It was a week ago today that I set out from North Island in the Abrolhos, which now officially counts as the first day of this voyage. It has been a week of ups and downs, forwards and backwards and round-about. I’ve covered about 214 nautical miles, which is nearly 250 statute miles. That’s about average, although it has included the extremes, one day 72 miles forwards, another day 11 miles backwards.
You’ll have to excuse me. I’m not feeling very inspired tonight. In fact, it’s really rough out here and, truth to tell, I’m feeling a bit queasy sitting in the cabin working at my laptop. I felt it was about time for a philosophical blog, but I’m not really feeling up to it. Pretend for a moment that you’re on the ocean, riding the waves, and trying to type on your laptop. Not easy. I need to make this one short, so I’ll tell you about some of the technical things.
A few things around my boat that are innovations since my first row, and help make life a bit more tolerable on board.
1. Seat pad that clips on and clips off: the pad itself is made by Bottomsiders, and I cover it in a cut-down Packtowl that can be rinsed and dried after each shift. The whole apparatus gets unclipped at night and brought into the cabin, to keep it safe and dry.
2. Markers on rudder strings (seen here with my Oceanswatch.org sticker
) to show me when the rudder is set straight. I made these markers by sewing ribbon securely onto the rudder strings. No way that can wash off!
3. Adjustable height on oarlocks: using the washers, see here below and above. The oars can be set lower on flat water, higher on rough. Or one high, one low if the weather is coming at the boat sideways on.
4. Tool for opening round hatches: can you imagine how frustrating it would be if I couldn’t get to my food supplies?!
5. Cleat for pulling in sea anchor tripline: makes life so much easier. ‘Fraid that’s about my limit for tonight. Feeling really quite rough.
I’ve never thrown up inside my cabin, and I don’t intend to start now, so will sign off before I push my luck.
And I most definitely do not want to think about chocolates in any way, shape, form or colour….
Sponsored Miles:
David Gilbert, Scott Wagner, George Smith, Philip Nixon, David Tangye, Stanley Miller, Doug Grandt, Gillian Colledge, Bob Smith, Sarah Watson, Brent Malmstrom, Cynthia Ford, Richard Nelson, David Shaw, Deborah Keeley, David Cameron.
Pretty good post for a queasy night. Well done.
I love this part of my day… The part when I can’t decide whether to share your posts first, or to comment on what an amazing person you are!
Row Roz Row!
…Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?
Exerpt, The Summer Day, Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver seems to be saying that taking notice of and paying attention to and appreciating and paying respect to the smallest of God’s creatures would please God just as much as kneeling in prayer. At the end she seems to be asking what better way is there of spending a day or indeed a lifetime appreciating and understanding nature. A very Buddhist approach to life. Eat Roz, Pray Roz, Row Roz Row!Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_poem_The_Summer_Day_by_Mary_Oliver_mean#ixzz1M5NtDVHq
You continue to amaze me…still perky when feeing grotty and locked up in your tiny cabin…..fair winds fair maiden 🙂
Roz, I wish there was something that could be said or written to ease the quease. Hopefully, by the time this gets emailed to you, Poseidon will have gone to bed too and you can laugh about it … haiku time ;-D
mind over matter / can you imagine stillness / tossing zen cookies
Rest peacefully, Roz ~~~
Very clever UncaDoug.
Things will get better in the morning!
Well done, Roz. True grit! Sea sickness is not fun.
Take a tsp. of mustard, wait about 10 minutes and drink a small amount of water. Now, Know I and many others are praying for you to feel better and be safe.
I’m eating gummi bears and have taken a nerve tonic. I am not sea sick in the least.
Chocolate-schmocolate, salt water taffy and gummy fishes!! As my South African friend always says about the rough water -“its just a lot of bouncy bouncy splishy splashy (in reference to our class 5 rapid in Patagonia) then you’re home…”
I’m preparing my acceptance speech on your behalf – I have some good stuff from your posts to incorporate. Thinking of you Roz –
Row on my friend!!
great job and good info on your setup, thanks!
Hey Roz, sorry to hear that you are under the weather…. Your description of progress sounds a lot like life, some miles made ahead in and intended direction, then some miles in reverse due to errors, repeating patterns and plain old human folly. You did well to describe all the techie stuff, Wish I could offer a calming tea. I’ll send calming thoughts instead. Take care…
I am feeling queasy by proxy! I cannot imagine how
you
must feel.
Happy Weekiversary and calm stomachs on the morrow.
“So I said to myself: ‘Not to worry; from now on things can only get better’. And, sure enough, they got worse.”
Still watching out and praying for you every day, Roz. 🙂
Or, then again: “Always look on the bright side of Life”.
Hi Roz, you poor thing….nothing worse than seasickness I reckon, all you want to do is go stand under a tree. Stay well hydrated. Thinking of you…Sam
So it’s a myth that if you spend a load of time on the water, you reach a point where you don’t ever feel seasick?
In the absence of fresh ginger or anything else remotely useful, try imbuing a plain glass (or beaker, or bottle or whatever) of water with the idea of homeopathic Nux Vom.
Thinking of you. xx
Passing on our best wishes for you to feel good and keep rowing!
Sending tummy-calming energy your way and hoping for smoother seas on the morrow. Hang in there, oh tenacious one!
Hi Roz, don’t know if you’ve heard yet but if you look to the eastern sky in the darkest hours of tomorrow morning, Friday 13th, you may be able to see the line up of 4 planets…Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter.
Hope you can hang onto your lunch-nothing worse than nausea. Ugh. You go girl!! Am hoping and praying for calmer seas for you-what a bouncy ride you’re having!! Like Unca Doug says, there’s gonna be some awesome haikus outta this ride!
Ditto all of the above. Very admirable of you to think of us when feeling yuk. Well done on the 1st week.
Roz, next time you feel queasy… just tell us you’re feeling sick and we should go read a book! Take care of yourself first and foremost, we will all be here when you and your stomach get to calmer seas. Fingers crossed that’s soon!