Hello from 35 degress west
Red Arrow
Rich Hume & Tom Barnes
Sat 6 Feb 2010 13:39
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Hello everybody.
When you get an email like this:
Howzit your brave rough and ready
ocean oaks reading your blog is like sooo
interesting. You guys are so specific and I have such a good imangination. Want to say I salute you…..you are absobladilootlyfantasic. You reward is on the horizon…go get it….victory is only but a wave, a wave, a wave….away. Its one hellofa thing that you chaps are doing and I am still amazed at the courage and bravery that this challenge has demanded. Just to leave you with the thought for today. LIVE WELL, LOVE MUCH AND LAUGH OFTEN & of course keep rowing along until you hear the song…..WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD….cause that is what you are. Well done……..stay strong, stay brave, stay focused and never loose your sense of humour…….its the final fix to get you home……love and hugs from Tess in good ole East London, south africa. Its hard not to get inspired. We have had so much
support form all over the world it is quite amazing. As far as new zealand, USA,
South africa, all over really and most of them we dont even know! Thank you so
so much. Please keep them coming, they mean alot and keep us....well me, on the
right side of sanity!
So its a scorcher today but still not sunburnt,
somehow. I bet i will get to regret saying that by tomorrow. But we are making
great progress and have moved up a few postions over night and as far as i can
see are way above the average for distance travelled over the last 24 hours or
so. And we are trying but we are in a routine which is nice. The seas are calm
and the boat is moving well. BUT, most improtantly, WE SAW A BOAT!!! Again at
nighttime so i didnt actually see it, more just the lights, but it was strangley
exciting.
When this challenge first came about and took shape
i obviously read all the books out there, not just because they had pictures but
also most have big writing as well! However, ben fogle talks about the
cluster of stars that form a huge question mark. Now i did see this a few weeks
ago, but i needed to confrim it. It seems to come and go but last night on a
still and clear night, it was there all night. Are we gonna make it, what can
and will go wroing between now and the finish.....who knows, but we are gonna
give it our best shot, thats for sure. It was amaxing to see.
I managed to have a good wash as well yesturday,
did some washing of cloths as well. Head and shoulders sampoo all the way and it
made you realise just how much salt is around. My legs were unrecognisable
afterwards and i have been making a big effort to stay clean. The greatest thing
is you feel great afterwards. Well, some of us do. Those who know tom know that
he is very specific in his cleaning habits and as i was rowing i could hear him
washing each and every part of his body. I have to say, he spelt pretty good and
looked fresh. I think it took him about 45 minutes in all. He then proceeded to
come past me holding onto the boat and more crutially some of his cloths, not a
good idea. A wave came and he swayed left, then right, left again and as he
moved right for the final time he grabed hold of the oar.....except he missed!
With a little jump to get clear he entered the vast water space that is the
atlantic. The atlantic, that is, that is salty and cold, not the place to be
once your clean. I naturally put the oars down, stood up and went to help. Once
i saw he had caught up with the boat (amazing how fast thew current is!) i
laughed, oh i laughed. Infact it made the whole night go really very
fast!!!
So, thats about it. It wont be a regular thing
copying in emails but this one i wanted to share.
Have a great weekend.
richie
ps. sorry greg, totally
forgot!!!
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