The weather Gods start to shine down on us 19:21.313N 35:31.000W

Row Across The Pond
Richard Hoyland and Steve Coe
Sun 7 Feb 2010 20:54
Rich....
Today we've been given a big push forward by winds coming in from the North East that developed around 9:00 this morning as we came out from the nocturnal shift patterns. It's been a great morale boost as we are hitting previously unknown average speeds for the boat...the forecast is for this to last the week so it will be a welcome change to see the distance to Antigua slipping away. We're pushing to get to the other side as fast as our puny arms and legs can carry us.
As health spas go, this one is fairly punishing, but the weight I had previously smuggled around my midrift is starting to evaporate away with each oarstroke. The tan is coming along nicely..the major drawback is that I fear my hands will never come out of these claws that I have attached to my arms (the muscles have cramped up).
 
Another warm one today...once your shift is done you dive into the cabin and attempt to cool down...being a ginger it's even more important...I wasn't built for such conditions. My ancestors probably were more used to viking longboats in the waters around North Europe, rather than down at these co-ordinates. (Anders, I think you're right, it ,must be viking blood that has driven me to do this). With my full beard, I look the part as well ;-)
 
Big thanks to Cath for sacrificing two chickens to the weather gods ;-) It worked :-) If you could keep them happy for the next month or so?
Hi to Ron & Sylvia, thanks for the email..it is a real shame about the litter. See you all soon
Gabriel, we hope for the daily averages to start rising as a result of us being more used to the conditions, the boat being lighter, winds being more consistent? and a little bit of magic..hoping for a minm of 2knots averages if possible (48nm days). I want to be in Antigua for the 9th March at the very latest! Sorry to hear that it's still cold in Wilmslow...should be a shock to the system returning home. Great set of newspaper quotes...this one tickled me...
 
A young girl who was blown out to sea on a set of inflatable teeth was rescued by a man on an inflatable lobster. A coast guard spokesman commented, 'This sort of thing is all too common'.
(The Times)
 
 
Steve
About two o'clock this morning  i noticed for the first time, in this wildeness, something I had not seen before,,, During the last couple of days we have had a very high pressure system and the seas became very flat with no apparent swell, The seas being so flat allowed the horizon to be visible for 360 degrees and for a distance so far not experienced, maybe 20 miles or so.. When the sea has the usual rolling swell normally 2 or 3 metres, by and large you are either on top or beneath the height of each wave therefore can see relatively short distances.. (incidentally, the distance from the top of one wave to the other can be easily 500m apart) In the early part of the race, another crew could have been only half or 1 mile away but most of the time the waves would obscure any chance of seeing each other, During the night time when there 'is a swell' and no moonlight, your night vision enables you to focus on the waves all around,, Last night however, there were no waves, no moonlight either to determine any distance, simply the inky dark sky and the sea horizon were totally indistinguishable,,, and the net effect was my very own private planetarium..... The blend of the sea with the night sky gave a dome like appearance of 360 degree all around and all above and around were stars and stars and stars and more stars... quite a treat,, 
 
Later during the ealry morning,  on one side of this dome like theatre, a tiny dim light on the horizon became visible, Firstly, i thought it must be a ship, but its brightness seemed too dull and a little mysterious if not hauntuing. Gradually the light revealed itself to be the most laziest of moons possible as it gradually rose quietly above the horizon. Along with the shooting stars this completed the making of the most perfect of planetariums..   What made this happen on this night like no other was the flat calm seas merging perfeclty with the night sky,,,