Day Sixty of Indian Ocean Row

There have been many times during this challenge where it has felt like we are enduring as oppose to enjoying: the last few days have seen that change. Prior to that we seemed to have been living in our wet weather gear constantly and we’ve been going into the cabins soaking wet after a session on the oars. Salt water intensifies the pain on our sores, our water-sodden jackets dry in the heat of the cabin making our sleeping, eating and socialising space feel like a tropical rainforest – complete with dripping walls and constantly damp clothing. In the last few days, however, we have seen a huge turn in the weather; the sun has come out and the wind is behind us at low speed. This means for a few days we have been rowing in just shorts and t-shirts and it’s amazing. It’s also meant we can have the cabin hatches open, letting in the breeze – dry out the inside and provide us with some form of respite from the high temperatures on deck. Everybody is happy about this as we never thought we’d feel the sun on our skin again.

Conditions have also meant a small increase in speed so miles are ticking away and Mauritius is like a real place rather than something we just keep talking about.

Today is Monday, which means we’ll get our weekly long range weather forecast this afternoon. This week is something we are all very, very keen to hear. If the weather gods are smiling on us and the forecast is good we should be on dry land in less than two weeks. If it’s not good it could realistically add another week onto the crossing. As much as we love being out here right now, none of us want that. We are already over a month behind schedule due to delays in Australia and weather conditions out on the water. And our real lives are just ticking idly by and we need to get back to work and families. Please keep your fingers crossed.

We are also changing shifts again tomorrow, exciting part about that is that it will be the second and last round of changes. By the time we had all taken turns to row with each other, we will definitely be in Mauritius whatever the weather forecast. That means that wind down really has begun, we will soon been kicking off the last of the trip – soon it will be the last Monday, Tuesday, the last 500 miles, the last trip of Barry, Robin,Billy and James which means exciting times ahead.

About the author

Billy

Billy, 45, is a fire fighter and lives in Bracklesham Bay on the South Coast. Billy sailed from Australia to England aged 17, delivered yachts all over the Mediterranean for many years and has sailed across the Indian Ocean twice. He has rowed across the Pacific Ocean with Barry Hayes and two other crew members and achieved two world records. He has run ultra-marathons and was also a consultant for a record-breaking ocean row across the Black Sea. In his spare time, Billy likes nothing more than romantic walks on windswept moors, needlepoint and curling up with a good Julie Cooper novel.

Robin on the Radio live from Mauritius 18/09/2018
October 6, 2018