Anchors...not away! 19:52.569N 31:19.448W

Row Across The Pond
Richard Hoyland and Steve Coe
Sat 30 Jan 2010 14:44
Richard muses...
 
Still on the para-anchor today, and will probably be on it until later Monday/Tuesday according to the new weather text from Woodvale. We suspected that at some stage the challenge of life on the anchor would become a reality, but I think the length of this period on inactivity is a blow. The seas are also of a reasonable size so as to make the boat a little rocky as the para-anchor pulls the boat into the wind constantly. For me personally, I have dropped into a strange subdued mindset...very little activity in my head ;-) No point in being frustrated at the seas/winds/nature...it won't change anything...the big frustration is the delay to getting home to support Lou (who continues to be father and mother to the family), to restart work (this can't be an endless journey, you guys at Bupa have been very patient).
 
Tried fishing today...as apparently one of the other teams has caught nine fish and is even starting to manufacture their own dried fish-jerky! This news was imparted by the support boat Ocean Planet who came round last night to check that we were ok on the anchor and had sufficient food/water to keep us going. Was great to talk to some more human beings as it's been a while since our last contact.
Anyway...to get back to the fishing...still no luck :-( must keep trying
 
Special message to Jake, hope you are doing well, we're going to find a shark out here and name him after you :-) Watch this space 
 
steve
the woodvale web site gave a very poingent description of life on the anchor, life in the confines of a very small space where shelter from the heat of the day is impossible or escaping the claustrophobia of night time with little air passing throught the cabin.. this is part of the challenge we were anticipating to have experience but 5/6 days in one hit seems a little unfair.. but gotta go with what we are being dealt, there are no options, so in that vain there is no room for decisions to put us into a worse situation,, we just have to ride this one out.. I must add, it is not just ocean rowing boats that would be affected by such weather, Many, all but the larger ships, may have to take evasive action and heave to, that is to place the bow of the boat into the wind.  The Para anchor we are using is much like a parachute  12 feet diameter and simply is launched off the bow of the boat attached to a line of approx 80m length... the parachute inflates just below the water line and hold the boats head in to the wind and waves,, the drift of the boat,instead of several knots in a strong wind will anchor us with a negative drift of approx .5 of one knot.. better deal.. however the boat movement is less comfortable as the bow is snatching up in to the wind,, Interestingly enough the para anchor and drogue systems, are now pretty standard peices of kit in the armoury against gales and storm for smaller vessels, including trawlers...
Much of the technology and equipment  used today was born out from the experiences of the 1978 Fastnet yacht race and the sydney Hobart Yatch Race..
Have No Fear, the boats are happily riding out the storm all day and night, its just us passengers that moan about it....