| At sea. Atlantic Rowing Race: Pacific Pete safer and stronger, Chris counts the capsize costs |
|
|
|
| Thursday, 12 January 2006 | |
|
Chris Martin: Well the full cost of the capsize has been counted and the bits and bobs washed overboard are 2 buckets, a 2L bottle of Ribena, a 2L kettle, a calor gas burner and cooker unit, a cricket hat and worse of all the entire stock of foam padding for the seats. The broken items are one of the cells on the solar panel (the one used on deck), the mouse on the laptop, the video camera, 2 blades. Still nothing too bad. Waves still rock and break on Pete but I’m much more prepared now than I was for the capsize so I feel much safer, stonger and competent. Aurora was due the evening of the 11th. Jo had been asked to be pulled off the Rowgirls four because they had run out of painkilling drugs for her back and she couldn’t bear it anymore. Fair play to her though for sticking it out since the start. 40 days with severe back pain having to row 12 hours a day is no fun! So I was looking forward to seeing her and getting a hug, but last night Aurora were unable to get her off the boat because of bad weather so have decided to come and give me blades first then go back and get her off the boat when the weather is a bit better. I’m gutted I was really looking forward to seeing her but there’s still a chance that Aurora may come and visit again before the end. An ocean rowing boat without blades is not a great place to be. There is nowhere comfortable to sit. The only place is in the cabin on the bed but it’s nearly 40 degrees inside here and no ventilation. If I sit outside I get drenched by the waves or get my back whacked by the gunnels of the boat. I’m getting a bit of confidence too from the fact that there isn’t much left to get wrong for me. I’ve had a bad back, bust watermaker, electrical issues, navigation light problems, broken blades, capsize and more broken blades and I’m almost at the halfway point. Crikey I sure have been busy! I think I’ll go fishing again tomorrow and see what we can catch. I saw another 2 Wibble fish yesterday and caught them on video before realising that the video was broken. D’oh. They are silver/blue and very pretty. Seemed rather interested in my hand though when I dangled it overboard to attract them. I’ll have to check the size of their teeth before I do that again. I seems the ocean has been watching Crocodile Dundee (the bit when Mick get’s a knife pulled on him in New York). A huge wave comes along, drenches me as I’m eating breakfast. I stand up cursing. What a huge wave, thinks I. “That’s not a wave” says the Atlantic sending a larger one my way getting me wetter. “That’s a wave.” Pah! Never could stand Paul Hogan! Almost at the halfway distance. If the wind drops I’ll have to get out and push!I’ve included a few photos of me so you can view the beard. It’s coming on nicely and starting to catch pieces of food I drop. The “Superman” shorts are what I wearing at the time of the capsize and also a Christmas present they have become my lucky shorts and I will wear them for most of the rest of the trip. Love to you all Chris xx Chris Martin in Pacific Pete is from Surrey UK and is the only male solo competitor http://www.transatlanticforce.co.uk/ Event website http://www.atlanticrowingrace.co.uk |
|
| Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 January 2006 ) |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|