I was very moved to watch this news report by GWN, filmed in Geraldton on Wednesday, the day after my temporary arrival back on dry land. The bit that really struck me was towards the end, where our guardian angel and host for that first night, Don Ferguson, brushed aside praise for his kindness, referring to “the old Australian way of mateship”, i.e. helping each other out.

Shane preparing Sedna for retouching after repairing the hole in her hull

With only one expensive exception, everybody that we have encountered from Tuesday onwards has warmly extended us the very best kind of mateship, opening up their homes, hearts and work premises to help out. Monday was ANZAC day, so Easter Monday became the holiday on Tuesday when everything was closed, and yet they came out and opened up shop and extended their hand to help.

I’d especially like to thank the Fergusons and the Gangells for their hospitality, Dan McGrath at Iluka for the use of the crane and flatbed truck, Shane Ferguson and Glen Reeves for their boat repair skills, Barney and Michael of the Water Police, Geoff and Merry of Leeman Volunteer Sea Rescue, and Damian of GWN for his fair and accurate reporting. Also thanks to Col Leonhardt, who created the fantastic video of my departure from Fremantle, who is heading up to Geraldton tomorrow to record Departure II.

Restoring the cabin to shipshapeness

Today has been another excitingly productive one. Shane has been doing a highly professional job patching up the dings to Sedna’s hull (inflicted when the crayfish boat hit her), while Glen came over to the workshop this morning with the new box housing for the watermaker pump. We are going to install the spare pump in the forward hatch below the rowing seat, and enclose it inside a box for additional protection. Glen has also managed to salvage the original pump that had been affected by seawater, so I will take that with me as a spare.

Meanwhile June and I have been busy emptying lockers, drying everything out, repacking, and various maintenance and logistical tasks.

Latte break! (sorry, didn't think to take the pic until I'd eaten half of the choccy slice!)

We also found time for a quick coffee shop treat. No caramel lattes, alas, but an iced coffee with a delicious fruit and nut chocolate slice. Being back on dry land does have its compensations!

 

Other Stuff:

As well as thanking my new Aussie friends, I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to all my online supporters, who have stuck with me through thick and thin. The flow of messages expressing approval for my prudent course of action, appreciation for my environmental message, and encouragement for my relaunch has been an enormous source of strength. Once again, I have been reminded that I could not do what I do without your love and support. I can’t find words adequate to say how much I appreciate your unwavering loyalty. I will dedicate every stroke of my Indian Ocean row to all of you who represent the spirit of humanity, and of mateship, at its best. I love you.

 

24 Comments

  • Hey Roz, Maybe all these deserving expert businesses that came to your aid – especially who went above and beyond the call of duty and good business – (Including those who put up with you, I mean put you up) should have their names added to your “Sponsors” page – Business Name, Logo, Whatever… As they say, One good turn deserves another… And you suggested that had this not all come together VERY quickly as it did, it could have affected this entire leg of your voyage… Tough to put a value on that – but a little hyping of their businesses to the world on your website seems reasonable…

  • Hey Mate. yes, nice term. That cake looked pretty good. And yes, i think that taking a prudent approach is a smart thing so kudos to you for not being an idiot and blustering on because you thought you should…being smart is, well, smart of you.

    Wishing you a smooth re-start and a safe passage.

    With my best,
    Laurey

    • 🙂

      Yes, ultimately I know it WAS the smart thing to do. It’s a pain that this was portrayed in some places as an emergency, whereas in fact it was a pre-emptive move to head off an emergency.

      But as Jay likes to remind me, “those that matter don’t mind, and those that mind don’t matter”. And to me, my Rozlings are the ones that matter, and you all get why I did what I did. That’s all that counts!

      • In the end, we are in dialogue with life in all its facets each day and each moment and sometimes don’t immediately see the rhyme or reason of the conversation…

        here it would appear that Sedna had uttered her own wisdom ala the forces she inhabits…good on you Roz that you listened to her and modified your path and plan for a new one…thus finding new friends, a renewed spirit, and possibly a new edge hopefully leading to success in crossing another ocean…and possibly leading to another new personal threshold…

        keep listening as Sedna will no doubt continue to whisper in your ear…

  • You know it’s really difficult to think of you with a knife bristled between your teeth if you keep showing your warm and fuzzy side 🙂 … And I think officially between matie-s, it’s… “I love you man”.. Sniff hugs.. Just sayin:) Row Roz Row!

  • I’ve loved Western Australia ever since Perth turned on its lights for John Glenn in 1962, a gesture of kindness and friendship that many of us still remember and treasure in the States. So it’s no surprise to me that you’re encountering such “mateship” in Geraldton, and I again salute the people of Western Australia for their hospitality to you, and their professionalism and efficiency in getting Sedna back underway. In a world that often appears fragmented, it is a delight to encounter this spirit of mateship. Ultimately, Roz, this unplanned stop may be remembered by you (and us) as a highlight of the Indian Ocean row. And the improvements to your “kit” and preparations may end up proving crucial in making it possible to complete the row. You earlier said that you wanted to use the Indian Ocean row (in part) as a spiritual journey, and so somewhere along the line you might reflect on what “unseen forces” brought you to Geraldton and its lovely people, and for what purpose. In the meantime, know that we’re behind you 100 percent, and we look forward to seeing you back out on the water.

  • We’re so proud of you, Roz.

    Apropos Alison Krauss lyric:

    “I can hear the birds, and, man, they don’t lie.”

    My translation: Stop drifting, start rowing.

    Oh yeah, that’ s a quote too!

  • Glad to know you are doing well! After so many blogs talking about caramel latte… buzzing with the sugar and coffee! Take care!

  • It is people like Don Ferguson who remind me of our common humanity. We all have it in us, but only occasionally do we have the opportunity to exercise it visibly. It is our response to catastrophes small and large (everyday and extraordinary) including minute acts of love that connect us all — all around the world and in our communities. “Mateship” is a very cool way to say it. A very simple but solid way to express that essential love for each other. Learned something new again today!

    mateship at its best
    spirit of humanity
    homes, hearts, warm welcome

    Row lovingly, Roz!

    • Couldn’t put it better myself, Doug. When I see people pulling together around a common cause (whether that cause be me, or something much more significant), it really gives me hope for the future. If there could just be a climate-related event that was big enough to wake us up and make us pull together, instead of infighting and finger-pointing, who knows what we could achieve?

      • Roz, I understand what you are saying, sort of wishing for some significant “climate-related event” to happen to shake us up enough to do something… But, Mother Nature can do a lot of damage when she wants to – not sure I want to wish for her to really sock it to us… We should be able to “get it” without that… We just had a terrible night of tornadoes here – 300 Killed, Hundreds Injured… I don’t want to wish for anything more significant than that…

        The political stuff, taking sides and finger pointing at those who have come to different conclusions than we have doesn’t help either – because each “side” must always keep in mind that, “We don’t know what we don’t know”… Likewise, Making “scientific” conclusions about what is happening to the world based on science that we (humans) have developed while on this planet, in other words, in less than 1/1,000th of the time that the planet has been here, is VERY bad science because as that fractional number indicates, there is a lot that we don’t know, never will and never can know as a result of this huge unknown…

        Obviously the climate is changing – always has, always will in very long cycles… But, Not having been here, We don’t know what was going on for the other 99.9% time before we were here – and applying current science – that we have learned and developed in the other 0.1% of the time here on the planet – to this huge unknown is very risky – and therefore bad science either way – whatever conclusion we come up with this way could be very wrong… As a scientist by training, I remember what one of my favorite Professors once said, “If you ever make a final conclusion based on your science, That is not Science! Good Science never stops… We keep looking for more and more evidence to support Scientific THEORY! But, That is the best we can hope to achieve.”

        What we humans have to do is figure out how not to alter the natural climate cycle any more than we have to – and that is quite simple… Simply use common sense – If you must buy something, Discard it properly when you are done with it; Conserve resources as much as possible – Fossil Fuels, Water, Everything we use and consume; Be efficient in your planning – to reduce waste of resources, and on and on… Just think before you do anything, “Can this be done in a more environmentally friendly way?” If we all do just that, If we set that example for the next guy and they do the same, and so on, and so on, then Our environmental effect will be the least it can be, and that is the best that we can hope for – doing the least harm each of us can… Roz is Our example here…

        REALLY SORE TONIGHT – Off to bed… And Roz, Bon Voyage II!!!

  • The aussie mate thing….(no worries mate) etc etc has to been experienced first hand to be really appreicted. The country itself is amazing but its people are really something else !!! I have travelled a lot and if I could select any place in the world I would live Australia would be it. No surprise at all that they all banded together and took care of you Roz…and your a Pom (they take care of those too…but with a few extra jokes etc thrown in)

  • A big thanks to everyone who helped Roz!! It’s stories like this that restore my faith in humanity. What a great community.

  • Yes, well done to our Aussie mates.
    Roz, just between you & me, I know you came ashore because you missed June’s breakfasts – right? Big pat on the back for June’s efforts too.

    Question: How’s your spotty botty now?
    Cheers,
    Pippa

    • Just being funny Dear Sweet Pippa, How was the wedding between your sister Kate and William today? I saw pictures of Sir Elton, and those pictures, and this day, reminded me of my having tea and talking with him and Lady Di at Christie’s in London 20 years ago… Amazing times, Amazing people… I will never forget her, and I only had about 15 minutes in private with her – and Sir Elton. Miss Her!

  • Well done Roz- You are just brilliant at “accentuating the positive” and it is really heartwarming to read your daily blog. Good luck on the next stage. We will be thinking of you. Gillian and Michael Colledge, Canberra, Australia

  • Hi Roz

    Glad to see you are ok.
    I am so sorry to see what happened. I was just checking on your progress and saw this.
    Hope you are still going on with it and I know your spirit you will for sure.
    Good to see you are in good company in Western Australia..
    Take care keep safe.

    Steve S in Brisbane

  • Roz et al… Again, forgive my verbose “climate discussion” last night… All I was getting at was that we will never know FOR SURE whether we humans are causing all of the climate change since we have been here on the planet, none of it, or somewhere in-between… And No Science can ever prove one, the other or the middle either in this case… And to try to is unnecessary in a way… If we humans do as much as we can in a possitive way, or as little as we can in a negative way – whichever way you want to look at it, to affect the environment, in common sense, do-it-ourselves ways, We WILL be better off no matter what each person’s science tells us… Even those, with common sense, who think we have no effect on the climate will agree that we should not go out of our way to make it worse… Surely those, with common sense, that think we humans are the sole cause of climate change will agree that if we each do a little, we will be better off than we are now… And those in the middle, with common sense, will follow suit… So lets to small common sense things to bring on huge benefits for the environment overall…

    • Early morning typo corrected here, “So lets DO small common sense things to bring on huge benefits for the environment overall…”

  • Here is a WELL-DESERVED SHOUT-OUT OF THANKS for the love, resourcefulness, help and self-sacrifice extended to Roz (so she could be under way again … in an amazing few days)

    to . . .

    The Fergusons, The Gangells, Dan McGrath, Shane Ferguson and Glen Reeves, Barney and Michael of the Water Police, Geoff and Merry of Leeman Volunteer Sea Rescue, and Damian of GWN (for his fair and accurate reporting). And thanks to Col Leonhardt!

    What an amazing spirt of aid and cooperation you have all shown. Thank you all!

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