2011 02 23 Clif bars don’t dry & The Trough by Angela

2011 02 23  Clif bars don’t dry & The Trough by Angela

Via Sat Phone to Deb

First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY TO STEVE!  The celebrations have started and I will update on those later today.  It did start with the traditional flares.  Angela said she took some great pics of Steve and Nigel with the flares.  She made Steve an apple brown Betty for breakfast and a HOT cup of coffee.  They have been using the solar boiler for heating water and it does not heat the water hot, only warm.  She pulled the stove out and heated water for Steve’s Birthday coffee.

There is plenty of food, but just not, what they are used to.  Now they are eating at the “Trough”.  Angela prefers “eating family style” but they keep correcting her.  The expedition meals are two or four servings.  They were eating their own packages, but now they are sharing these meals.  Angela makes them and passes them out to each watch, then they dip into the trough.  Angela tried to dry out Clif Bars to make into “cereal”, for 2 days Angela tried to get the Clif bar pieces to dry without success.  They have moved on to eating desert for breakfast.  Angela says they have lots of snack pack food, 75 foil packs of tuna. 250 drink mixes, 75 Emergen C packets and about 75 vitamin drink packets.  They have about 5 days worth of food and 3 days worth of emergency food.

Everyone is getting along well.  Angela put up her UN flag to fly on the boat to honor the spirit of cooperation.  She has flown that flag on every Ocean Rowing trip on which she has been.  The flag was presented to her by the UN for her first trip on RowofLife with Franck.  It represented two people from two different nations, two different languages, two different disabilities, two different lives, coming together to get one job done.

Everyone is excited that the winds are behind them again.  They were moving at 2.5 knots yesterday and today they are moving at 3.5-4knots.  Morale is excellent now that the boat is moving quickly and the end is in sight.  They have passed the 50-degree longitude line! The Port St Charles Marina is at Longitude 59 38’ 41.08”.  Tarfaya is at longitude 12 55’ 48”.  Therefore, they have travelled 38 longitude lines with 9 more to go.

Deb

2011 02 22 Audio Blog by Margaret

2011 02 22   Audio Blog by Margaret

Via www.margaretbowling.wordpress.com

Audio Blog by Margaret

Click above

2011 02 22 Newspaper Article About Louise

2011 02 22  Newspaper Article About Louise

Thanks to the Post and Courier in Charleston, SC for the great article from Feb 19, 2011

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/feb/19/graff-part-of-crew-crossing-atlantic/

2011 02 20 Charlie's Newpaper Article

20ll 02 20 Charlie's Newspaper Article

via email from Kevin Parkinson

2011 02 19 Liz’s Birthday Bash by Angela

2011 02 19 Liz’s Birthday Bash by Angela

Via Sat Phone to Deb

Angela wanted to let people know that Liz was honored with a Birthday Celebration.  It started at midnight with an ocean rowing tradition, lighting a flare and singing happy birthday.  They made her a “cake” out of mini snickers bars.  In the morning, whilst all the crew was eating the same cereal they have been eating for 35days, Liz received an Apple Brown Betty for breakfast.  Later the crew gave her a no bake cookie and gifts from their snack packs…precious at this point in the row.  Aleksa made Lei out of trash-strung carefully and gave it to Liz.

Her meal was gourmet and served on a real plate.  Liz was excited to eat with a fork from a real plate, instead of the bag with a spoon.  Angela said she took care and carefully separated out potatoes and vegetables on the plate.  She plated the chicken and drizzled gravy on the potatoes and chicken.

I told Angela to tell Liz that I sent some of her messages after “Meal and Message” time, so she should not feel forgotten.  Angela said she would get them tomorrow.

As for the boat….They are moving a bit slower, due to the change of weather.  Angela says everything else is pretty much the same.   Rowing, Sleeping, Eating less, Rowing…….  Barbados is just over the horizon.

2011 02 15 Food Inventory by Angela

2011 02 15  Food Inventory by Angela

Via Sat Phone to Deb

Angela inventoried the food on board Big Blue.  They have about 2 weeks left to go.  She says they have plenty of breakfast for the remainder of the trip, 225 main meals, about 50 packets of chicken, tuna and salmon, and 93 deserts.  Everyone has snack packs ranging from 13 to 21 per person left.  She assures me they have plenty of food.  They are eating a breakfast, a main meal and a snack pack a day until the end of the trip.

Families are working on travel arrangements to Barbados.  Excitement is in the air as the journey’s end is in sight!

2011 02 13 Audio Blog By Margaret

2011 02 13  Audio Blog By Margaret

Via margaretbowling.wordpress.com

http://margaretbowling.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/audio-post-9/

2011 02 13 Sylvain Mini Blog

2011 02 13 Sylvain Mini Blog

Via Suzanne on Facebook

telephone call from Sylvain 2 days ago (thanks Angela aka MacGyver for creating an external charger for the sat phone!)...some rowers dealing with injuries (to be expected after such arduous conditions and SO much rowing), waves still gigantic, flooding the hatches and waterlogging some of the...

2011 02 11-½ way mark, Leaky Hatches, Sat Phone Charging by Angela

2011 02 11-½ way mark, Leaky Hatches, Sat Phone Charging by Angela

Via Sat Phone to Deb

Big Blue is half way to Barbados.  They are continuing to move at a great pace, covering nearly 90 miles each day.  At this rate, they should be in Barbados by March 1^st.

Angela has successfully built an external charger for her Satellite phone batteries.  The Iridium FAQ guys were instrumental in the success.  They were able to send me info on the batteries and the phone so Angela could build a charger that works.  They tried stuff out at their shop.  They took pictures of the set up and drawings of the battery with a key to the connectors.  Their mock up called for wires to be taped to the connectors at the bottom of the phone.  It worked but the taped wire became separated from the connectors because of the constant movement of the boat.  Angela was able to make a charger the battery was able to slide into and make connection with the contacts.  She will keep them on the charger for 2 hours then take them off after her rowing shift.  This means starting tomorrow, I can begin sending the 160 character messages from family, friends and the Guestbook to the boat again.

The deck hatches have been leaking.  Steve has made gaskets/seals for the hatches out of Ziploc bags.  He also has been pumping the water out of the deck hatches.  They have one trash hatch, but it is getting full.  Angela says that hatch is very smelly.  They don’t throw anything overboard on purpose, as they want to be kind to the ocean.  That being said, people continue to lose things overboard because some of the crew have difficulty remembering to tether things to the boat.  Luckily, the crew is remembering to clip themselves to the boat.  The Dakine coiled paddleboard leashes are working great when the seas are calm.

Deb

2011 02 10—Angela Reports In

2011 02 10—Angela Reports In

Via Sat Phone to Deb

Today’s fun on the boat….African Day.  Louise gave Angela something (ya know, you don’t always get clear details on the Sat Phone) and Angela made a hat that looked tribal.  She matched that up with her tech towel and paraded around the boat.  Not to be outdone, Ryan decided that he would participate in African Day by parading around in a loincloth.  Hum….I guess after being out on the ocean for 25 days they are starved for entertainment.  The other entertainment people have engaged in is writing on the boat with markers and now Big Blue looks like a graffiti canvas.

Angela says everyone has about 20 days of snack packs left and feels they will have plenty of food to make it to Barbados.  Angela has worked on the solar water boiler and has gotten it to work again.  Apparently, a blockage was not letting the full amount of water release from the boiler.  Angela was able to clear the blockage and fix the pump and it is providing water for rehydrating meals.  The solar water boiler allows them to heat water without using the precious little stove fuel they have left.  She has also built a solar oven out of a dry bag, and an emergency blanket.  This allows her to keep the meals warm whilst waiting for the other meals to cook.  The solar boiler only makes enough water to rehydrate two meals at a time.  Angela’s other project is the external Sat Phone battery charger which is still in progress.  I am working with Iridium to get diagrams of their products give to Angela.  We are getting close and hopefully we will be able to resume sending messages to the boat.

They have had some huge waves hitting the boat from the back.  At one point Big Blue was rolling along at 13 knots.  There is some water in the cabin, but heck…13knots, isn’t it worth it.  She expects the winds to change to easterlies, which will push the boat straight west.  Currently they are moving southwest.  They are looking forward to the easterlies and getting to Barbados.  Aleksa tried to give me her drink order, but couldn’t hear it due to the Sat phone.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it……

Angela says people are doing well for the most part.  There is humor and camaraderie on the boat.  All of them are ready to be sipping cocktails in Barbados.

Big Blue should hit the half way point tomorrow……..ETA estimate 3/1 /11(averaging 85 mile/day)-3/10/11 (averaging 60 miles/day).

Deb

2011 02 08 New Audio Post by Margaret

Audio Blog by Margaret from 2011 02 08

I thought I had been checking Margaret's Blog everyday, but apparently not since this is two days old now.  Sorry folks.

2011 02 08 Flying Fish Smell Bad! by Aleksa

2011 02 08 Flying Fish Smell Bad! by Aleksa

Via Tomas on Facebook

Brother Report: Aleksa would like you guys to know that "Flying fish smell bad. Even more so when a big one comes at you in the night and lands in your face! Faaaail."

2011 02 04 Big Blue Takes Off by Margaret

2011 02 04  Big Blue Takes Off by Margaret

From www.margaretbowling.wordpress.com

Big Blue is now covering around 100 miles a day and the weather forecast for the next week is very favourable with 20 – 25 knot winds and waves from the North East. You can leave messages for the crew at the Big Blue Guestbook at http://www.bigbluerow.com/Guestbook.php