27 Feb 2006
What we are waiting for!
27th Feb.
Roz, when I last spoke to her ten days ago, was very eager to reach the end of the voyage in less than 100 days. The question now is whether she will or not.
Looking at her mileage for days 79 to 89, she was averaging 38.4 per day. She has another 366 miles to cover in the remaining days from 90 to 99. That gives an average of 36.6 miles needed per day. She can do it! That would please the children of the Island Academy, as she would probably arrive on a weekday some time next week.
It would please me too, as it gives me time to reach Antigua before she gets there. It has been an anxious time wondering what she is thinking and how she is feeling. Before she left she gave me instructions about what to do if there was no news of her at some stage. Thus I was left with the dilemma when her satphone no longer worked: was she needing me to alert the race organisers and rescue services, or was she hoping and praying that I would not act too hastily and call them out unnecessarily. I just had to know whether she was actually on the boat and that it was not moving with the wind and the waves. I felt troubled in case Roz was desperately longing for me to act whilst I just sat at home watching figures on a computer screen.
I trust that I did the right thing by doing nothing. People have been very good at assuring me that all is well, both in email messages (thank you) and the Woodvale race organisers. I shall be extremely happy to give her a great big hug at English Harbour, Antigua, next week!
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26 Feb 2006
26th Feb.
1637.26N,5555.5W,OM
Having been away from home for two days, I turned eagerly to renew contact with my daughter Roz. It is not much fun talking to a purple dot on the computer screen! The Atlantic Rowing Race website shows that purple dot drawing ever closer to Antigua. It is good to see that only 387 miles remain before reaching English Harbour. What was not quite so encouraging to see was that the dot has moved a bit further south again. Roz really is struggling to make it back to latitude 17 degrees. A bit like a yoyo recently. We can but wait and watch for the next few days as she gets nearer and nearer to her goal of crossing the Atlantic.
Just a short dispatch tonight, I have a bit of catching up to do on emails that accumulated in my absence. It is good to meet up with so many people who tell me that they are avidly watching Roz' progress. Grateful thanks to you all.
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24 Feb 2006
Simrad Navigation System Panels
24th Feb.
Have you explored the links on Roz' Voyage website? I wonder whether you have seen her list of people on her team, and the list of sponsors? These are the people and organisations who have made her crossing of the Atlantic possible. Some have given money, others time and energy or goods in kind.
Many other people, not named, have been and still are contributing by carrying out vital tasks to help Roz. She and I are most grateful for their support, and work done on her behalf.
When I put the picture on her dispatch page last night I did wonder whether people would be aware of Wholebake and their products. They kindly supplied her with samples of their products in the months of preparation, and a large number of bars of flapjack in a variety of flavours for the voyage itself. The 9bars are made up of nine types of seeds and nuts, with a layer of chocolate on top. All natural ingredients, nutritious and satisfying.
There is a team in London working to organise the welcome back party on March 23rd. A reminder therefore that the details are on the Home Page of this website.
It is good to see the miles being covered by Roz in recent days, and the fact that the boat is once again moving a bit northwards to get back to the latitude of 17 degrees.
I will probably not be doing a dispatch on Saturday evening as I am planning to visit friends this weekend.
There are some sponsored miles looming in the near future, so I will list them on this dispatch: 2496 Iona Pearey; 2500 Brian Yates. Special thanks and greetings to these kind people. Thank you too for the messages of reassurance to me at this anxious time, and to those who have recently made donations.
(Rita Savage, in the absence of any communication from Roz)
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23 Feb 2006
Roz with 9Bar by Wholebake - still some left after flapjack all eaten up.
23rd Feb.
I have been asking myself the question: What would Roz want me to write about? There are probably quite a few things that she would not want me to write about - family anecdotes that would make her blush. Perhaps it would be safer to stick to questions that people ask. Amongst quite a number of messages today, somebody asked whether Roz would still have enough food left on her boat.
Initially each rowing crew was asked to take enough food for 90 days. She did, in theory, have more than enough, and even gave away some while we were in La Gomera. Roz is really really hoping that she can complete the crossing in less than 100 days. However, I think the answer is yes, she does have enough - though probably not the things that she would choose to eat. There were days when she found it very difficult to eat anything much; she had plenty of sachets of oat porridge with her, but with the stove not functioning she has only used a few of those. If really desperate can a person eat "uncooked" oat porridge? She also had some expedition meals that she did not fancy eating, but which we stowed away in a hatch difficult to get to under her mattress, just in case of real emergency.
Another question was how did I feel after watching Ben Fogle and James Cracknell on TV? There were times when Roz phoned me in desperation (just a couple of times), obviously in tears, and hating it in the same way that Ben and James did. She did write about this in one of her dispatches. Watching the two men made me realise just what she must have gone through, and how helpless I felt at the time to say or do anything to help her. I am thankful that she was not thrown off the boat as Ben was; thankful that, being on her own, the cabin was not quite so crowded when the weather was bad. Hard though Ben and James might have found it to row that distance, Roz has had to row every mile herself. Though I say it myself, I am proud of her tenacity, and her ingenuity in repairing those oars. I shall be mighty glad to give her a big hug!!
Thank you to those who have been sending messages. I have in the past tried to answer them individually but there have been a larger number just recently. Lovely to hear from you all, and apologies for not being Roz!
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