (details coming when confirmed – but it would be the most important speech of my life so far if it happens), and it will also form part of the book that I’m planning to write in the early part of next year – a very personal take on sustainability and the future. I’ve copied your comments into my working documents so I can refer back to them later. Thank you!
Thanks to Captain Phil Renaud for the lovely message. Great to know that you’re following – and congratulations on your own great efforts to preserve our oceans.
UncaDoug – Fallen Leaf Lake sounds absolutely gorgeous, and your description has got me pining for dry land! I hope you have a great time. I’ll miss your comments though, so hurry on back! BTW, I think I can see the Southern Cross, even though I’m not in the southern hemisphere yet. Is that possible?
And finally special hello to one of Roz’s Regulars and one of my greatest cheerleaders, the Lemon Lady Karen Morss. Thanks, Karen, for your amazing energy and support!
Weather report:
Position at 2210 HST: 02 53.961N, 177 02.529W
Wind: S slowly backing to ESE throughout the day, 3-15kts
Seas: 3-5ft, SE, but there seems to be a current that pushed me due north whenever I’m not rowing
Weather: sunny with scattered clouds
Weather forecast courtesy of weatherguy.com
Latest tracker reported your position as: 02 16N 176 22W as of 06Aug 1107HST.
As of Thursday morning 6 Aug 2009. According to measured data, there have been Eerly winds up to 20kts and rainshowers in your area, which might help explain your gain in westward longitude. Eerly winds extends to the Equator then shift to SEerly 0-12kts. Winds will be very shifty next couple of days becoming Serly 0-15kts by 1600HST 06Aug. Then shifting back to Eerly 0-12kts by 08Aug 0000HST. Forecast aids indicate Eerly winds 0-15kts persist for remainder of the forecast period.
Uncertainty remains in the forecast, as previously discussed. According to satellite imagery, there remains moderate convection with rainshowers and squalls overhead and to your north. Minimal cloud activity south of 01 00N.
Sky conditions: Partly to mostly cloudy. Scattered moderate rainshowers, squalls, and possible thunderstorms.
Forecast (low confidence due to extreme variability in equatorial regions and naturally occurring small scale fluctuations in direction/speed in the Doldrums)
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft) est
06/1800-08/0000 S 0-15 2-5
08/0000-11/0000 E 0-15 2-5
Next Update: Monday, 10 August
