Daily Routine
Today I'm going to give a summary of our daily routine. Try to compare it to your own day - all the different things you do and see, all the people you talk to, all the food you eat and news you hear.
It surprises me therefore that, from all the emotions we have felt, boredom has not yet featured.
Scattered in amongst the routine below are various other tasks: repairs, making water, snacking (nuts and chocolate), washing clothes, laughing at each other and loud, extravagant discussions about the beautiful food and delicious women that await on the far side of this ocean...
06.00 - stagger out into pitch darkness wearing my sunglasses - by the end of this session the sun will be bright.
We all submit our guesses for distance travelled in the past 24 hours. Marin checks the number on the GPS then sends our position out via the satellite phone. Happiness / disappointment at progress.
Row for two hours, relishing the sunrise then anticipating breakfast.
08.00 - breakfast of Slovenian porridge. Write diary then sleep for an hour.
10.00 - row for two hours. A very hot, long session.
12.00 - cook lunch. This involves boiling water with a camping stove and adding it to a 'boil-in-the-bag' dehydrated meal.
Unfortunately the ones we have are disgusting (it may be cruel to mention the brand name -Backpackers' Pantry- but not as cruel as they are for selling the stuff), so we tend to rinse most of the flavour away before cooking it. My favourite is tasteless noodles.
30 minute nap.
14.00 - two hour row. Very hot.
16.00 - cook another meal as above. Another nap.
18.00 - two hour row. The fire has gone from the day now and the sunset is beautiful. Life feels good once again. Row into the night, often chatting happily.
20.00 - 90 min sleep.
22.00 - two hour row. As well as enjoying the amazing stars and bright moon, I listen to Podcasts and music to get through this session. Current favourites are 'Desert Island Discs' and 'Stuff you Should Know'.
Keep a lookout for ships.
00.00 - make up a gloopy, tasteless drink of powdered oats and protein. 80 minute sleep.
02.00 - two hour row. Music on, counting minutes.
04.00 - 90 minute sleep.
06.00 - repeat all the stages from the top another 50 or 60 times..!
Al
ps. - Steve's latest nocturnal confusion: last night he was woken with the customary "ten minutes" call. Despite being in his sleeping bag he was convinced that he was actually rowing at the time. He thought to himself, "how lovely - I get to go to bed in 10 minutes." Imagine his disappointment when he realised that actually he was about to begin a two hour row, not a two hour sleep.
pps. - thanks to Millfield Junior School for all their questions, and good luck to Miss Monaghan's class in Yorkshire who are recreating our boat/life in their classroom, including eating expedition foods!
