This is Roz’s blog for May 1st, just before all her technology went wrong.
Maybe because it is day 13 but today has not been a good one. The main casualty has been my 12v electric kettle that I use to boil water.
Tonight I was bringing my kettle out on deck ready to rehydrate my dinner. A sudden a wave lurched the boat and I grabbed hold of the starboard guardrail (oar) with the same hand that was holding the kettle. The kettle toppled out of its bracket and dropped into the water.
I didn’t even stop to think, If I had Id’ve done the same thing. It wasn’t the kettle that mattered, I have got a spare, but I couldn’t drop plastic in the ocean and just leave it there. So with barely time for a quick expletive I followed my kettle into the water, hat and all
The day was not the day I would have chosen to go for a swim. It has been stormy and chilly most of the day and the ocean waters have been sullied by a long windrow of plastic shred accompanied by small slimy green blobs and the occasional jellyfish. It was a nasty, dirty, polluted bit of ocean and the last place I wanted to go for a dip but it had to be done.
I retrieved my kettle and splashed my way back inelegantly back to the boat trying not to think about jellyfish. I don’t suppose that many people have tried to swim with an electric kettle in one hand, so take it from me, it isn’t easy
Unsurprisingly the kettle isn’t working too well now. The light comes on but it doesn’t heat up, which is kind of the point of a kettle, really. So I had to resort to the spare, but maybe kettle number one may recover when it has had a chance to dry out.
Luckily kettle number two is doing a grand job and soon I will be tucking into some nice hot fish pie, extra welcome on such a dank gloomy day as this.
Other stuff: I found the long trail of plastic pieces very despiriting on an already depressing day. I am a long way from land, and I can’t think where such a quantity of plastic has come from. It looks a bit like packaging material – I’m not sure what it is. I picked it up to give to Marc Eriksen for analysis.Yuck.
Alf was sighted on the forecabin today looking healthy as far as I can tell. Alf lives to fight another day!
Big tech hassles, as you may have gathered from the disappearance of my blog. Technology has reverted back to what it was in 2005, and I’m completely fed up with the whole shebang. A carrier pigeon would be more reliable. Pah!
I hear that Yachtpals have posted a nice article about me. I can’t access it, but you can at http://yachtpals.com/roz-savage-9071 thanks to Kim and the gang.
Thanks for all the GREAT comments further to my questions about the past and the present. I can’t even begin to respond so them here , but it was great to see what thoughtful, insightful, visionary readers I have on this blog. I’m honoured!
My position at the end of Day 13 was 1 17.684 S, 165 23.416E.

7 Comments

  • Thanks to Don Lindsay for his contribution to the Foundation appeal, and to Unca Doug with his updating Roz’s position for us to know how she is getting on.

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  • Roz- thinking of you and how much nina ass kicking you’re doing! may the 13th day of your row bring more appreciation to the more beautiful and pristine days to come. so looking forward to seeing you again whenever and wherever that may be. sending lots aloha out into the ocean for ya. aloha and keep on keeping on* a las ninas!

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  • Hey Roz-

    Was in my hammock today with my 3 year old daughter playing ‘boat’ and thought of you. When I told her I had met a woman a few months ago at a book reading in Concord who was rowing across the Pacific in a boat no bigger than our ‘boat,’ she didn’t believe me, so here we are at your website looking at videos.

    My daughter wanted me to tell you: ‘be careful on the boat because it might be dangerous because there might be sharks and stuff like that.’

    Best of luck and we are rooting for you!

    -K

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  • Roz, I’ll be happy to get you some sort of a plastic offset from my fellow environmentalists is something like this happens again. Your safety is paramount. I’d rather see a plastic kettle bobbing aimlessly in mid-Pacific than you. 🙂

    Rinse the kettle with fresh water, if can afford it. You’ll want to remove the salt. Let it dry completely before testing it again.

    Be careful out there! And thanks for taking us along on this adventure.

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  • Roz, I hope your mum sends you a copy of the Yachtpals’ blog … it is wonderful. I love the poignant penultimate paragraph which explains that we “benevolent minions who call [our]selves the “Rozlings,” … will likely make sure that the party goes on for some time after her arrival. Much of her travel accommodations involve couch surfing and house-sitting situations arranged by the Rozlings, who seem to be spread around the globe. They seem always eager to help out the vibrant and voluntarily homeless Brit, and maybe that’s because her message strikes a chord with so many. See, Roz doesn’t say she’s out to save the planet. Rather, she’s out to save us – the people. As Roz says (and most scientists agree), the planet will survive just fine in the long run, the question is: In a thousand years, will humans still be here to enjoy it?”

    This Rozling is committed to supporting you every minute* of your journey with ca$h (aka carrot$) to give you an incentive … to anticipate a reward every minute* of your journey.

    Happy rowing, Roz

    Fellow Rozlings: Please join me at the GoRozGo Fundraiser widget above and Chip-In. Then tell Roz your carrot$ are out in front of her showing her the way to her destination. Something to look forward to every minute*

    * minutes of latitude are about one nautical mile apart.

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