Leg 3, Day 7 – A week at sea, moon where are you?

Meg Dyos By

A week at sea, moon where are you?

So it’s been 7 days that we have been on Doris and I’m torn between feeling like it’s been weeks to also being a weird kind of ground hog day! As I’m sure you read yesterday we’re having a bit of trouble finding our friend the moon at night making it awfully dark so we have put a reward of beef curry out to anyone that knows his whereabouts! If you hear anything do email doris@coxlesscrew.com…

Still writing between bouts of nausea, so apologies it’s a little short, but I thought I’d write down all of the new experiences I’ve had from the past week:

-rowing – so I learnt to row a week ago, and I have now been on the oars for 84 hours in total! Can you imagine how many hours Ems, Laura and Nat have spent on the oars!!!
-night time rowing – something I am not a fan of in any way – perhaps because it has been pretty choppy almost every night and you can’t see what is coming towards you and how big it is!
-cross bum (this cannot yet be called angry) – but it is gradually beginning to get sore! The answer to this is talc and sudocreme every 2 hours!
-expedition foods – I’ve tried hard to make beef curry my favourite but it’s just not happening!
-steering Doris – this involves hand steering and is pulling a cord or letting a cord loose depending on the direction wanted, it’s also quite nice to have something to focus on whilst rowing,
-2 hours on 2 hours off – I have slipped into this routine much easier than I expected and quite like having a nap every 2 hours! Although in the next week hopefully I’ll be able to start doing more than just ‘sleep, eat, row repeat’!
-Waves and lots of them! – the waves come in all shapes and sizes. It’s absolutely mesmerising just looking at them and assessing which ones are the ones that are going to get you wet!
The bucket – the best bathroom in the South Pacific that’s for sure!

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10 Comments

  1. Ray & Babs says:

    Great to see after your first week on Doris your sense of humour is still with you, if it’s lasted this week it’ll sail (sorry row) with you easily all the way to Cairns as opposed to the nausea which will go soon enough, after all it took Laura 10 days. Main house rule on the boat, don’t pick the wrong bucket!!!

  2. JG says:

    Go Meg !! Keep safe.

  3. Simon TY says:

    Well done Meg. Must be so very difficult fitting into the routine in the most weird environment imaginable. You are making great progress so you must be doing something right.

    Xx STY

  4. Great to hear that you are settling into the routine! I am so in awe of all of you and cannot describe the feelings reading all your wonderful blogs. It’s really had to comprehend so long out there rowing, eating, sleeping and repeat every 2 hours! Incredible. I am soooo looking forward to seeing the final film of the trip and hope very much that you will come and talk at Kendal Mountain Festival next year! I would be very proud and humbled to present your talk/film or both! My connection with Laura may only be tenuous but my admiration knows no bounds.

  5. Jim Andrews says:

    Well done Meg, 84 hours on the oars, I think that promotes you to “qualified”. I sincerely hope cross doesn’t become angry though historically I’m afraid it doesn’t look good. Without delving too much into their private lives, I imagine the bums of your compatriots are now well tanned leather? No need to answer that! :) I hope the moon responds to the bribe and the sea and wind become a bit kinder. You are all doing fantastically well, keep up the incredible pace you are setting if possible and you will be in Cairns in no time. Stay safe. XX

  6. Barney says:

    Hmmm! Seasickness, big waves in total darkness, bum turning from cross to angry AND beef curry! It takes a very special person to take a turn at the blog writing under those conditions. If it is any consolation Meg, it all makes for very entertaining reading from our armchairs! Just dig deep and dream of Cairns!

  7. holly says:

    Meg – Sounds like you are acclimating just fine. It must be so tough being the newbie, but you sound like you have a great attitude and sense of humor and of course team mates who are so supportive. I would most definitely be afraid of the dark and the waves. I would need a case of Depends. God, you are all so courageous! I’m so, so proud of you and your team. You are nothing less than amazing!! Stay safe all of you. You are amazing. God bless you. Wishing you best rowing weather and a moon!

  8. Julia says:

    You Meg, and of course all of you girls are legends!!
    Love the sense of humour Meg and we may try to make the trip to Cairns to meet you :) xoxox

  9. Meg!
    Wow! Good luck to all of you on this great adventure. We will follow your success and progress. Harry and Chloe still remember the Nativity play at the Barnes’ that New Year! Love from the Startins

  10. Some of my friends would love to be informed about this stuff.
    Thanks for this.

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