Day 176 - Bah Humbug
October 31, 2009 – 8:20 am Humbugs! (Click To Enlarge) |
One of the very few of life’s pleasures out here is reading letters and opening little presents that my mum had put together for the trip before we left. Today while the sun shone we openned the cabin doors, took out wet clothing and cushions and tried to get as much moisture out of everything as possible.
The hatch under one of these cushions holds the watermaker and the little presents from my mum. There was one left that I mistakenly thought was for the 5000 mile mark. Upon closer inspection the label clearly identified it to be openned on mile 4444 (we’d gone past it by accident).
You can only imagine my glee at unwrapping a small tub of ‘nautical knobs’ (humbugs with a nautical twist). Following instructions given by mum Martin we haven’t eaten them all but they have provided a very very welcome lift just when it was needed. Thanks mum! What a lifesaver.
The wind stayed light last night and even the clouds have stayed away for today to provide us with rather plesant rowing conditions. We’ve been treated to yet more visits from dolphins which even in the dark are rather special. There’s something unique about watching dolphins breaking the surface of the water on the road of light thrown down by the moon when near the horizon across a calm sea. That will certainly be one of the lasting memories of this trip.
The big eke continues and although food rations have been slashed the mood onboard is as buoyant as it always has been. Lunch today was half an emergency ration biscuit (like shortbread only without any sugar and with lard instead of butter), a hot cuppa soup, a dessert (saved over from a previous days ration pack) and one or two nautical knobs. All rather a mix but still sated our hunger for at least half an hour.
39°34′0”N 126°54′26”W
Chris & Mick travelled 37.3 miles East (heading 88.5°) on day 176
They ended 267.6 miles from San Francisco (33.8 miles closer than yesterday)
They covered miles 4780 to 4814 of the trip
Their average pace so far has been 27.4 miles/day towards San Francisco
They have 9.8 days remaining at this rate, so would arrive in San Francisco on 9 Nov 2009
Their target heading for the shortest route to San Francisco is East-South-East (heading 115.4°)
See where the boat is
Sponsor Thanks
Thank you Ted Jackson, of Remigium & AKRC, who sponsored miles 4800-4804 which the boys covered yesterday evening.
Would you like to sponsor a mile?
Click on Mick and Chris to see where the boat is
14 Responses to “Day 176 - Bah Humbug”
Only 267 miles to go. Let’s translate that into terms that the boys can relate to easily. For Mick, it was 255 miles door-to-door from my house in Hull to my sisters gaff in Norwich you camped at. So basically a couple of hours drive (unless you got stuck behind the tractors around Boston). Not far at all now.
What’s an easy door-to-door distance Chris can relate to?
By Typical Lightweight Matelot on Oct 31, 2009
TLMB: You let a Royal Marine camp at your sister’s house? Brave man. Have you checked under the toilet cistern for RM stickers?
By George.Simpson on Oct 31, 2009
TLMB - it’s 267 miles to row the Molesey reach when Chris is on the rudder.
By Richard on Oct 31, 2009
Good Morning lads
Nautical Humbugs eh? I think Humbugs were invented for long journeys, so your Mum gave you a very good little prezzie! So you haven’t met any further friendly boats recently who would be happy to drop you another food parcel? Surely one will come along soon as you are getting ever closer to land. Poor Chris, everyone seems to be making little digs at you! Just to remind most of the current bloggers, you have become an ocean rower expert, with the help of Mick - bet they could’nt do what you two have been doing for the past few months!! On the hunger situation, it’s a pity that you can’t train the dolphins to retrieve some tasty little fish for you. Keeeeeeeeeep cheerful despite tummy rumbles, keeeeeeeeeep rowing and please keeeeeeeeeep safe.
By Sue from Cornwall on Oct 31, 2009
Oh, Chris! What a good boy you are! Keeping some of your sweets for later, sharing them with your friend and eating them after you had finished your lunch. I hope you cleaned your teeth afterwards!!!! So glad you enjoyed your treat. I think I put a T-bag in a card for you to open at some point, but I’m sure that was thousands of miles ago and you would have used that by now!
To answer TLMs question on a door-to-door distance for Chris, it is about 220 miles from home in Chertsey to his grandparents in Leeds. If you add on the extra 40 miles from there to his Great Auntie Barbara in the village of Clapham near Settle that is about 260 miles.
Hope you boys keep having sunny days and good winds. Not long to go now before all this is over. Enjoy while you can and we’ll see you soon! Keep safe!
By Mum Martin on Oct 31, 2009
Mr Martin!
How are you, you crazy man?!
Thought I would leave you a quick note - hope everything is going well. I do like to keep a check to see how your getting on! By the looks of it you have not got too far to go now.
Take care buddy
Student Boy!!
By Student Boy! on Oct 31, 2009
GS. My sister has been out on the piss in Plymouth with Devonport Field Gun Crew 1987 and she was also one of the last men standing at the final night at the Royal Tournament in Earls Court. She isn’t going to be worried by some damp-eyed, nappy-wearing, nancy-boy Royal Marine ….
By Typical Lightweight Matelot on Oct 31, 2009
Glad we are finally done with the even numbers; now on the odd numbers.Looking forward to the day i’ll hear this is all over…
By Grace Dawson on Oct 31, 2009
We must all be grateful to the power of modern technology, without which none of us would be able to participate in this amazing adventure. However, it can be a mite disorientating for some, particularly older folk. T’other day, I chanced upon the following words, with which I’m sure a few people will identify: I know Chris’ Grandma and Grandpa do!
It’s the work of H Lloyd Jones and is entitled: “What have they done to our words?”
The world of computers has taken many of our familiar, everyday words and given them completely new meanings.
A DISC used to be something that slipped when you hurt your back.
A WEB was what a spider made and a RAM was a male sheep.
A NET was for fishing or to hold your hair in place and a MOUSE was a little furry creature with whiskers.
BUGS and VIRUSES were something you caught that made you ill and CHIPS went with fish.
A HACKER was someone with a bad cough and a CURSOR was someone with bad language.
A LOAD went on a lorry and a BOOT went on your foot.
You found builders or caravans on a SITE and you parked your car on a DRIVE.
A ZIP held your clothes together and FLOPPY meant limp.
You hung your washing ONLINE.
You sent a CARD at Christmas and a DESKTOP was the place for your blotter.
You called a butler or a waitress a SERVER and a religious artifact was an ICON.
WALLPAPER brightened up a room and MOTHERBOARD was when she was fed up.
Whatever next?
By Dad Martin on Oct 31, 2009
Chris for lunch tomorrow try Dominoes, they’ll deliver in about 45 minutes. And how had you gone past mile 4444 by accident, did you mean to miss that mile out?
Rich, I think we should have informed Mick of Chris’s steering skills on the Molesey stretch before they left. Sorry Mick, we could ahve saved you a few hundred miles!!
Keep it up fellas. Don’t eat all your Nautical Knobs in one go.
By Biff on Oct 31, 2009
Hello Mick,
From Nigeria…….a cold bottle of Star awaits you. When you’ve finished what you’re doing, face a real challenge and come out for a drink with the usual suspects somewhere in deepest Africa.
I am in the UK for a week and I am finding really hard to adjust to wearing underpants again!
I bumped into that nautical bloke the other night in Pat’s Bar, can’t remeber his name but he said you’ll remember him.
Talk soon.
Phil
By Lightweight Legionnaire on Oct 31, 2009
Scoff the Knobs, have that cuppa with Mum Martin’s last bag, and get your skates on, GGB is waiting your arrival….
Enjoy this last week or so….
By Dizzie Blonde on Oct 31, 2009
Watcha lads ,have the nautical knobs got soft centres ,hope so cause that bit is always chewy(makes it last longer)just keep diggin so deep into those mental an physical reserves ,you are doing an awesome job,be safe an love to bo.xx
By jenny b on Oct 31, 2009
knobs, scoff, soft centres… I can’t, it’s jsut to easy.
And who are all these Lightweight people? They appear to be all over the place.
By Biff on Oct 31, 2009