The final push
We currently find outselves a little north of Barbados and a change in the weather forcast mean we no longer have the anticipated winds to blow us down onto the island. As such the past 36hrs we have been rowing south accross the wind and swell. This is not the most comfortable sort of rowing but we seem to still be making good progress.
With the end so close we can nearly smell it, we are constently reminding each other to stick to our drills, those drills which have kept us safe over the past 6 weeks and over 3000 miles of ocean. Hatches shut when rough, keep steering while changing rowers, keep deck clear and safety equipment secure. It would be easy to become blaseay in the final few days but with a light boat (we have eaten and used nearly all of our resorces) and still fairly rough conditions it is essesential that the diciplin remains.
As a crew we are now a well oiled machine, rowing, eating, rowing, sleepin, rowing etc, etc. It all happens without thought or fuss. Even the sleep deprived confusing and often humerouse conversations seem to be dissapearing as our bodies have addapted to the 2 hour shifts.
Pobably the worst thing right now are the sleeping bags and pillows. These have become crusty and damp, a kind of yellow colour as the materal is impegnated with sodacream, vaseline, blood, drule and sweat.
Recently when you finish your shift and lie on top of the sleeping bag it is often quite damp from your partner who has been on top of it sweating profusly in the steadly increasing heat of the day. This is not the most comfortable way to fall asleap!
It is impossable to not daydream about what it is going to be like to be back on dry land and all the oppertunities and choices that will bring. We all agree however that whatever happens over the next few days is that this has a once in a lifetime experence and the oppertunity to share it with three likeminded people is something we will all remember for the rest of our days.
For myself this trip marks the beginning of my sabatical from work (a career break if you like) and with the ending of this adventure another one will start nearly straight away. Life has so much to offer and there is so much to do i really dont know how to fit it all in, however it is geat fun trying.
For those of you discussing the differnce between being eaten by a badger or a squirl. I can asure you that while squirls are cunning they are not as brutle as a badger, hence my choice.
All being well my next blog will be on Monday to our arrival into Barbados!
Steve & the Tusmobil team
