The Sun Rises on a Happy Day

If only every day on the ocean could be like today, life would be just dandy. I know you’ll tell me that if every day was perfect, then I wouldn’t appreciate it. But couldn’t I try it, just for a little while, to find out, please?

Today brought that rare combination of tranquil seas and fast conditions. There has been nary a splash nor a bash, yet in the last 24 hours I’ve still managed to cover about 46 nautical miles, which is about 52 of your landlubbing miles. Fine progress indeed, especially by contrast with what I’ve endured for the last 10 days or so.

In the non-splashy, sunny conditions, I’ve been able to give everything a good airing too, which has been very good for crew morale. The Purple Palace was starting to develop a distinctly unpleasant swampy quality, with bedding feeling damp and chilly, and various discarded garments festering in wet corners. Woody the Pirate was starting to drop hints about the less than salubrious conditions, and muttering about making me walk the gangplank if things didn’t improve soon. So he and I are both extremely pleased that all is now restored to dryness and good order.

As the icing on the cake of a true Purple Wrapper Day, I saw my first live fish. Sarah Outen, during her Indian Ocean crossing a couple of years ago, acquired quite an entourage of stripey pilot fish underneath her boat. I was starting to take it personally that I hadn’t managed to attract a single one. But today I caught a quick glimpse of a little black-and-white striped visitor. Admittedly, it was swimming away from my boat at the time, rather than towards it, but at least it was a) there, and b) alive, so there is hope.

Other Stuff:

The forecast is for another two good days, then adverse winds over the weekend. We’ll deal with that when we get to it. Meanwhile, I’m making miles while the sun shines.

I’d like to thank Daisy for all her sterling work on the newsletter over the last few years. Daisy has now gone back to work after being a full-time mother for a while, so will be giving up her newsletter duties. I’m having a think about future newsletter strategies. If anybody has any relevant opinions or experiences, I’d be interested to hear.

And just for the heck of it, I’m going to say thanks once again to my dear old Mum. We had a nice chat on the satphone today. So often she just gets to hear all my grumbles, which she bears with never-ending sympathy, love, and understanding, so it was good to be able to share a day of happiness instead!

Sponsored Miles:

Thanks to Lucie Petrickova, Pamela Green, Brad McDonell, some of whom sponsored more than one mile.

28 Comments

  • Roz,  So glad you are getting better weather for a couple of days. I can imagine you are rowing madly! You also sounded much more chipper on the latest podcast at http://www.rozroams.com

    Here’s hoping the expectedly poor weather over the weekend quickly changes back to smoother seas.

  • “And just for the heck of it, I’m going to say thanks once again to my
    dear old Mum. We had a nice chat on the satphone today. So often she
    just gets to hear all my grumbles, which she bears with never-ending
    sympathy, love, and understanding, so it was good to be able to share a
    day of happiness instead!” “And just for the heck of it”, Rita, I and those who add(ed) comments in the past, today, and everyday FROM NOW ON BTW, “Thank You Too!”

  • Another Terrible Poem

    Roz was feeling Oh So Chipper
    Paddled Miles As Solo Skipper
    Loved her days like recent ones
    Made the worst seem not so glum
    Loved us Rozlings ‘specially @Pippa:disqus

  • Roz, to celebrate the day of calm waters and good progress:

    A rower named Roz has a footprint
    Much smaller than any one’s penchant
    She wants to see fishies
    But no plastic drifties
    And a new squigglometer pendant

    Row luringly, Roz!

  • Take it when it comes,sometimes you just get the lemonade,without going through the lemons.Row  on Mighty Roz !
     AmyinAustin

  • “Miles and Smile” reminds me of a VERY old joke… “What’s the longest word in the English Dictionary?” “Smiles! There is A Mile between the first and last “S”.”

  • Hi Roz,

    I’m thrilled to hear about the milage. Did the towel I sent a few years back come in handy?

    Eric

  • Hooray!  Glad to hear that the conditions have improved and you’re making ocean hay while the sun shines!

  • Were still getting rain and snow here in California! Glad to see your weather is better than ours.
    Do you ever row after dark?

    • I wondered the same thing… Like those “Crank operated” camping flashlights – where the “Cranking” recharges the battery in the flashlight… It would seem that something could be rigged to use Roz’ paddling to recharge batteries to power the few lights she might need as she is paddling at night…

      • @UncaDoug:disqus I was just reading about the life-cycle of our Sun… It is essentially half used up – and getting warmer by the million years as a result… “It will become a White Dwarf in about 5 Billion years. But, In approximately 1 Billion years, due to the added heat from the Sun reaching the Earth at that point, the water on Earth will have boiled away.” So our time is limited to get everything done that Roz is paddling for – we have less than a Billion years… But, Worst case scenario, If the water boils away before Roz finishes her Indian Ocean leg of this journey for the “Earth” and “Humanity”, Then she can walk the rest of the way and help us get it done. Right?

  • I’m glad my Tweedle friends found you Roz – official name is Pilot Fish but  to me they were the Tweedles. Look out for Monsieur Tweedle le Grand – he is definitely the Grandaddy of them all. I hope you’re not too far North for albatross yet. Touching base whenever I get chance – great to see you well on your way now. 

    Sarah x

  • Other rowing boats are out on the Indian Ocean at present, (http://www.indianoceanrow.com/) and here is a quote from one of the websites: “There is far less shipping in the Indian Ocean than in the Atlantic. There is less polution and the wildlife is simply out of this World! Sharks, whales and dolphins will be common sight. Birdlife is ever present, shoals of fish will follow the boats, and the night time sky will be breathtaking.” 
    All that wildlife must be accompanying them, as Roz has not seen much at all. 

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