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 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 01 29 Blog From Steve via Sat phone to Janet

January 29th Update from Big Blue

Steve Roedde called home and asked me to post a blog to update all of you on Big Blue. Transmission by sat. phones are challenging and I could hear the wind that they were dealing with over the line.  They've not had any favourable weather thus far and this is impeding their progress. At this point they were expecting to experience the trade windsto help propel them forward, but so far no such luck. Today they are in 15 (or 50) knot winds, mainly headwinds. However, although not what they expected, the crew is for the most part remaining positive, great friendships are being forged, no significant physical problems.  The boat is comfortable and roomy, except when they are on sea anchor and all have to fit into the cabin. They are still planning to continue to the Barbados.