Day 2: Hot, Flat and Crowded

"Hot, Flat and Crowded" is actually the title of the audiobook
I'm listening to at the moment (interesting view of a green economy –
recommended) – but it could equally be a description of my day. It has
been extremely, dehydratingly hot, the ocean has been flat as a pancake,
and this morning there was definitely too much company out here. I was
playing leapfrog with a small fleet of fishing boats, which meant I had
to keep putting clothes on, which was most inconvenient.

The day got off to a slightly alarming start when my watermaker wouldn't
work. Oh no, not again, I thought, and muttered a few swearwords. I
muttered a few more when I found the cause – the intake pipe (which
pulls in seawater to be turned into freshwater) had not been connected.
We had tested the watermaker a while ago, then the metal inlet had been
replaced, and silly me – I had just assumed that the pipe that leads
from inlet to watermaker would have been reconnected.

This was not ideal, and when I had a problem with my watermaker on
Day 1 of my Atlantic crossing it made me feel quite sick with anxiety
(or maybe it was the seasickness) but over the years and miles I've
realized that panic is not a constructive reaction, and that in face I'm
sometimes I'm capable of more than I think I am. The unappealing
prospect of having to paddle back into port after the magnificent
send-off yesterday was sufficiently motivating for me to try and resolve
the problem myself.

I found my tub of spare parts for the watermaker, and after several
failed experiments found the right connector. And a few minutes later
had a good healthy water supply going to the pump.

Phew.

Other stuff:

A solid day's rowing – about 11 hours, or 11,000 oarstrokes if you're
one of the people taking part in my Pull Together challenge (see
pulltogether09.org). 10,000 steps a day is fine, but if you want to go
the extra mile (or few hundred yards actually) and match my oarstrokes,
then please do! And remember that if you do your walking as a substitute
for driving then it's good for the planet as well as good for your body.

The main issue today has been the heat. I've been glugging water all day
to stay hydrated, but it's been hard to drink enough, especially when I
have no way to chill drinks, so the water is almost as hot as I am. Yuck!

OK, feeling sleepy now. It was a short night and a long day, and all
that sunshine has made me doubly tired. I was wearing SPF50 (thanks,
Aenor!) but still seem to have a few red patches – including my face, I
suspect, but my mirror seems to have gone missing so fortunately I can't
see my rosy pink cheeks!

Currrent position: 20 50.561N, 158 10.577W
Wind: none
Sea state: flat
Intentions: maintain present course of around 210 degrees