NEARLY THERE
Red Arrow
Rich Hume & Tom Barnes
Wed 17 Mar 2010 09:39
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WOW, I just logged on to send this blog and got a
whole heap of messages that hannah has been forwarding on throughtout this trip.
Im stunned and very humbled that so many of you have taken the time to write to
me whilst im out here. Thank you.
Im desperite to tell you we can see land, but we
cant, not just yet. Were 27.6miles from land and we will be there by this
evening, and i for one, cant wait. When i row, there just isnt any more power to
give, we have given it our all and finally we ARE gonna hit the finish. When we
do, i ll raise a beer for you guys, say a thank you and thank my lucky stars
that i know you all and that you are so supportive of what i try and achieve.
Your all inspirational to me in all your great unique ways.
One particualr email wasfrom my good friend jos,
who's son i am godfather to. He just beginning to talk and is now at the
atlantic edge in Ireland doing a rain dance for me. I wish i could see it!!! I
have his photo taped to the side of the boat and see it each and every night. He
really is gonna be star!!!! Thats why i do this stuff!
Can you tell i wrote the above just now and the
below last night?? I hope you will forgive me!!!
So, this really is my last blog, i dont really know
what to say. Our shift system of 2 hours together, then an hour each so you get
one hour off is hard but working and although we arent too sure, we are guessing
we are ahead of Dream Maker at the moment. But more to the point, to us bloggers
and you readers, I hope you have enjoyed the journey. I have tried to tell you
about it as it is when i write the blog. I hope you haver managed to understand
the frustrations of para-anchor and the joy of terry. Its been a total
rollercoster for me but its something im very proud about, having set out to
have done and by the looks of it, having acheived, but its not over till we
cross that finish line.
There are numerous thankyou's i should be saying,
but as there are too many to say, im not gonna pick anybody out spiecificly. I
want to thank you guys and girls in person. All your emails, texts and general
support has been amazing. We have covered every continent around the world,
easly, and seem to have touched many people. Its been one hell of a ride.
And of course we have made friends. Terry the tuna
(who by the way, is still with us!), willy and wilma the whales, terrance the
turtle (who could easly have been a plastic bag!) and more recently, berttie the
bird (who again, two nights ago decided to poo all over the solar panels), and
of course the dolpins. But there are two others who havent had a mention.
NEMO and NEMA, two little fishes that have been stuck to our hull since day one.
They smell what we chuck over and give us room when we are in the water. I hope
they enjoy antigua.
But i want to conclude by saying a thank you to
tom. There have been a few times i have wanted to chuck him over board but by
all accounts, he's been great. Hes seen every side of me, with and without
cloths, he seen me laugh and cry and we have shared a journey that neither of us
will ever forget. Its been hard but if i let him clean, he's happy.....i can
live with that! One of the great things is, that if we never speak again, just a
glance, a smell, or a music song, is all that it will take to bring back the
memories. I for one, will never forget.
Please remember we are raising money for charity,
if you can, and i have been told to gentely put it to you......visit
http://www.justgiving.co.uk/rowingtheatlantic so there you go. As ive said before, i hope you have enjoyed our
blogs, no doubt different styles but hopefully equally entertaining. We will do
one more each once on land and tell you how we are adapting. But,
untill then, there is only one thing to say:
This is red arrow, a small ocean rowing
boat.....do you copy........? This is red arrow, a small ocean rowing boat....do
you copy.......? This is red arrow, a small ocean rowing boat, we are straight
ahead of you, do you see us? This is red arrow, a small ocean rowing boat,
please let us get to antigua...........out!
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