Day 53 - June Captain’s Log

June 30, 2009 – 3:56 pm

As it’s the end of June today, Mick takes over the reins of the blog writing for a day in his month’s end Captain’s log.

For somewhere that has already proved how changable it can be the weather in the North Pacific has been somewhat more stable in the last few days allowing us to get into a rhythm of rowing interchanged with rest. We’re ticking off the miles with a ruthless efficiency and look forward to more of the same in July. Only one additional comment from me is good luck to all the Molesey crews and the Hampton School 1st 8 racing at Henley Royal Regatta over the next week.

Captain’s Log - June

Welcome to the second 25% of the ”Mick Blog”. Hope we’ve kept you entertained as we’ve careered through June:

June has and, as I write this, continues to be a tough but good month. Not least now I find myself a year older, as if things weren’t hard enough already.. Thanks for all the good wishes by the way, presents or cash would have been better but each to their own.

I’m writing this section on the 23rd and we’re currently changing course to head south of the mountain range ahead of us (Honest a mountain range) and in search of lighter winds to make some east in the coming days when we’re forecast to be headed. To cap it all the incredibly helpful current has cropped up but in the wrong direction this time so we’ve got to try to extricate ourselves from that as we progress. You and I will know the result of this by the time this is up live, fingers crossed it’ll be positive and mean miles gained east.

The mountain ranges ahead of us, and that’s what they are, underwater mountain ranges, produce ‘peaks’ or ‘Sea Mounts’. These are basically where the top of mountains come close to the surface of the ocean. (Not another attempt by Chris to straddle me in the cabin mid storm as documented earlier in the voyage). Some of the ‘mounts’ in this area are as close as 11mtrs below the surface; you can imagine the kind of sea this would generate with any kind of wind/wave action above it mid ocean, so a real navigational hazard for us to consider.

Just to update you a little later in the month (It’s now the 26th of June).
We safely negotiated our way between two sets of the offending sea mounts, first skirting below the Northerly, 11 mtr mount then with the aid of a fairly helpful stretch of current and some tactical rowing bouts North (Above) of the Southerly, 11 mtr mount (Like a really slow game of pin ball). To cap it all in the gap in between we managed to fit in a nice Force 8 gale to keep us amused. Now as I write this we are just on the Northern tip of the southern ‘mount’ skipping by a couple of miles clear of the shallows.. (Nothing like cutting it fine then?). We’re looking forward to finally waving goodbye to this tricky stretch of the trip in the next couple of hours.

The rest of the month so far has gone well, hard earned miles rowed east and some miles gained on the sea anchor in the remainder of the ‘K’ current have meant we’ve made steady progress. This section, the Western side of the North Pacific, was always going to be where the hard miles were going to be (Like there are any easy ones out here.) and the delays suffered, so no surprises, in fact I think we’ve been very fortunate with the weather. (The last time I was out here I’d already had 9 straight days on the sea anchor steadily going backwards, without the help of any friendly current, to contend with at this stage). I had predicted we could reach the ‘International date line’ by the 4th of July at the beginning of the trip and even as we prepare for a couple of poor days now on the sea anchor I don’t think, if we get a little help from the wind gods, we’ll be far off that target.

Flapjack

June will probably be best remembered by Chris and I as the ‘Sea Mount month’ and as a cold wet one, as we seem to have had more than our fair share of rain and cold winds. You can tell Wimbledon’s just ’round the corner. On one of the particularly cold wet nights a watch change led to a sudden torrential downpour, linked with my scampering into the cabin and Chris taking his place at the oars. This downpour was then followed by a wave sweeping across the rowing deck soaking the already bedraggled Chris. In an effort to cheer himself up and possibly stop my laughing Chris asked me to throw him a ‘Flapjack’ bar. This I did and Chris nimbly knocked it straight into the upturned ‘Poo’ bucket (what do they say about things coming in threes?’). Gamely Chris retrieved the bar and proceeded to eat it. I know you’re all probably aware of this event, one thing you wont know though, whilst eating it Chris called to me and said, ‘One good thing mate, at least it’s a Chocolate Chip.’… I didn’t have the heart to tell him the one I threw was apricot…

Fog

Thought we’d gotten away with most of the fog issues that come with June by being further south but in the last days of the month it’s cropped up to say hi. With days that have rapidly become red hot with patchy fog followed by nights that have become solid fog with patchy night it’s been an interesting closure to the month. Personally I can say some of the watches have become real tests of endurance and that’s not just the music CD’s I’ve brought.

Even the younger (bit), fitter, heavily bearded Chris/Brian would agree with me on this I think, the Pacific is taking its admission price from us at the moment and it’s not a cheap ticket.

The fog of course brings its’ own special problems, especially as we’re now near shipping routes again and to cap it all our sound signal horn gave up the ghost a few days outside of Choshi. I think it took one look at the North Pacific and decided it’d rather have a job in a clowns nose or a whoopee cushion than kick around with us for four of five months.

A radar alarm signal, (Sea Me) pinging increasingly rapidly, at night in fog, with visibility no further than the length of your oar can be a worrying thing. Within 30 minutes of the first batch of fog dropping we had exactly that. Found ourselves with a fishing boat changing position nearby coming close enough that I could hear, shortly into my watch, it’s distinctive diesel engine murmuring through the fog. It was loud enough to be heard over the complaining bearings of our rowing seat and stero combined so pretty close. I took the reluctant decision to shout Chris back on deck (Stealing any of your crew mates down time at the moment is a difficult call with our present work load). Better to have two sets of Mk 1 eyeballs and ears tracking our neighbor than one though and better for Chris, or me in a similar situation, to get an early shake than a shake from the bow of a Chinese fishing boat a little later.

I’ve no doubt the fishing boat had us nicely displayed on it’s radar the whole time, the skipper was giving us a wide enough gap (To his thinking) and there was never any real threat of a collision, however on the deck of ‘Bo’ better safe than sorry is the standard procedure and we always have to assume the worst case scenario in such situations. Can’t wait for the busy shipping routes and fog off the Californian coast.. Although I guess the engine of a forty four thousand ton container ship may be heard a little sooner, although at 30 knots they’ll probably turn up a bit quicker too.

Nobby

Also it was the month we got our first proper encounter with a ‘Nobby’ (’Nobby Clarke’ Shark’). I’m sure Chris clued you up on this ‘visit’ in his daily blog. When we were busy cleaning the bottom of Bo and filming in the water I noticed what I thought (hoped) was a seal swimming just below us about 15 or 20 feet away. On closer inspection it was apparent it wasn’t a seal but looked like a very large fish (About this time the shark alarm in my head started ringing as it does for all English men in anything more than four feet of water). It was difficult to be certain as the water was a little rough and we were bouncing around a bit ’round the hull of ‘Bo’. However in the tradition of better safe than sorry I swam over to Chris and gave him the good news with the suggestion that exit ‘up’ might be sensible. Chris actually took a little persuading to get out as he’d only just got in after setting up the predator filming unit, although when he later discovered the shot of the shark on film I think he reviewed that course of action. I was also very relieved as I’d never lived it down if I’d called ‘leg it’ from nothing more than a curious Dorado.

Chris said to me afterwards, ‘Do you think you could get back to the boat faster than a shark if you had to?’ I pointed out to him, ‘I don’t have to get back to the boat faster than the shark… Just faster than you..’

Of course this is an occupational hazard out here and something we have to expect and guard against. We’ve both had experiences with sharks before and certainly found that they do, at least the reasonably sized ones (I consider six feet to be reasonably sized in a shark, to be honest I think that’s a fair sized horse..), tend to have a good look before getting too close so you usually get some warning of their presence.

Orca Filming

One predator that didn’t ever give any warning the last time I was out here was the pod of killer Whales that by this stage of the trip had kind of adopted me. About 8 in number two adults and a group of adolescence the smallest almost as big as my boat, this family of Apex predators with no equal in the ocean would on a number of occasions suddenly appear within yards of the boat, huge dorsal fins emerging, the youngest ones with the habit of charging at the boat like over eager puppies… Or torpedoes, depending on if you’re a half full or half empty kind of guy. I had, and to my eternal regret subsequently lost amazing footage of these encounters and to a large extent that footage loss is one of the main reasons I’ve returned to the North Pacific with Chris.

Once set upon a return I was also keen to find out if jumping in with these creatures might be a filming option if the opportunity arose again on this trip. ‘Jess Churchill’ from Coast world in Torquay (She’s a marine biologist) answered my question for me. She said that killer whales although the same species all over the world eat either shoal fish or they eat mammals; Seals, Penguins and other Whales.

‘So how’, I asked her do I find out which any particular group eats? She looked at me a little bemused and said, ‘Well I suppose you could get in.’

That’ll be a camera on a pole job then.. Unless of course we’re cleaning the bottom again when they arrive.

Stormy Days?

	Chris and Neil (Neil is standing)

One question that seems to have come up a few times since we’ve been at sea is if we have fallen out yet? As it happens the answer is no, probably because were both far too tired to waste that kind of energy on a disagreement, plus it’s pretty hard to have an argument with someone you see every two hours (going to or coming from the seat of pain), looking just as shattered as you feel.

In fact the nearest to a fit of temper was in Tokyo and that wasn’t from either Chris or me, that was our intrepid sponsor and support team member Neil Kent. Neil was at the ticket office in Tokyo station handing the cash over for the three tickets to Choshi when the young girl behind the counter said, ‘You’re a little short.’ Neil bridled at this and replied rather sharply, ‘And you’re very chubby, now give me my tickets and I’ll be on my way…’ Before storming off. Apparently it was a sore point as something similar had ruined a day out at Alton Towers.

Ocean Met

There’s also been a number of comments about the erratic nature of the departure route we took from Japan, although as you’ll no doubt be pleased to see that route has now become more consistently Easterly (With the occasional dog leg of course). The reason for that initial route wasn’t, as has been suggested, to shake off the Japanese police who wanted to interview us in connection with offences against Karaoke. It was because, as I explained in the last installment, we needed to access the Kuroshiro current.

Key to the pursuit of that current was our weather guru, Lee Bruce at Ocean Met. I’ve been lucky enough to work with Lee on a couple of occasions before (Although he may describe it otherwise) and over the years he’s provided weather information for my brothers North Atlantic team the Vivaldi four man boat (Steve, George, Nige and Rob) , Mark Stubbs’s team the year before that and several other rowers over the years. So he obviously has a sense of humour.

Lee’s information has proved invaluable so far, giving us the confidence to head out just behind the typhoon from Choshi when everyone was suggesting waiting for the good weather and loosing another precious day. It’s consistently allowed us to plan in advance for the regular strong winds and gales that have accompanied us on our voyage so far and of course to help pin the tail on the donkey that was the Kurishiro current as best we could. Despite how it might appear on the chart, the “K” current helped enormously in exiting the Japanese mainland and the first crucial section of the trip, although it did seem like pulling teeth at some points.

I’ve not actually met Lee yet but I did catch sight of him in his role as weather coordinator for the Team Phillips (Pete Goss) sailing documentary a few years ago. I know Lee is an avid watcher of Crime Watch UK reruns, so there’s every chance we’ll recognize one another when we finally meet (Especially if it’s in a building society.). Either way his sterling efforts and considerable expertise are helping us towards that San Fran’ finish we’re all working for when we can all finally have a long over due beer.

Blue

As you are probably aware from the website we are working with the Blue Project, www.theblueproject.org, whilst on this trip as one of their ambassadors. ‘Blue’ are actively promoting awareness of the worlds’ oceans and that fits in well with our aims as one of the things we’re trying to highlight is waste and debris needlessly discarded into the water. To that end we are religiously packing all our waste packaging from food and stores for disposal when we get shore side.

	Discarded Mannequin
	Mannequin In The Cabin

We’re also logging notable waste and debris items that we come across on route. The most notable of these to date, bizarrely, is a life size mannequin, modeling diving equipment.

Obviously swept away on a spring tide gale from the shop front of a sea side fishing resort, this apparently water logged item, as it was vertical in the water (See picture), came drifting by clothed in it’s array of dive equipment. It was even still sporting its’ jaunty wave to entice would be Cousteau’s into its’ former home.. I called to Chris, who was laughing manically for some reason behind me, to give me a hand to reclaim this strange find and he instantly halted sifting through the food packages and hurling the Beef Bolognasties overboard to come to my aid.

Once on board we immediately removed and recycled the dive equipment and then were left with the thorny issue of where to store such a bulky item. As a purely temporary measure we’ve put the old fella into the cabin for now, which he’s slightly too long for (see in the picture below).

Now we’re appealing for a new home for him when we get alongside. Although to be honest I might keep him as I need somewhere to park my bike when I get back to England.

Para (Sea) Anchor Days

As the days have grown into weeks and now the weeks into months, one of the main things we’ve had to deal with is passing the time on the Para (sea) anchor when we’ve been forced to employ it to halt being blown backwards. One novel idea was to create a song for the trip to the music of a popular chart topper.

We almost settled on the old Randy Newman (we think) Classic, ‘do you like Pina colada. Changing the words from:

“If you like Pinua Colada, getting caught in the rain,” to:

‘If you hate Beef Bolognastie, is your bum all aflame,’

Followed by:

“If you’re not into yoga but you do like champagne,” changed to

‘If you’re too stiff for yoga but can still guzzle champagne.’

Our main stumbling block came with the next verse…

‘If you like making love at midnight..’

You see that’s already our least favourite watch…

Medical Update: The ‘Blessed’ Fever

Chris Martin, Day 53

Sad to report that, with increased beard growth, the startling metamorphis continues: The only evidence of Chris Martin on the boat these days is: A working power system, very impressive rowing returns from the port watch and an array of underpants strewn throughout the vessel in various stages of decay.

Otherwise the Brian Blessed transformation is almost complete I fear.

It has got to the stage that between watches Chris/Brian now sits on an imaginary shooting stick on deck stroking his lengthening beard reciting Shakespeare and some lines from a cameo appearance on Poiriot in the 90’s. Namely: ‘AHH POIROIT!’ and ‘THERE YOU ARE!’ and thrillingly, ‘AHH POIROIT! THERE YOU ARE!’

He insists his only desire now when we finally make landfall is, ‘To get a part in the Merchant of Venice!’ Also equally alarmingly he keeps saying he’d really like to show me his ‘Othello’, apparently people have remarked upon it…..

Stand by for further ‘Blessed’ updates in August.

Charitable Event

Quick one for everyone following the trip, although we’re doing this principally as a vehicle to earn money to build luxury holiday homes in Florida each, there is a charitable aspect to this project too.

Hamilton Lodge School for the deaf in Brighton and I have had a connection over many years and I’m pleased this has continued now in our double handed row. It is an amazing organization with great teachers doing great work for some incredible students. (I highly recommend getting hold of a Christmas panto ticket if you’re in the area near the end of the year they’re a blast). Helen Pulham our contact and one of the teachers there has now become an old friend over the years and I’m sure she’s as anxious for Chris and I to finally put this row to bed as we are.

Likewise in Lagos, having worked there for that past three years, I was brought into contact, through charity work done by my former Bosses daughter, with ‘Hearts of Gold Hospice’. Theresa, the founder there runs a tighter ship than I’ve ever been on but one fueled with incredible dedication and love from her and her staff. In quite frankly incredible conditions Theresa and her team do the most amazing job rescuing abandoned children and giving them a home and more importantly some hope for the future. Their only source of income to keep this wonderful organization going is through charitable donations.

Any donations for ‘sponsored miles‘ will go to these two organizations upon our completion, as will money directly paid to the project and titled ‘charity’ . Of course if you title any donation to ‘Mick and Chris Luxury Home Account,’ we will happily channel that money accordingly. But of course then you will be as shallow as we are… Give it a look they’re really both incredibly worthy recipients of any support you care to offer.

Big thanks to Class five for the terrific effort on the cake sale, rest assured the money raised will be going to two very worthy causes.

Homework for Class 5: Which is the biggest type of Dolphin in the worlds’ oceans and can you find us 10 interesting facts about them?

Replies to Posts

Pete Jones: Don’t worry Pete that rowing phot’ was completely staged as you surmised. Just like the flag raising photo of the Falklands victory, one of those guys was the company clerk and the second the photo was taken he had to run to turn the kettle off.

Sam Pesterfield: ‘ 45 year old builder from Boston’: Never since the enigma code in the second world war has an identity been more difficult to unravel. Your identity could only have been more heavily disguised if you’d said,’ 45 year old builder from Boston, married to Mandy with two kids Amy and Jack and a first name rhyming with… HAM.’ By the way Sam, when you say camping on the Golden Gate Bridge, do you mean walking up and down it giving your best Dale Winton impersonation?

Mick And His Disco Ball

Egyptian: In answer to your question about ‘Mick’s disco ball’ mate (see picture), that is in fact a ‘night light’. I’m not keen on rowing in the dark (Or at all if truth be told) and the said ‘disco ball’ is wired in so that when night falls it rotates projecting soothing images of giant rabbits and kittens onto the night sky. Works a treat only draw back is Batman’s tried to rescue us twice.

Mos Speedos fantasy: Good to see you’re still living the Speedo fantasy mate, it’ll never happen though you’ve just gotta move on, I think you should find yourself a more realistic and attainable fantasy figure to project your wishful thinking on; Nelson Mandela or the Pope say…

Mark Noble: ‘Try going in a straight line Mick’. If you guys at Sunseeker spent as much time trying to sell owners chart tables and weather instrumentation as you do cocktail bars and Jacuzzis you’d be more aware of a thing called ‘wind’.. Legend has it that it comes from the North, South, East and West and not just from extended ‘business lunches’…. Talking of extended business lunches, enjoy the boat show mate.

Eric Cantona: You get second prize for feeble disguise of the month. Hope the ‘vanning’s’ going well mate.

Airborne Bob: Bob, just to confirm, ‘Para Anchor’ is the name of an item of equipment on board ….. Not a spelling mistake mate.

Mr and Mrs Martin: Thanks for your kind letter, I thought you said open it on your birthday not the first day hence the delay in my response. Hope I’ve done nothing since departure to alter your opinions (Although give me time.. ), see you both in San Fran’ and bring a razor..

T.L.M.B. The prize for quickest ‘ post celebrity death joke,’ no surprise at all goes to you. (So quick the police are still interviewing him in connection with the death..).

Aunt Janet and Aunt Pol’: Great to hear from you hope to give you a better ending this time. No beer on board you’ll be very surprised to hear aunt Janet I never drink at sea, although if I was to take some I wouldn’t pack it first.. It’d be too difficult to get too. See you for one when we’re back. Love to all the family.

Kate: Hi Kate, great to hear from you and thanks for giving the BBC the heads up. Keep an eye on those bears for me (They’d have never fitted on board this time, no room) see you to introduce you to the ‘wife’ on our return.

Grace: Glad you’re settling in now sweetheart after all the last minute problems dropped in our lap before I left. I know you’re going to enjoy this ‘honeymoon’ period of our marriage but remember it won’t always be as wonderful as this for you.. At some point I’ve got to come back x.

Speak to you again in August when with a bit of luck we should be just the other side of 160 degrees West and at a slightly more northerly Latitude ready for the final run in. Thanks on behalf of both of us for all your support and encouragement.

Mick

33°6′56”N 175°17′42”E
Chris & Mick travelled 45.2 miles East-North-East (heading 74.8°) on day 53
They ended 3452.1 miles from San Francisco (44.6 miles closer than yesterday)
They covered miles 1585 to 1629 of the trip
Their average pace so far has been 30.7 miles/day towards San Francisco
They have 112.3 days remaining at this rate, so would arrive in San Francisco on 20 Oct 2009
Their target heading for the shortest route to San Francisco is East-North-East (heading 65.9°)
See where the boat is

Sponsor Thanks

After such a big post its time to thank another big sponsored miles donor. Today thanks go to Nick O’Grady, who attended Hampton School at the same time as Chris, and rowed with him in their First VIII. Nick sponsored miles 134-143 which the crew covered back on Day 3.

Would you like to sponsor a mile?