Blue Skies. Photo by Roz April 2010

Dictated by Roz at 20.37 on Monday 10th May. Transcribed by Rita Savage – with difficulty as the voice message broke up from time to time.

Position: -04.25812S, 157.66557

Today I had rather more company than I wanted and saw more people in one day than I saw in 104 days last year. They saw rather more of me than I would have liked.
It started this morning when I turned around at the end of a rowing shift to see a fishing vessel a few hundred yards away. I dived into the cabin to don shorts and bra and to pick up the VHF radio. There was no point in trying to hide as there was absolutely no doubt that they had seen me and had come over to take a closer look.

They were nice and friendly, and asked if I needed food or water or if I wanted them to pass on a message. I thanked them but said that I had more than enough provisions and adequate communication. I was tempted to ask if they had any ice-cold drinks. I wouldn’t really mind what it was as long as it was cold but I resisted the impulse.
They called back several minutes later to confirm the spelling of Brocade. They said they would report my position

And oh boy! They surely did. I can just imagine it: “Hey guys, you’ll never guess what we just saw! There was this crazy naked English woman rowing across the ocean. Check it out! “

The next thing I knew was my post-lunch siesta was interrupted by a loud throbbing noise. I lifted my sunhat and scanned the sky. A helicopter was approaching rapidly. I hardly had time to dive back into the cabin and scramble into my clothes again before they were about 50 yards away hovering just feet above the water. We had a sort of exchange over the VHF radio but it was mostly drowned out in the din of their engine. After about 5 minutes they roared off into the blue sky.

By now I was beginning to feel like an exhibit in a zoo. I hadn’t even realized that I was within helicopter range of land but surely that has to be the end of the unwanted attention.

So I went back to my usual outfit, as nature intended, and carried on rowing. Having my earbuds in and listening to “The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” so didn’t even hear the next helicopter until it was too late. The first I saw of them they were hovering about 30 yards away, waving to me from the open door of the cockpit. With a girlish shriek I let go of the oars and tried to cover as much of myself as a wide-brimmed hat could be made to conceal. My wave to them turned into a kind of “Shoo, go away!” gesture. This really was getting a bit much.

I kept my clothes on for the rest of the day, though of course, nobody else turned up. I suppose I will have to keep myself clad for the remainder of the voyage. It is terribly inconvenient. Clothes get sweaty, messy and smelly and are less easy to wash than skin. I also need to scan the horizon and skies before I use my open-air bathroom.
I can’t help but feel rather disgruntled. I’ve only been out here 3 weeks, hardly any time to myself at all. Humph!

Other Stuff: No sign of Alf, three days now. I may have to resign myself to the fact that he has gone to the big spider web in the sky.

I am on course to pass about 30 miles to the north of the Tuu islands, quite a reasonable margin of safety. I logged a personal best of ??? nautical miles today according to my reckoning, despite all the interruptions. (The voicemail message broke up at this point, and I missed the vital number. Probably get it from Roz 12 hours from now, and will insert it then. Rita)
I wish I could say that it was due to my own efforts but it was mostly thanks to a very favorable current.

There was a torrential downpour while I was having my sponge down . . . . so I got a power shower as well.

Ecoheroes is live and thriving now, but it is never too late to join, so do go to ecoheroes.me and join our community of green-doers.

Thanks for all the great comments. Mum has been passing them along to me. So good to know that you are out there and following my adventure. I am feeling the love.

Rita: Roz is delighted to know your response to her request for comments. I enjoyed reading them – with tears and laughter.
Grateful thanks to latest donors to Foundation funds/contest: Russell Matthews and Daniel Peterson.

Nova: Do join in guessing when Roz might arrive in Madang, by clicking on the Go Roz Go button top right corner of the page. Contest ENDING SOON. Share your stories on [email protected] what you would like to tell or ask Roz if you were to win the personal Skype conversation with her featured in this contest.

Please remember the request from Blue Frontier Campaign to vote for Roz and Margo: http://pep.si/9ZMuai
“Also vote for our coalition partner Project Kaisei to help remove tons of floating plastic debris in our Ocean! Vote here: http://pep.si/alxXp

Remembering the huge problems we had trying to find a suitable place in Hawaii for Brocade to hibernate last winter between Stages 1 and 2 of my Pacific row, it is nothing short of miraculous that Nicole has been able to find an ideal spot here on the tiny, densely populated island of Tarawa. Brocade’s new home is at the Marine Training Centre, and we will be forever indebted to Captain Superintendent Boro Lucic, the smiling Montenegran who runs the Centre.

To give you some idea of just how miraculous this is, here were our criteria for Brocade’s temporary home:

-       facilities for lifting a 1200lb boat out of the water

-       under cover storage for boat

-       something on which to store Brocade (her trailer is still in Hawaii)

-       separate storage for boat’s contents

-       security

The MTC has been able to supply all this – and more.

I spent all day there yesterday with Ian and Hunter. Conrad filmed us while we worked hard to empty the boat of every last food ration, waterbag and marine flare.  There was an astonishingly large pile of stuff on the ground next to Brocade by the time we had finished. Then everything had to be sorted – stuff to store, to go back to the US, to be discarded. Many things had to be cleaned and/or dried. In the baking sun water evaporated quickly – from our bodies too, and we had to beware of heatstroke. Finally Boro loaned us some new recruits to help carry everything to the cool store room where it will spend the next few months, safe from rats, ants and the intense heat. Apparently Jason Lewis’s supplies were largely destroyed by rats. They don’t kill them here because they are supposedly the spirits of ancestors, but I am keen to avoid having my oatmeal eaten by somebody’s Great Aunt Betty.

It was a long, hot, sweaty day, but now Ian has clear space so he can work on the things that need to be repaired or enhanced before Stage 3. Today he is trying to fix the watermaker. No luck so far. Other things on our To Do list include:

-       connect cable to external satphone antenna

-       improve storage of sea anchor line (needs to be more secure, as Stage 3 will likely be rougher than Stage 2, with higher risk of capsize)

-       add struts to bimini so it doesn’t flap in high winds

-       replace stereo (Lazarus was working more consistently towards the end, but is clearly not in perfect health)

-       plus, of course, get the boat shipshape and Bristol fashion, all lockers cleaned and bleached, decks scrubbed, and hull de-slimed.

So Brocade’s physique is on the way to recovery – but how is mine? I’ve regained 4lb in 4 days, which is no bad thing. My perception was that I’d eaten more and lost less weight this time around. So you could have knocked me over with a feather (possibly literally) when I stepped on the scales to find that I was 107lb  – exactly the same weight as when I arrived in Hawaii last year, and representing a total loss of exactly 30lb in 104 days.

My skin is still rough and sunburned. I suffered from heat rashes and spots the whole way across, but they are diminishing gradually. I also have some nasty areas of sunburn on my face, which are peeling pinkly now. Hmmm, attractive. I am going to be one wrinkly old lady. Anybody know a good dermatologist? I’m not joking!

My hands, though, are the area of my body still showing the clearest evidence of my recent endeavours. I can’t fully extend my fingers nor clench them into fists – the skin is too tough, tight and callused to allow full movement. But they will recover in time. The calluses are already peeling off now that they are no longer needed.

Someone made a comment that I don’t look like someone who has just rowed 3,000 miles, but I’m not sure what such a person should look like. Maybe he expected me to have shoulders like a Russian shotputter’s. But unless I was taking muscle-enhancing steroids all the way across that wasn’t going to happen. I just don’t have enough testosterone in my body to get that kind of muscle growth. I’m sunburned, scarred and skinny – and hopefully a little bit wiser. And that will have to be evidence enough of my latest ocean adventure.

Note: I still have very limited internet access. The technical infrastructure here on Tarawa is not up to US standards, nor is it ever likely to be. We were told that many of the Pacific islands are going to benefit from new cables being laid across the ocean floor to deliver high data speeds and communications links. But Tarawa is truly in the middle of nowhere… and on the way to nowhere. So for the foreseeable future they will have to rely on satellite connections.

For me personally, this means I have not been able to download my emails, and accessing websites or webmail is slow or sometimes impossible. I still haven’t had the opportunity to have a proper look around my own website, which went live while I was out on the ocean. So please bear with me. Thank you!

A HUGE THANK YOU: From what I hear from Mum and others, there has been an amazing outpouring of congratulations in the Rozling community. I just wish I had the connectivity to be able to play a more active part in the celebrations. I feel a bit like the corpse at the funeral – a great party being held in my honour, and I can’t be there! But hopefully I will clamber out of my internet coffin shortly and get back to full online life – and we’ll just have to celebrate all over again then!

I'm taking a question from the floor today – or in fact, 8 questions,
all about my boat. I'd love to illustrate this blog with some pictures
of Brocade, but to get an external shot I would have to go into the
water, and since the episode with the mysterious slimy thing attaching
itself to my right buttock I have not ventured back into the waves. So
I'll invite you to mouse on over to my website at rozsavage.com and take
a look at the gallery. Loadsa photos there. OK, onto the questions.

1) are supplies securely stowed low? In the stern only?
Supplies are indeed stowed low, in the lockers below deck level
throughout the boat, beneath both fore and aft cabins and also the
cockpit.

2) or are supplies somehow stowed floor to ceiling?
Nope. No need.

3) can supplies tumble around from wave motion or capsize?
Nope.

4) does Brocade have ballast to right itself from a capsize?
Yup. After 20-foot waves caused me to capsize 3 times in 24 hours in
2007, resulting in the abandonment of that attempt, we installed 200lb
of lead in the bottom of the boat, and increased the depth of the keel.
I also have water ballast stored in Dromedary bags – about 100 liters –
which double up as an emergency water supply that came in very handy
last year when both my watermakers broke. As I used up the water, I
replaced it with seawater to maintain the ballast.

5) or is it designed to right itself without ballast?
Yes, it would self-right without ballast. But I can say from first-hand
experience that capsizing is absolutely no fun, and best avoided.
Imagine being in a giant washing machine being thrown around with
various hard objects and you get the picture.

6) do you get water of any consequence in the bilge?
I don't exactly have a "bilge" other than the storage lockers. I wish I
could say they are all watertight, but despite our best efforts the
lockers under the cockpit leak a bit. The ones under the cabins stay
pretty dry.

7) are supplies at risk of damage from water in the bilge?
Nope, not now. I've learned the hard way that there is no such thing as
"100% waterproof" so anything that can be damaged by water is thoroughly
sealed. The FoodSaver vacuum seal machine is my friend!

do you have a bilge pump or manual access to bail?
There is a footwell just outside the hatch to the aft cabin, where lives
my liferaft, water can, and bucket. That is the only area that really
needs regular pumping, and I have an electric bilge pump. But I know
from past experience that a bucket works just as well!

Mick Dawson taught me all I know about ocean rowboat safety while he was
working for Woodvale, organizers of the Atlantic Rowing Race, and he
impressed upon me the importance of stowing low, a) to reduce risk of
capsize, and b) so that if the boat does still capsize, chaos and damage
are minimized. Mick is currently on his own expedition across the
Pacific, from Japan to San Francisco (see goldengateendeavour.com). He
and crewmate Chris Martin are about 10 degrees west and 25 degrees north
of me right now. Hello guys! Can you see me waving?!

Between Mick's tuition and my own hard-learned lessons, I mostly manage
to stay the right way up, and keep important supplies dry. But the
bottom line is that, with boats, water gets into all kinds of places it
has no right to be. And anything that can go wrong, will. And that's
just the way it is!

[photo: there have been some questions about how far away I can see
weather coming at me. I don't know the answer in terms of miles, but
here is a photo from this morning showing some big black clouds heading
my way…]

Other Stuff:

Rough stuff out on the ocean today. Rowing technique was of the
bish-bash-bosh variety – just stick the oars in when you can. Not very
refined, but I managed to bludgeon my way a few miles further south
towards the mysterious world of the ITCZ, now about 120 miles away to
the south.

I've had lots of people asking how I will celebrate crossing the
Equator, but I refuse to answer that question yet. Rower Erden Eruc had
enormous problems trying to get into the southern hemisphere, so I'm not
going to tempt fate by starting to plan any parties just yet. In any
case, it's still over 550 miles away, on the other side of the ITCZ, and
I'm just taking it one day at a time…

Kathy – thanks so much for telling me about the 100-year-old lady still
weight training and throwing the hammer. Don't we all hope to be like
that at her age! Nicole (my program director) has the most awesome
granny – 85 and still going to the gym. It really does seem that some
people are only as old as they choose to be.

Lesley – thank you so much to you and all at the CCC for the
contributions. Sorry to hear that times are tight – so I appreciate your
financial support all the more. And I hope to sample your brownies next
time I am in the area! (I'm sure you'll have then down to a fine art by
then – no more burned ones!)

Jadielady – cheers!

Christa – thanks for the link. Will store for future reference. And
thanks to Richard Cort in Texas who suggested using laminated Larabar
wrappers as special, limited edition bookmarks – great idea! I think
that one is the front runner right now.

And well done to Andy Murray for getting so far at Wimbledon. Better
luck next time – and at 23, still many more years to come back and try
again!

Quick answers to quick questions:

Q: Tom Hanks had "Wilson". Have you considered traveling with a cat,
parrot or other carbon-based life form?
A: I did consider getting a ship's parrot, but was told it would be
cruel to the bird. Bad enough for a human…

Q: Have you tried rigging up a hammock on your deck?
A: No, although if I had one I would.

Q: Roz, do you see sharks fins? Whales? Other large/intimidating
animals/fish? And, how big would you say the biggest swells are that
you've experienced so far?
A: No, not on this voyage – no sharks's fins, or any other large
critters so far. Just small ones, mostly of a slimy nature… but I did
see whales and dolphins on both the Atlantic and between San Francisco
and Hawaii. Biggest swells on this voyage, only about 10 feet. In the
past, 20+ feet, which is plenty big enough for a 23-foot boat!

Q: Is there a possibility of getting struck by lightning?
A: Yup – same as anywhere else!

Weather report:

Position at 2115 HST: 09 23.649N, 172 19.984W
Wind: 18-20+ knots E
Seas: 8-10ft E
Weather: brief downpour this morning, otherwise mostly hot and sunny,
some cloud

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com

As of Thursday, 02 July 2009. The easterly trade winds have turned more
ENE still around the 20+kts. Expect brief periods of lower winds to
around 15-18kts, then abating to the 15kt range on July 6th. Seas abate
to 6-7ft. Winds south of the ITCZ are E to ESE 10-12kts or less.

Sky conditions: Partly to mostly cloudy with mostly low level clouds.
Isolated rainshowers. Convective clouds begin about 07 30N and that
means vertical development extending to 30-50,000ft. Increased chance of
rainshowers and thunderstorms.

ITCZ: The most active part of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
is now along 170W to 180W between 2N and 7 30N. There remain widespread
areas of wind 30-40kts in heavy rainshowers and thunderstorms. However,
last 24hrs, the ITCZ has become less active, but you will likely
experience squalls and thunderstorms.

Ocean Current: You are currently in a west setting current of about 0.2
to 0.3kts so that is not helping your southerly progress. The good news
is the current changes direction at about 06 00N to eastward flowing at
about 0.4 to 0.5kts; ie the North Equatorial Counter Current. That
should help in hindering your westward movement. The NEEC extends to
about 00 30S. In the lighter winds south of the ITCZ, it may be possible
to row/drift eastward. We don't quite yet know the full impact of the
current and the opposing wind on your boat, but hopefully it will
benefit your goal of getting south of the Equator before Tuvalu.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
02/1800-04/0900 ENE 17-22 7-9
04/0900-06/0000 ENE 15-20 6-8
06/0000-08/1800 ENE 12-17 6-7

Next Update: Monday, 06July

First, a quick brag:
Voted #3 in Top Ten Adventure Twitters by Outside Magazine – woohoo!

Now, on to the news…

The Brocade is now comfortably ensconced in her new home at Pacific Shipyards International on Pier 41. I had spent much of the last 8 months, almost ever since I landed in Hawaii, trying to find somewhere suitable to store her – with absolutely no luck. But like London buses, after none for ages, two come along at once…

Yesterday afternoon I was holding the fort in our “downtown office” at Waikiki Yacht Club while Nicole and Joel took the truck to tow Brocade from Pier 21 to Pier 41 so she could be repainted. Pier 21 was supposed to be for storage only, and we had already been pushing our luck by doing so much boatwork there. I had just received a rather terse note from the owner, asking me to move all my “crap” (his word) from the area around my boat. So painting there was definitely out of the question – and besides, the warehouse was so filthy that her pristine post-painting appearance would not have lasted for long. No point making her all pretty if she was just going to metaphorically roll in the mud. So as I Tweeted yesterday, a new location was urgently needed.

As I was catching up on my emails I came across a suggestion from Sindy Davis, blog reader, supporter, and now an in-person “real” friend as well, who suggested aircraft hangars. We had already tried a few such leads, but she sent me a link to Air Service Hawaii, which we hadn’t tried before. Not an immediate win, but a relatively short trail (only 4 phone calls) led me to Dan Espiritu, who immediately offered me space near Honolulu Airport at a huge discount.

My text to Nicole, celebrating the good news, crossed with a text from her saying that the guys at Pier 41, Pacific Boatyards, had welcomed the Brocade with open arms and offered her accommodation for as long as she needed – plus paint, under cover storage space, crane services, etc etc. This rather trumped the airport option, as the extra manpower and free paint would save us loads of $$$. Fantastic!

So now Joel is busy at work, prepping and painting the boat (see pictures), while Nicole and Conrad, local filmmaker and our new best friend, shoot footage of the works in progress. And I try to figure out if I have everything I need to sustain me for 100+ days at sea. Ocean rowing is almost unique amongst expeditions in that it is impossible to pop down to the corner store for anything that I have overlooked. I know of a crew of two guys who had to share a toothbrush the whole way across the Atlantic….

So here is my packing list so far – let me know if you see any omissions, but within reason, please. Every pound of weight is another pound I have to row across 2,600 miles of ocean!

Sawyers oars (4)
Rowing seat + spare wheels
Cushion pads and packtowel covers
Para anchor x 2
Leecloths for bunk
Manual bilge pump (in addition to fixed bilge pump)
Tripod mount
Handheld VHF radio x 2

Compass x 2
GPS x 3 (plus the one in my iPhone)
Toughbook PC x 2
Iridium satellite phone x 2
Tracking beacon
Aquapacs
iPod x 5
iPod headphones and waterproof bag
Pelicases
Spare batteries for everything
Inverter (US)
Pentax waterproof camera
Ricoh 500SE waterproof camera with geotagging

Foghorn
Axe (don’t ask – was required by Atlantic Rowing Race rules, and is now part of the furniture!)
Marine flares
EPIRB
Searchlight
Immersion suit
Liferaft
Lifejacket
Grab bag
Type-4 Coast Guard Approved Flotation Device

Vitamins, minerals, supplements
Nuts and seeds
Seeds for sprouting
Larabars
Freeze-dried food
Tinned fish

Pillows for bunk
Ocean Sleepwear sleeping bag
Silk inner sleeping bag
Pillowcase
Rowing shoes
Sun shades for hatches
Red ensign
Hawaiian flag

Charts
Scissors
Grease pencil (for marking up miles on whiteboard)
Sharpie
Pencils
Reading glasses & case
Log book
Knife and sharpening block

Knife, fork, spoon, teaspoon x 3
Mugs with lids
Water bottles
Seed sprouter
Measuring jug
Wooden spoons/spatulas
Hand pump for jerry cans x 2
Bungee cords
Assorted food storage jars
Jerry cans for water
Spare water bags for extra ballast
Thermos flask
Clips for sachets of food
Drybags for storing rubbish
Ziplock bags

Washing powder
Washing up liquid
Hospital-grade antibacterial cleanser
Funnel
Windproof lighter x 4
Matches
Brush and dustpan
Cloths and pot scourer
Bottle brush for water bottles
Clothespegs
Scrapers for scrubbing bottom of boat
Bedpan
Bucket x 3

Baseball caps
Fleece and long trousers for evening shift
T-shirts, shorts, sports bras
Rowing gloves
Anti-UV sunglasses & case

Cord (lots)
Headtorches
Sewing kit
Karabiners
Snorkelling mask
Waterproofs

Soap/shower gel
Moisturiser
Dental floss
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Alcohol/tea tree oil wipes
Cream to prevent chafing
Body lotion
Body scrubber/ chamois leather
Towel
Sun lotion by Green People

… and cuddly toys!

Grab Bag containing:
4 chocolate bars
4 small bottles water
Anti seasickness tablets
First aid kit
Fishing kit
Glucose sweets
Emergency rations
Grab bag
Knife
Lightsticks (6)
Personal EPIRB
Pocket strobe light
Red hand flares (2)
Signal mirror with whistle + float
Silva compass
Spare torch bulb
Thermal foil blanket
Tool kit
Waterproof torch
Foghorn
Handwarmers
Fishing line and weight
GPS

Toolkit comprising:
10″ mole grips
5 piece screwdriver set
6″ adjustable spanner
6″ pliers
Alum keys
Any specialised tools for equipment on board
combination spanners 94 – 10mm
glue
Hammer
junior hacksaw and blades
Stanley knife and blades
marine sealant
Amsoil Heavy Duty Metal Protector
epoxy repair kit
pack of metric drills
penetrating oil, WD40
reflective tape
self amalgamating tape
duct tape
small hand drill
set of metric drills
cable ties
Wet & Dry Sand Paper
Woodglue
Tape Measure
Alligator clamp, C-clamp
Leatherman
Electrical spares:
20 by 5mm 2 amp Fuses x 3
10mm nylon P clips x 4
10 amp fuse x 3
Twin pole plug ( cigar ) x 2
Nav light and bulb
Spare bulb for internal light
5 amp fuse x 3
Insulated Crimps x 5
Yellow Male Crimps x 6
20 by 5mm 1 amp Fuses x 3
Liquid Electrical Tape
20 by 5mm 3 amp Fuses x 3
20 by 5mm 5 amp Fuses x 3
Ties 3 sizes x 40
Mini Torch
Female Crimps x 4
Fuse wire 10m
spares for bilge pump
spares for watermaker
spares for steering system
spare seat
spare rowing gates
spare CO2 bottle for lifejacket
spare batteries
spare rudder pintles

First Aid kit:
Anti inflammatories
Dioralyte (for seasickness)
Ibuprofen gel
Micropore (tons!)
Painkillers
Seasickness patches
Biofreeze
Deep Heat
Ice packs
and a lot more besides – thanks to Expedition Doctor Aenor Sawyer!

Other stuff:

Happy Shiny Boat

Thanks to all who took part in a lively debate on Twitter and Facebook about what colour to repaint the Brocade. I took all these votes into consideration, but in the end had to come down on the conservative side and go with silver again because:

- it looks good with any colour sponsor stickers …
- it doesn’t get too hot to the touch
- if we have to do any creative editing with the video, using bits out of sequence, it will avoid having glaring continuity errors
- and, ultimately, I just couldn’t imagine her being any other colour!

But there will be little “accents” of colour (she says in her best camp-interior-designer voice) with sponsor logos, seat cushion (orange), and so on.

Pacific Paddler

I went paddling with the outrigger canoeists of the Waikiki Yacht Club last night – earning ourselves a beer or three (and WHOSE idea was the tequila?!) in the yacht club bar last night. And paddling is meant to be good for your health?!

About to dash out of WYC to go do a live interview with Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central – catch it here!

Changes they are a-coming, and currently all for the better. Yesterday I travelled from the mainland to Hawaii for the final countdown to the launch of Pacific Stage 2 on May 24. These next 5 weeks are going to be hectic and exciting. In the 2 months since Nicole came on board as my Program Director, developments have accelerated exponentially, with lots of spooky moments as things we wished for materialized almost magically.

Sometimes to my frustration, I haven’t been able to share many of these magic moments with anyone other than my journal, as most of our activity has been about creating partnerships and opportunities for an initiative to be announced soon, and I have a policy not to blog about things that lie in the future. I’ve learned a lot about how not to build up expectations that foster disappointment, and that things are rarely as good or as bad as we expect them to be. So likewise I try not to build up hopes and expectations amongst you, my lovely readers, in case things do not turn out as hoped. So over the winter my blogs have generally focused on the philosophical.

Now, as we enter the final phase of preparations, the focus will shift from philosophical to practical – and with a bit of luck the unveiling of this year’s Grand Plan to Change the World. We’re not quite ready yet to announce it yet, but the time is nigh.

Meanwhile, I am going to make a conscious effort to blog more often, to share with you the buzz of activity as all the plans we have been making – for both the expedition and the mission – burst into bloom.

Yesterday was hopefully not typical of this phase. It was a painfully early start, of the sort that makes the alarm clock into Most Hated Object. So I was already tired and my defences were low when I went with Ian Tuller, my volunteer Director of Boatworks, to take a first look at the Brocade. She looked pitiful. Tucked away in the corner of a gloomy warehouse, her paint was chipped, her decks were filthy, and her deck was cluttered with tools and boxes. I had a brief moment of despondency. But rather than dwell in the doldrums, we pushed on through, and slowly the tide turned.

We took out our To Do list and dutifully updated it. Then last night Nicole and I had supper with Joel from the JUNK raft – who is now on board to help Ian with the first wave of essential works to the boat. Today Ian collected the numerous packages that have been arriving over the last few weeks c/o Rick Shema, my weather guy, and we had a grand gift-opening. Thanks to Kakadu Golf Gloves, Green People, Powerflare, and Larabar for their generous contributions.

And as of this afternoon it looks as if we may have a very exciting new venue on which to work on the Brocade – where media, schoolchildren, and passersby would be able to come and view us as we pack the boat for the next row. But that one really IS still speculative, so I won’t jinx it by saying too much yet!

So we are on the up, and life is good!

Other stuff:

Various pictures herewith:

Speaking at the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race Dinner in San Francisco on April 14.

With David de Rothschild of Adventure Ecology and the Plastiki project – Pier 21, San Francisco (I really must stop getting photographed with these tall guys! He’s 6ft 4in. I’m not.)

Ian Tuller, Director of Boatworks (volunteer)

My boat is being not so much REfurbished as DEfurbished. We have been busy stripping out all the things that don’t work – i.e. almost everything, and now Brocade is nearly as naked as the day she was born.

I haven’t quite figured out how to arrange photos in Blogger (for some reason it has loaded them in reverse order), and I am already late for dinner with the team, so please excuse lack of elegant formatting.

1. Me with John Dunning of Powerflare, who swung by today to drop off 4 Powerflares. They look really cool! Onboard disco! (and more seriously, an important safety device)

2. Riggers and spare oar cups have been removed from side decks and sent to Tom in Michigan so he can use them as templates for replacements.

3. Rollbar now denuded of antennae and cameras – I will use handheld and standalone units. Go Pro have sent 3 cameras, which look really cool.

4. Nav instruments removed – I’ll just use the compass while I’m rowing, and check the GPS at the end of each shift.

5. Empty fore cabin

6. Empty aft cabin

7. One blushingly naked boat….

Must run – this has been thirsty/hungry work and dinner calls!

It has been a busy 24 hours here in Hawaii – mostly boat-oriented, with internet sessions topping and tailing the day. I was up at 5am editing my latest podcast of Roz Rows The Pacific, featuring an interview with Lynne Cox, extreme swimmer and author of Swimming To Antarctica. Watch out for the podcast going live within the next week – I email it over to Leo Laporte and he and his trusty staff at TWiT.tv upload it to iTunes.

Then I swooped via a quick internet session at the Coffee Gallery in Haleiwa (and a much needed mug of java) to the Brocade’s current location on the North Shore. For today was the day that all hands were on deck and work started in earnest to get the Brocade ready for Stage 2 of my Pacific row, due to launch on May 15.

I had already tentatively decided on a new strategy of KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). For past stages of the row I had the boat wired for GPS, sound and video – only for most of the equipment to fall victim to saltwater corrosion. Rolling the boat 3 times in 2007 and once in 2008 hadn’t helped. Water had got into all kinds of places it had no right to be. And every time I opened up the back of the control panel it made me want to have a nervous breakdown – it was such a nest of (electric) vipers that maintenance at sea would have been very challenging, to say the least.

So I had decided that it would be more sensible, less stressful and less wasteful to use more standalone items, which would be not attached to the boat but rechargeable via the onboard batteries. Only the bare minimum would be left as permanent installations.

But it still took a considerable amount of courage to rip out a large proportion of the existing electrics. Even things that hadn’t worked in years caused pangs of nostalgia. But once I got into the swing of it, I became quite ruthless. If in doubt, chuck it out! A lot less junk to lug across the ocean. All discarded items will be offered to others via Craigslist or boat jumbles, so they won’t go to waste, so it made me feel less guilty to remember that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

By the end of the day, the chaos of wires behind the control panel was reduced to manageable and less panic-inducing proportions. Brocade was looking stripped down and back to basics. Now we have a clean slate to bring in the new kit, partly donated by sponsors and partly funded by your recent very generous donations – thank you!

So in one sense there were 5 of us working on the boat today – Ian from San Francisco, Scott (pictured) and Morgan from Hawaii, while Morgan’s girlfriend Ali recorded our labours for posterity, and me of course – and in another sense you were all there too. I knew you’d be interested to hear how we are getting on, which is why I am sitting here in the internet cafe, posting this blog, even though I am zonked and looking forward to an urgent appointment with my pillow before we start work again tomorrow. But I wanted you to know that we are going great guns here, and hope to have the Brocade looking much more shipshape by the end of this week.

More photos coming soon, but sleepy now after a very constructive (or constructively destructive…) day.

Other stuff:

Ocean in Google Earth launched today. I was invited to the launch event in San Francisco, and would have loved to go – Al Gore was there! But I was here in Hawaii with important work to do, and just couldn’t justify the extra airmiles or cost of being there. But I am in ongoing talks with Google and hope to contribute some content to an expeditions part of the new Ocean functionality.

Check out these sources (and thanks to Ellen and Leye for these) – it all looks very cool!

YouTube video of What’s New In Google Earth 5.0

The Official Google Blog

Article in The Guardian

I’ll be watching with interest to see what new content goes on in Ocean – in the hope that Google will be contributing to the growing awareness that it is COOL TO BE BLUE!

This seems an opportune moment to acknowledge the people who have helped me to accomplish this voyage of 2600 miles from San Francisco to Waikiki. Without their support, encouragement, input and energy this could not have happened. I don’t want this to get like an Oscars acceptance speech, thanking everybody from my first teacher onwards, but I do want to mention a few names.

Mike Klayko (CEO) and Brocade, title sponsors, who have supported me wholeheartedly ever since Mike first set eyes on my boat at the Tech Museum in San Jose in 2007

David White and WebOptimiser, key sponsors, energetic and proactive supporters and web optimisation gurus

Ian Yellin, Analisa Schelle and Maayan Katz of Ogilvy PR, Brocade’s PR people, who got the word out to the media and helped spread the environmental message

Nicole Bilodeau, much-missed force behind last year’s PR blitz, and sole companion on that long drive to the 2007 launch in Crescent City

David Helvarg and the Blue Frontier Campaign, my environmental mentors and oceanic inspiration

Conrad Humphreys and the BLUE Project, making it cool to be blue

Rick Shema, the weatherguy.com, who sent me good weather when possible, and warned me of bad weather when not possible

Daisy, personal assistant, cheery and indefatigable organizer of Hawaii logistics, despite pregnancy and a daunting time difference from the UK

Bill Chayes, documentary producer, sounding board, sympathizer and all-round good guy

Leo Laporte, podcaster, talented interviewer, donor of audiobooks, seeker of sponsorships, and irrepressible cheerleader

Tim Harincar of Sailblogs, long-suffering website designer and tech support, always swift to respond to a crisis

Dr Aenor Sawyer, team medic and Pee Police, diligent in her care of the world’s worst patient

Melinda Griffith, staunch supporter and Pacific paddler

Rich Crow, helicopter engineer, who deigned to exercise his awesome talents on something floating instead of something flying – and sacrificed half his Memorial Day Weekend to allow this row to happen

Bobbie Jennings and the Waikiki Yacht Club, who hosted a magnificent reception party and extended their warmest of welcomes for the duration of my stay

John Kay, ardent supporter, who dealt with the logistics of vehicles and trailers

And of course my mother, Rita Savage. Words are not adequate to describe her contribution. Without her I would not be in Hawaii – or, indeed, anywhere. She is absolutely the best mother a girl could wish for.

Also the untold numbers of friends, supporters, wellwishers, donors, sponsors, commenters, Facebook friends, Tweeters, and podcast listeners who have given freely of their emotional energies and good vibes to help speed me on my way across the ocean.

And last but not least, I feel the need to thank the ocean itself, the great Pacific, for allowing me a safe passage across her waters from California to Hawaii. She has been a tough taskmaster, but one worthy of respect. I have done my bit to try and preserve her riches for future generations, and I would like to think that the success of my journey was her way of acknowledging my good intentions.

Thank you.

[photo: Diamond Head, Waikiki. Courtesy of Phil Uhl]

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Zillion TV has generously come on board to sponsor my sea anchor – one of the most important devices on board the Brocade, both as a safety device to stabilize the boat in rough conditions, and as a navigation aid to mitigate backwards drift.

About ZillionTV

ZillionTV is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with offices in Santa Monica, California. For more information, visit www.zilliontv.tv

Other stuff:

Position at 2130 25th July Pacific Time, 0430 26th July UTC: 24 17.359′N, 136 35.447′W.

Progress still slow – today I checked out the barnacle situation to see if that was the cause. There is a line of gooseneck barnacles just along the waterline – I scraped off all I could reach from the cockpit, it being way too rough to go overboard – but the antifoul is doing its job and the hull is still completely clean from the waterline down. So still no explanation for the decreased rate of progress, as I’m putting in just as many hours at the oars. I’ll just keep ploddin’ along, and hope to row my way out of trouble.

The weather has been in a very fickle mood today. Rain, sun, high winds, no wind – it’s been hard to keep up. I don’t have a large range of garments on board, and I’ve been through just about my entire ocean wardrobe today – windjacket, waterproof, t-shirt, nothing..

I had a pretty amazing dream last night. I don’t usually read too much into dreams, but this one was special.. But I don’t want to sell it cheap, so I’ll save it and tell you about it tomorrow. Teaser!

Thanks for all the messages – and thanks EVEN MORE to the people who are spreading the word among their friends, families and colleagues and getting them to check out the blog and/or podcasts as well. It all helps to spread the environmental message and save the oceans! Always remember: IF WE PULL TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!

Chris Martin – sorry to confess this, but I don’t know how to play Mornington Crescent. Give me a clue!

Tom Johnson – wow, sounds like a great trip! A real life Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance! Wish I could come too!

Thanks also to Geri, Carol Mone and Jacob (best wishes in your new home!! – and yes, I’d love to be involved in a party when I get back!), Mike Milzz, Nevada Bev (do you know how I would contact Joan Ocean – is that her real name?!), Ed (yes, I’m hoping to get back in touch with Steve Roberts when I get back to dry land), Greg, Brayden, Dylan Also to Sarah, Bill, Jack and Grace. And to Noelle – and her friend Xenia at Brocade. I didn’t actually meet Xenia – but there were 900 delegates when I spoke at the sales conference! Sindy, John, Cheryl, Karyn, Tod ,Carol, and all the regulars.

And a special hello to Sarah Outen, aka Outey, preparing to row across the Indian Ocean. Can’t wait to see your boat when I get back! I’ll be in the UK in November and would love to come to your and Alex’s talk at St Hugh’s – what date is it? And yes, up for the documentary, too. And of course you can borrow the oars. Be my guest!

And thanks to Allan for his Google Earth script (not sure if someone else had already done something similar?) – see http://allanville.com/rozrows/map.kml.php (should automatically open in Google Earth, otherwise add this as a network link in GE) It is live updated, you can when I was at each position, and if you play the timeline in Google Earth you can apparently get a pretty good impression of how the progress been.

Click here to view Day 62 of the Atlantic Crossing 31 january 2006: Of James Cracknell’s Bottom and Others.

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Woodside, California

The latest update from Rick Shema, my weatherguy, is that there will be no suitable weather window for a departure before May 22. The winds here blow mostly onshore, so we are waiting for a period of at least 4 days of winds less than 5 knots.

The plan is to be ready at a moment’s notice to drop everything (although by that stage there should ideally be little left to drop), tow the Brocade to the departure point, put her in the water, and then row like billy-o to put as many miles as possible between me and dry land before the headwinds pick up again and try to blow me back onto the California coast.

The dream is to leave from under the Golden Gate Bridge, but if time is wearing on and there is no sign of suitable weather, anywhere on the western seaboard will do. The main objective is to get away cleanly and safely, with a fully functioning boat. The final checklist will be something like this:

Calm conditions for 5 days – check.
Watermaker working – check.
GPS working – check.
Cameras working – check.
Don’t shipwreck.
Don’t capsize.
Row like buggery…

You might be interested to see this short video that was created for my presentation to the Brocade worldwide sales team (all 900 of them) a couple of weeks ago. It opens with a scene of me looking very weatherbeaten but very happy out on the Atlantic, and goes on to give an overview of what I’ve done, and why, and what my plans are for the future.

Click here to view the video.

Thanks for all the suggestions arriving in response to my appeal for information from teachers and students about environmental education. Keep them coming!

Solo

I’d scurried back to Yorkshire after a hectic few days in London, keen to get back to serious training and a healthy diet. But ’twas not to be. After a mere 36 hours in Leeds, I had to dash down to Devon to shoot some footage of my rowing boat for the showreel that we’re putting together in hopes of selling a documentary. But I wasn’t TOO reluctant – it was good to have an excuse to see the beauteous Solo again. She was every bit as gorgeous as I remembered her, despite being liberally spattered in birdshit due to unfortunate location below a beam of the boatshed.

Once we’d scrubbed the poo off I shot a few minutes of video, of me trying (and failing) to clamber elegantly in and out of the cabin hatch, me burbling on about the boat, and me keeping my gob shut (for a change) and wandering around the boat admiring her sleek curves. My favourite bit is the Woodvale slogan emblazoned just in front of the rowing position: One Life. Live It.

Absolutely.