Day 123 - This Is Why I’m Out Here
September 8, 2009 – 9:44 amLast night was all too pleasant. A good meal, following conditions on the sea, warm but not too toasty and a lovely big moon (not to mention quite a few miles tucked firmly under our collective belts). As the sun came up in a most wonderous sunrise this morning I took a moment to just suck it all in.
This is what I signed up for and why I’m out here, evenings like this and beautiful dawns.
Obviously though good things can’t last forever and Mick emerged from the cabin this afternoon with tales of strong winds soon to decend on our position. This is when having Lee Bruce (our weatherman) becomes essential.
Knowing that we’re going to have to go on the sea anchor in some of the stronger winds that we’ve yet faced means that we can prepare and this makes it much safer for us. We’ve spent the last few months making Bo light as possible by eating all the food and this afternoon we’ve made her rather heavier again with a few extra bags of water. All in all we’ve probably added another 150kg to Bo’s weight below the waterline which significantly decreased the chance of knock down or capsize.
We’ve still got another day to get ready but I used to be a scout so the old addage of “be prepared” is something it’s hard to shift. I can only hope that we’ll get some more nice sunrises when all this blows through.
38°4′2”N 152°46′32”W
Chris & Mick travelled 53.5 miles East-North-East (heading 72.8°) on day 123
They ended 1643.6 miles from San Francisco (52.9 miles closer than yesterday)
They covered miles 3385 to 3438 of the trip
Their average pace so far has been 28.0 miles/day towards San Francisco
They have 58.8 days remaining at this rate, so would arrive in San Francisco on 5 Nov 2009
Their target heading for the shortest route to San Francisco is East (heading 81.1°)
See where the boat is
Sponsor Thanks
Thanks today go to Melanie Jones, who sponsored mile 3400. The boys covered this at about mid-day yesterday.
Would you like to sponsor a mile?
Click on Mick and Chris to see where the boat is
26 Responses to “Day 123 - This Is Why I’m Out Here”
Glad to see that you’re doing so well!
Class 10P are back and are now class 11P. We’ve all had a good summer break and many of the pupils have been logging on at home to see where you’re up to. Those that haven’t were eager to catch up yesterday on the first day of term.
Hope the strong winds aren’t too strong!
By Helen at Hamilton Lodge on Sep 8, 2009
It seems that camping holidays and outdoor activities had an influence on you Chris. We enjoyed many sunsets and evenings looking at the moon. Sunrises you probably enjoyed alone as you were always awake early. Enjoy these moments while you can.
Very glad that you are using your Atlantic experiences to good effect and getting on board plenty of ballast and preparing for stormy weather. Don’t forget to stay tied on and keep the cabin door closed.
Looking forward to the next period of lots of miles. You will get there very soon now!
By Mum Martin on Sep 8, 2009
Good seamanship there sirs. Tie down, ballast up and make the thermos…
By Laser.Beam on Sep 8, 2009
Am green with envy and so impressed at the rapidly closing gap to San Fran. What a week. Like Mum M says, it sounds like it’s time to close your hatches and lock everything down - the real fun is about to begin. Cabin asphyxiation aside, things the impending weather system is what we secretly go out there for, no?
By Margaret on Sep 8, 2009
Well done boys, so glad that you had a good day. Loving the mileage….
By Max on Sep 8, 2009
I went away day 117 when you had 73.5days to go. I come back day 122, 5 days later, and you have 61.2 days to go. Soooo in 6 days you have rowed 12days! That’s clever. Great news. The new seat is obviously working well. As you say Chris GGB is only over the next wave (or two). In the mean time it sounds like a good idea to batten down the hatches and keep strong. I always thought the scout and guide movement would come in useful over time. Keep safe. x
By great auntie anne (ludlow) on Sep 8, 2009
Mile munching is going well out there, last few days have been FANTASTIC - few winds heading your way eh? Do stay tied on won’t you boys, no, untieing yourselves for a quick strole around the deck ok! Bo has been loyal to you both, she will be just fine, even if you are giving her a muffin top with extra weight!
Stay safe, and enjoy the views whilst you can, soon the view will be a dirty great red bridge!
By Dizzie Blonde on Sep 8, 2009
It is with sadness that I report the death, a few days ago, of the novelist, playwright and columnist Keith Waterhouse, aged 80. He made his name with 1959’s “Billy Liar,” and scored a West End hit with “Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell”.
“Billy Liar”, the Leeds-born writer’s most famous work, was the story of Billy Fisher, a teenager with a rich fantasy life. (The novel was almost never published, when he left 10,000 words of the manuscript in a taxi and had to start again.)
His greatest success came when he put his friend, the dissolute columnist Jeffrey Bernard, as the centre of a solo drama starring Peter O’Toole. The title of the play came from the notice The New Statesman often ran when Bernard was too drunk to write his column, which was often!
The play found the soused journalist locked inside his favourite pub for the night, giving him the chance to expound to the audience on any number of subjects. Mr. Waterhouse drew on his past experience as a reporter for the Yorkshire Evening Post and The Daily Mirror to spin tales about the world of Fleet Street.
From a personal standpoint, I valued him particularly as the founder of the AAAA (that is, the Association for the Abolition of the Aberrent Apostrophe). You know the sort of thing:
Pound’s of Potatoe’s (check your local greengrocer),
The group found it’s leader (horribly commonplace)
and unforgiveably,
Book’s for sale (once seen at, of all places, Feltham Public Library).
To those who say apostrophes don’t matter, please consider carefully the following sentence:
“SHE’D WED him in a SHED if WE’D agree to it”.
I rest my case!
He really did care about good standards of English and was appointed to be a member of the ‘Kingman Committee on Teaching of the English Language’ in 1987-88. He was a wonderfully entertaining columnist and will be sorely missed.
Pedant (Snr).
By Dad Martin on Sep 8, 2009
Seriously impressive progress guys! Glad to see Baden Powell had a lasting effect on you (the six Ps and all that gubbins):o) Hopefully it will blow over quickly and you can get back on the oars Obelix style!
By Peperami on Sep 8, 2009
Beginning to wish I’d sponsored a mile last week when I could have relished my vicarious participation at leisure - at this rate you’re going to whistle through my little bit before I’m aware of it! Keep pu the good work, though!
BTW, re. apostrophes, the knock-me-down argument for me was Kingsley Amis who when asked to give an example in which the apostrophe was indispensable to the meaning offered the case of a woman saying:”Those four things over there are my husbands(’)”
By davidT on Sep 8, 2009
PS. Correction: AAAA = Association for the Abolition of the ABERRANT Apostrophe.
[PPS. Keith Waterhouse also didn’t appreciate aberrant spelling - Apologies!]
By Dad Martin on Sep 8, 2009
Wow Chris, great milage lately, you must be well pleased. Keep rowing!
By Natalie on Sep 8, 2009
Ценные рекомендации, беру на заметку.
By Kouba on Sep 8, 2009
There is also a ‘Bojangles’ shop in Norwich. Grace (Mick’s wife) has a phot stood outside it.
Keep up the mileage, a stoic performance.
By Typical Lightweight Matelot on Sep 8, 2009
Hi Chris and Mick
As everyone has already said, you have covered a lotta nautical miles over the past few days which has put you in a very good position to prepare for a day or two on anchor. Hope the forecast winds are not too strong. Keep safe and don’t forget to strap yourself in. Hope the tumble drier doesn’t get too stuffy. Keeeeep smiling, keeeeeep rowing when safe to do so and keeeeeep safe.
By Sue from Cornwall on Sep 8, 2009
Watcha lads be safe in your winds an lo to bo.
By jenny b on Sep 8, 2009
as you have gathered every one im not too hot with my typing!!!! i can do an ironman though .i meant to write be safe an of course love to bo.
By jenny b on Sep 8, 2009
I think Kouba has a point, although I’m not sure what it is. Also 17 posts so far and no “lovely big moon jokes” Laser.Beam your getting to serious!
Good mileage chaps, cracking day and keep safe in those winds on the way. You really sound like you know what you’re doing out there, good ol’ Mick eh!
You’ll be pleased to hear as I was standing at the top of the clock tower in Parliament today right next to Big Ben at 11.00am (it’s quite loud that close!) I informed the clock engineer (of which there are only 3) of you chaps and he conceded that rowing the Pacific may be harder than climbing the 312 steps up the tower each day and winding the clock up every 3 days!
By Biff on Sep 8, 2009
Hey Biff - perhaps Big Ben will do an extra “Boing” at the moment when Chris and Mick arrive at the Golden Gate….
By Sue from Cornwall on Sep 8, 2009
Sue, I shall petition the PM immediatley to do just that, however judging by Mr. “eh, what, eh” Brown’s competancy in other affairs at present he’ll probably agree that a “BOING” should be struck but that the goverment won’t support it/ don’t have the powers/ it is the fault of USA banks/ peter mandelson might get cross/ there are enough helicopeters/ there aren’t enough helicopters/ the goverment will support/ no return to row and boing.
Then he’ll realise he is in fact just the Churchill Insurance dog and “Oh yes yes yes yes”
In the course of all that the “BOING” will probably come in sometime in 2017!
By Biff on Sep 8, 2009
You are an optomist Biff - 2017 - so soon!
By Dizzie Blonde on Sep 8, 2009
Spot on Boing - oh no sorry I mean Biff! If the “Boing” comes in in 2017, Chris and Mick will just have to do another trip across the North Pacific in that year!
Hope you are okay out there chaps - keeeeeeep smiling and please keeeeeeep safe.
By Sue from Cornwall on Sep 8, 2009
lovely big moon?
By Laser.Beam on Sep 9, 2009
I picked up on that too L.B
I guess it was bound to happen after all that time away
By Captain of Vice on Sep 9, 2009
More like it L.B, thought we’d lost you there.
By Biff on Sep 9, 2009
All the boinging has made me nervous, don’t wear it out.
By Boing Boing on Sep 9, 2009