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Update: the south coast was always going to be a tough first 5/6 days. Against the prevailing wind, the bulk of the challenging waters around Isle of weight, Portland Bill and the lizard and also breaking the body into the physicality of this challenge. Arriving at Lands End on Friday midday, I was very glad to have a good excuse to weigh anchor and rest up. I was pretty tired, along with the rest of the crew. We’d worked hard to get to there.
Looking at the weather we knew we couldn’t round Lands End with the weather coming down the Irish Sea, so we set about repairs, adaptions, and most importantly, recovery. We didn’t need three days but that is what the weather dictated. One of the most important tasks we did was to analysis how we swapped rowers in heavy seas safely, a critical process for the next few days.
Finally back underway at midday on Monday we set out into heavy seas, but with a crew and boat that felt ready to take on the last 24hr of the storm. It was a tough 24hrs, with heaving seas which saw the boat disappear into troughs and perch precariously on peaks, something we didn’t see in the channel.
What was amazing is starting to see the wildlife change. The channel was relatively barren, as the Celtic sea nurtured a variety of birds who seemed to challenge them selves by flying as close to the heaving water as they could, wind tips skimming the angry seas.
Through the night the seas have calmed, and today (Tuesday) we find ourselves rowing over gentle seas, 360° of gentle seas. Sitting on water like this we can stop flighting the waves and optimise going forward, this has a great impact on boat speed, going from 2knot through the water more like 4. Happy days!
Our target is to reach the next gate way of South Wales to Island by midnight and up into the Irish Sea and on the western isles for Friday. There is going to be some spectacular scenery there and a great carrot to chase!
Onwards!

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