Land Ahoy!!

The Team By

Land ahoy!

Last night, towards the end of a lovely sunset shift for Nats and Izzy, the first stars began to appear. Ems and Laura took over and once it was fully dark and they were rowing under a beautiful starry sky, they spotted some small white lights low on the horizon to Doris’s port side. Land!

We are rowing Northwest of the Hawaiian chain of islands towards Honolulu on the island of Oahu. This morning at dawn, the silhouette of the nearest island to us became visible and as the sun rose it unveiled a magnificent, green, mountainous island about 8 nautical miles south of us. The hills have steep cliffs and ridges stretching down to the water like enormous buttresses. There is no sign of habitation. It looks like a magical, prehistoric land, right out of Jurassic Park!

The little blue bubble that we have been rowing in for the last 67 days is no more and we have something new to look at beyond the sea. We have had a wonderful day rowing past land and watching the wildlife, including seeing a magnificent frigate bird dive, catch, and swallow whole an enormous flying fish.

The next island that we will see is Oahu. We are currently 40 nautical miles from the waypoint where we will rendezvous with Tony and Sarah Moshman. Dry land and a shower is tantalizingly close, but we have learnt not to become complacent. Nearing land presents its own hazards for us. We expect to see some other boats and to experience mixed currents and winds before our final touch down. We are focussing on arriving safely at Hawaii Yacht Club and enjoying the final row in. So close now!

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15 Comments

  1. Bring it home ladies, bring Doris home :)

  2. Jim Andrews says:

    Well done girls, I can only imagine your excitement at the forthcoming comforts denied you for over two months. You have done so incredibly well, enjoy your last few hours together before the team change. I feel very proud of four complete strangers. Stay safe. XX

  3. Chris Wallis says:

    Congratulations. It is awe inspiring following your journey through Twitter and the daily posts. Enjoy the time on land. Looking forward to the next leg.

  4. This is the Blog we have all been waiting for! Well done to you all. We look forward to hearing about the landing and your excitement at the sight of some familiar faces. xxxx

  5. Memories of your Hawaiian welcome will last you a lifetime! Special wishes from sunny Cornwall Laura.

  6. JG says:

    Brilliant. Just be careful with your first steps on dry land !!

  7. Michelle says:

    I’m counting down the hours & we’ll be having a celebratory drink here in sunny Cornwall when you arrive. One (of three) last pushes! Keep up the great work ladies xx

  8. Anna C says:

    Fantastic news! What a massive effort. I hope that land is not too wobbly when you finally touch down and that a week is long enough to regain some weight and leg muscle. Good luck with the turnaround of Izzy and Lizanne, and then off you go again … xx

  9. Congratulations to you Laura and team on completing the first leg. Enjoy your time on land as you prepare for the next stage. We will continue to follow your progress and wonderful blogs with great interest and admiration. xxxx

  10. Barbara says:

    Well done ladies,have really enjoyed your adventure from the comfort of stable ground. Look forward to your next leg.
    Enjoy a well deserved shower on arrival.Barbs

  11. Barney says:

    Magnificent achievement and warmest congrats on holding the psychological side of the trip together. You should all, individually, feel very proud of yourselves. It has been an honour to share the trip with you in the luxury of terra firma!

  12. Alan Watson says:

    Well done and then some. What an awesome achievement.
    Was at Raymarine this morning and everyone delighted. Glad (hope) the electronics held up,
    Alan

  13. Eric Boldon says:

    Great news! So excited for you all to make you fist landfall in the Pacific. Here hoping the waves roll you gently into shore.

    Well Done!

  14. Jan Rohde says:

    Oh, wonderful news!

    Even on the map it almost feels strange to see you this close to land.

    It must have been an amazing feeling, almost like Christopher Columbus’ first expedition to the Americas! ;-)

    Keep it on, but give yourself a day or two to celebrate, relax and unwind before starting to prepare for the next challenging leg – we will accompany you all the way!

    Good luck, and enjoy the moment!

    Jan

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