Today I bade farewell to my new friends on North Island and headed out into the open ocean. It was a slightly odd occasion, and it was hard to figure out what the etiquette should be.

Abrolhos Island, picture by Colin Leonhardt

What should I say to people who 2 days ago had never heard of me, yet had taken me in as if I were their own kith and kin? Not only had they supported me through the nerve-wracking hours as I waited to find out if my voyage was still viable, but I had also been with them through their own drama. Their lifeline to the mainland is the carrier boat. It delivers provisions to the island, and then on the return leg takes the crayfish to Geraldton. On yesterday’s run it had run out of fuel, resulting in a heap of dead crayfish and a huge financial loss to the island’s fishermen. It had been an intense 48 hours for all of us.

North Island Community Hall

So it was with very mixed feelings that I departed this last outpost of humanity and embarked on the Indian Ocean, with a rather lame “Bye… see you later!”

Within a few hours the golden beaches of North Island had disappeared from sight, and at last I finally felt the freedom of the open ocean, and at the same time the confinement of my little boat. For the next 4 months or so, these 23 feet of purple-painted carbon fibre will be my home, my transport, my life support capsule and my prison cell.

Glenn, Roz and Sedna

Inspired by the royal wedding (I spent my last hour ashore flipping through gossip mags fresh off the carrier boat, featuring gushy descriptions of the recent nuptials)…. for better for worse, for rougher and calmer, in sickness and in health, it’s you and me, Sedna.

Other Stuff:

A final thank you to my new friends on North Island, particularly Cath and Mike Davidson. Cath packed me off today with 3 rounds of sandwiches and an apple. It felt a bit like I was being sent off to school rather than out across 4,000 miles of ocean.

Thanks to Sam, Ella and Nell for this limerick:

Little oarsman set off from Canaries
Crossed Atlantic then Pacific, her course varies,
Forwards, back, sideways and yaw
We ask what is she doing this for?
She must be away with the fairies!

There was also a BRILLIANT one from Joan in Atlanta, but I can’t find it right now. But just wanted you to know, Joan, that I loved it!

I was sorry to hear that Richard of DFW had been taken ill. Richard, I hope you’re soon recovered. Glad you’re still well enough to post comments!

KevinUSA – I laughed out loud at your comments on “The Cruel Tea” and “One Flew Over The Crow’s Nest” – thanks for the light relief!

Gracecloud1954 – thanks for your lovely message. I promise I’ll be careful!

UncaDoug – thanks for continuing to spread the word. WOM is the most powerful powerful tool known to humankind – even more than Facebook!

Will, Jacob, Stan, and everybody else who has posted comments. Thanks so much for your support.

Sponsored Miles:

Grateful to Beverly (Jonathan) Bignell, Bruce Gervais, Patrick Harney and Diane Freeman for today’s miles.

30 Comments

  • A new day dawns … Day 1 encore!
    Roz, if I were 20 years younger, I’d be there rowing along side you …
    Well, I AM there pulling a “spiritual oar” with you from a distance ;-D

  • Wow, you make such great friends along the way! I wish I was along your route too, but the only way I can participate is with your journalism. As a fellow published writer I appreciate your efforts, not easy when you have so much to do and so far to row. Read some of your blog back to 2004 – “Azores High” & the roots of your life leading to the “big decision” to row the “Big A” – no comments on your blog in those days (like nobody comments on my blog today) Great life story and fun reading…
    “positive vibes & thoughts to you…rowing on!”
    later, michael

  • Thanks, Roz! You are very sweet. I love the one posted today. Yaws is a fantastic rhyme for Roz.

    Here’s the one I posted that day when you had limericks in your head:

    There was a young rower named Roz
    Whose oars were quite rough on her paws.
    But she pulled on tenaciously
    And thanked sponsors quite graciously
    After all it was for a great cause.

  • Roz is the name she goes by
    When on the seas she does fly
    She rows for the environment
    A big job by the size of it
    But all the same she must try

    • Of Roz our courageous hero
      Australia had trouble letting go
      So with a hug she insisted
      And Australia no longer resisted
      Now it’s time for more sprouts to grow

        • Bruce, limericks and haiku plague me. Here is a zen conundrum (aka kōan or 公案): What is the advantage of thinking in limerick or haiku?
          Me, I hear a 5-syllable phrase … and my mind goes elsewhere, pondering the next line … http://bit.ly/ko_an

          five syllable phrase
          mind wondering pondering
          rhythmic limericks

          Row poetically, Roz

  • Better than royal fanfare… A David and Goliath story unfolding right now, real time. … Go get your sling a Roz!

  • How exciting! Finally in the open sea! I can’t wait to hear all of the trials, tribulations, and wonderful tales that you and sedna will face at sea.

    All the very best, Roz!

    • I agree, Mary! Yesterday, I went to Google Earth just to take a look at what Roz has in store … and posted this along with the snapshot I took …

      NEXT REST STOP, FUEL, FODDER AND LIBATIONS: 4,000 miles …

      Sponsor-A-Mile for Roz Savage:
      http://bit.ly/FollowGreenRowed

  • I swam 20 miles yesterday in my condo pool here where I live in florida, I was thinking Roz you could always get out and swim and pull the boat along if u get tired of paddling in circles…lol!!;)

  • The people in WA are fantastic. Australia has always been on my bucket list, now more than ever. Best wishes to all.

    And now for the Big Row, go Roz go! Speedy journey crossing the currents.

  • Go, Roz, Go…. love your tenacity and your great spirit … So you didn’t suggest to the crayfishers that they use a row boat to take their wares to market ?…You seem far too gracious to raise your eyebrows and ask ” Run out of fuel , eh? ” … I am sure you were a comfort to them , sharing trials together.. ..Keep safe and may the currents and winds work with you ..

  • Hello, for the record my name is Tomas Texino. It is not “Tex” My purpose here is to encourage Roz Savage. I occasionally make humorous remarks, which not everyone (Rita Savage) approves of. I’ve led and interesting life, but do not feel that this forum is a place
    to discuss my personal achievements. Good luck Roz. 夂女

    • Hey Tomas, I think I called you Tex the other day… I did not mean it in a derogatory manner… That is not me – it was just a shortening of your screen name – as I do when I respond to many posts here… Did NOT mean to offend!

      Not sure I totally agree with you on one thing… If your “Interesting Life” includes things that fit with what Roz is doing, or her causes, then speaking of them gives us Rozlings another perspective from which to appreciate what Roz is doing through your experiences – Thereby encouraging us to think outside the box more than we might have the chance to otherwise… Something I truly encourage…

  • Hi Roz, John Strelecky, author of the Big Five for Life – Leadership’s greatest secret has pointed your story out as an outstanding one in small but growing group of people who are living their Big Five for Life. The five things which they want to do, see or experience in their lifetime, because it matches their personal definition of success. That’s what life is all about: your own definition of success, not that of your boss, neighbors or spouse.
    You are indeed such a great example to all of us! Go on, live your Big Five for Life!! Safe journey to you!!!

  • Sweet Roz: Just got a note from your mother that you and she were worried about me… NO WORRIES!!! I have been doing these weekly to monthly surgeries – including the occasional rough-one or set-back, like this morning’s surgery, for 38 years now – today being my 54th birthday – 54 on 5/4, that won’t happen again… It is my “Nuisance Routine”, Nothing More!!! Certainly nothing that should be occupying a moment’s thought as you are trying to do something I know I never could…

    BTW Roz, In Your Honor, I made myself a Caramel Latte at the surgeons’ office this morning – they have an amazing machine that does it all for the person… Insert the coffee packet of your choice – some really good ones, and the “Milky Way” Latte packet, Push a button, and in a few moments Latte Heaven in the waiting room… It was yummy – wish you were there to share the Lattes… Maybe someday, somewhere, I hope!

    How many times have you reset the women’s solo ocean rowing record??? Silvia Cook was the record holder at 361 Days at sea solo… So, 362, 363, 364… are EACH new records… You keep beating your old record (from the previous day) with each new day rowed… AMAZING… It touches on my grandfather’s old saying that I always loved – and wish more of us would get back to… “Today was a good day! Let’s make tomorrow even better!”

    • BTW Roz – and Rita, Calling Roz “Sweet” as I did yesterday, has NOTHING to do with her strength and toughness… Real Strength and Toughness, Like Roz’, comes from the ability to be Sweet, Tough, Strong, Vulnerable, and the like, at times in Life, while moving forward throughout no matter what… So Roz IS Truly Strong and Tough – while being Sweet too… Nothing Negative implied by ANY of these terms for her…

  • Roz, as posted a few minutes ago on your Facebook page, Alec Loorz has organized the http://www.iMatterMarch.org for this Sunday, Mothers Day. There are 106 iMatter Marches organized in 25 countries. I am facilitating two dozen high school and college students pull one off here in Sacramento.

    What just hit me was an OpEd that was printed just 2 hours ago at http://bit.ly/GOODis_iMATTER … Requesting your indulgence, I will use up a couple of my sponsored miles sending this I am sure, but think you will probably want to read what Alec wrote … apologies to Rozlings for taking so much space here and hope you all read this, too.

    Alec just posted on his Facebook wall that the ‘New York Times’ called him today and will publish on Mothers Day:

    Why 16 Year-Old Alec Loorz Is Suing the Government

    I am 16 years old. This morning I filed a lawsuit against the United States of America, for allowing money to be more powerful than the survival of my generation, and for making decisions that threaten our right to a safe and healthy planet.

    Our parents’ and grandparents’ generations have created a problem. They’ve developed a society that depends on burning fossil fuels, like coal and oil, to survive. They never realized that there were any huge consequences to running our lives with fossil fuels. But now, we do. Our addiction to fossil fuels is messing up the perfect balance of nature and threatening the survival of my generation. If we continue to hide in denial and avoid taking action, I and my generation will be forced to grow up in a world where hurricanes as big as Katrina are normal, people die every year because of heat waves, droughts, and floods, and entire species of animals we’ve come to know disappear right before our eyes.

    This is not the future I want. And I know that we still have a chance to turn this picture around. But, it’s going to take more than changing lightbulbs and buying hybrid cars. I believe it will take nothing less than a revolution… a revolution in our entire culture and way of thinking, so that we value nature and the future of my generation with every action we take.

    And I believe this revolution needs to be led by youth. It’s our future we’re fighting for, and we are some of the most creative, dedicated, and passionate people on the planet. We have the moral authority to look into our parents and leaders eyes and ask them, “Do I matter to you?”

    Also, as youth, we are the last group of people in the United States who don’t have any official political rights. We can’t vote, and we certainly can’t compete with rich corporate lobbyists, so we are forced to simply trust our government to make good decisions on our behalf.

    However, it’s become clear that our government has failed us, by not protecting the resources on this planet we need to survive. Even though scientists overwhelmingly agree that carbon emissions are totally messing up the balance of our atmosphere, our leaders continue to turn their backs on this crisis.

    The time has come for the youngest generation to hold our leaders accountable for their actions.

    Today, I and other fellow young people are suing the government, for handing over our future to unjust fossil fuel industries, and ignoring the right of our children to inherit the planet that has sustained all of civilization. I will join with youth and attorneys in every state to demand that our leaders live and govern as if our future matters.

    The government has a legal responsibility to protect the future for our children. So we are demanding that they recognize the atmosphere as a commons that needs to be preserved, and commit to a plan to reduce emissions to a safe level.

    The plaintiffs and petitioners on all the cases are young people. We are standing up for our future.

    But we will not only stand up in the courts. We will stand up in the streets as well.

    Starting this Mothers’ Day weekend, the youngest generation will rise up and march in our communities. We will unite together with a powerful voice to call for action on climate change, and demand that our society lives as if our future matters.

    We will let the world know that climate change is not about money, it’s not about power, it’s not about convenience. It’s about our future. It’s about the survival of this and every generation to come.

    The iMatter March is a series of more than 100 marches in states all across the country, and 25 countries worldwide, including Columbia, Gambia, Germany, Thailand, India, and Nepal (on Mount Everest). There’s even one being planned by the son of an oil executive in Kuwait.

    And it’s about more than just these events. This is a movement. A mass movement of young people standing up with a unified voice to tell the ruling generation that we will no longer just sit idly by as they make decisions that threaten our future. We matter. Our future matters.

    Thomas Jefferson once said, “Every generation needs a new revolution.” Well this is ours. The time has now come for the youngest generation to make a stand for our future.

    This is our revolution. This is our time.

    ###

    My response to this is “OF, BY and FOR the KIDS”

    • I only hope the youth in today’s movement are more steadfast than my generation was. It looks like Alex and his friends are on the right track.

      Of, By and For the KIDS – our new motto!!

      Doug, thanks for posting this.

  • Row, Roz, Row – you are such an inspiring woman – I have the signed picture you gave me on the wall right behind my computer. I must look at it at least 200 times a day – it encourages me to do my very best every day, in every way.

    Richard, a belated happy birthday!

  • There once was a girl called Roz,
    Who rowed across oceans because,
    She thought she was gay,
    There’d be no men in her way,
    But she fell for a good bloke from Oz!

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