Day 16 – Social time

Emma Mitchell By

Day 16 – Social Time

Due to our shift pattern where we row and rest in pairs it is very rare that the 4 of us all get to spend time together as a full team. On a normal day our interaction with the other pair is limited to good mornings and good nights, making faces through the hatch and a handover of the current steering and sea state as we swap over on the oars. Keith our awesome psych support (who incidentally has been sending us a quote a day since we left from San Francisco – I’m interested to see if he has enough to last us all the way to Australia!) had stressed the importance of including some social time for the 4 of us while out on the ocean. Yesterday afternoon we were struggling with the wind and current and after finding that we were drifting faster than we could row and in a better direction decided to all retire to the aft cabin. Those of you who have been following our blog will know that we have been singing a lot of ‘The Sound of Music’ soundtrack during our rowing shifts. Whilst in Santa Barbara Laura downloaded the film on to her iPad so we decided what better way to spend a couple of hours than having a sing along. Cue laughing til we cried, some terrible singing prompting Izzy to suggest ‘Shall we just listen to her (Julie Andrews) sing?’, a lot of dead legs (the aft cabin is a bit cozy for 4!) and a couple of hours break from the reality of being ocean rowers.

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After the film Laura and I heading back to the oars and made some good progress west during a peaceful first night shift. During our following off shift I was woken up just after midnight by our AIS alarm letting us know that a cargo boat was within 2 nautical miles of us. I got on the radio to check that they had seen us (they had) and had a nice chat to them before being told off by the coastguard for using channel 16 for idle chit chat. They then had a chat to Nats on the handheld radio on deck. The boat was called Maunda Willi and the conversation went a little like this:

Nat: ‘We’re a 29ft ocean rowing boat, what kind of boat are you?
Maunda Willi: ‘we’re a 1000ft cargo ship’
Nat: ‘you’re… big!’
Maunda Willi: ‘you guys have balls’
Trust me in a sleep deprived state it was hilarious!

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9 Comments

  1. Jim Andrews says:

    Another great report and so pleased that the conditions allowed you some team time. Progress is definately accelerating. Maunda Willi was quite correct in their assessment of your testicular wealth. Your unquestionable courage is equalled by a great sense of humour. Well done. Onwards with our best wishes. XX

  2. Jim Andrews says:

    Another great report and so pleased that the conditions allowed you some team time. Progress is definately accelerating. Maunda Willi was quite correct in their assessment of your testicular wealth. Your unquestionable courage is equalled by a great sense of humour. Well done. Onwards with our best wishes. X

  3. Jim Andrews says:

    Ooops! Duplication. Sorry.

  4. this blog has me wanting to watch the sound of music. So good to hear the positivity come through the blogs! You are all an inspiration! Keep up the good work and the blogs xxx lots of love to you all especially Laura from the Daddows xxxx

  5. mike says:

    There’s no question the size of your balls girls. You look a good happy unit in your cabin right now. Stay strong cream those bottom ends

  6. Dawn says:

    You look so happy all 4 of you squashed in there! Amazing what you are doing. Stay strong and we all wish you calm seas x

  7. JG says:

    Well I have to say that you don’t look as if you have been at sea for over two weeks! Fresh and smiling and clearly having a good time with everything under control – brilliant. Thanks for the update – look forward to them.

  8. Kim says:

    hi girls. it;s lovely to see a picture of you all looking so well. Saw the sound of music reference and had to write!!!! i love that film and met one of my good friends singing the tunes in the summer night time waters of a lovely beach in Japan. i’ve not done the tour in Saltzberg and have now realised i have some potenital buddies to go with (i did make it to the stage show though). This time next week i will be in Bali which relatively speaking feels like i’m venturing to the outskirts of your new neighbourhood so i will be thinking of you all and the lovely stars you are viewing and friends with big boats that you are schmuuzing with over radio. :).

  9. Karen says:

    Hi Ladies! I love the comment from the cargo ship! So true!!

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