Spice it up.
Row Across The Pond
Richard Hoyland and Steve Coe
Fri 1 Jan 2010 11:47
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We're all bricking it now that we have a certain
chance of leaving, albeit a few days after the second pre set date of the 29th
Dec..... You may well think that we have had enough time for preparartion, but
the reality is far different from the theoretical. So, in
amongst excitement there is also apprehension. Just to keep you up to speed
as much as we are, the race start has now been set for the 4th of Jan. The
crew of the 12 man boat looking to set the Atlantic crossing record have also
arrived in town and this indirectly gives us all hope for the weather window we
need.
Just a little background info.
The wind and waves have a seriously detrimental or
advantages effect on little self propelled craft (most measuring not much more
than 23' in length). The detrimental effect of even a 12 or so knot wind on the
head of the boat is likely to stop us dead in our tracks. (Anything much greater
and we start to go backwards, so would look at deploying para anchors so as to
hold water). Conversly, a tail wind will push us along nicely. Just
as a point of information, the wave direction NORMALLY tracks in the same
direction as the wind...unfortunately, this is not happening quite as quick as
we would like and we will be rowing the boats through a 3m wave height on our
starboard side, not so comfortable...but hey, nobody said is was going to
be easy..
The weather systems that have run by here over the
last few weeks have been the worst for 75 years...well thats what i'm
told!!!!
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