Dictated by Roz and transcribed by her mother, Rita Savage.
Position: -05.97063S, 154.01878E
Today’s big news is that I have got my watermaker working again. This is a huge relief. Although I have now had ample experience of watermaker failure, it doesn’t get any easier. Once the watermaker goes I have a constant sense of being on a time limit, needing to reach my destination before my supplies run out, or else having to set aside a couple of hours a day to pump the manual watermaker.
And it deprives me of one of my favourite bits of the day, my bucket and sponge bath. This happens after I finish rowing in the evening, after the sun has set. It feels so good to sponge the cool fresh water over my skin rinsing away the sweat, salt and suncream of the day
So today I made it a priority to get my water supply up and running again. It took most of the morning. I tried a couple of other things before resigning myself to the fact that the feed pump was the source of the problem, and would have to be replaced. Ian Tuller had been on the phone to Spectra to identify a troubleshooting strategy (thank you Ian!). This was the third and final option, the last resort known between Ian and me as “Oh Shit” scenario.
The new feed pump was already set up as much as it could be to make it a plug and play operation, but it is never easy working inside a small compartment on the deck of a rolling boat, with hoses, wires and a heavy pump to manoeuvre into position.
It was a surprise and not a good one to find that the mounting plates of the pump were a different size from the old one so the bolt holes were in the wrong position. Getting the bolts in place was a nearly impossible task anyway as the heads of the bolts were in the next compartment over. So for me to hold the nut and turn the bolt was nigh on impossible. In the end I gave up and resorted to cable ties. Cable ties and duct tape, where would I be without them?
It was sweet music to my ears to hear the hum of a healthy feedpump after the anxiety-inducing erratic drone of its predecessor. I ran the watermaker long enough to replenish my depleted stocks relishing the sense of everything being shipshape once again.
Alas, that was the highlight of the day. It all went downhill once I started rowing. If yesterday’s course was a staircase today’s was a zigzag. I would slowly slog a feeble zig towards the south west, only for the current to send me on a speedy zag towards the south east. I crossed the line of longitude at 154 degrees east about seven (number indistinct in the voicemail) times today. I tried heading just due south to hasten my arrival in the more helpful current at 11 degrees. A testy little wind blew up unexpectedly from that direction, blocking it off as an option.
Stymied. I might as well have been on a rowing machine. Couldn’t get south, couldn’t get west, and I didn’t want to go north or east. As I write I am further away from Madang than I was at this time yesterday, and I was getting further still.
Sigh. Again. This too will pass , I remind myself.
Other Stuff: Tonight I tried out the hot chocolate from Wilderness Family Naturals. Fantastic! No transfats, unlike most hot chocolates. A small consolation at the end of a trying day.
Only one big shift today compared with four yesterday.
I still owe you my confession, but today I wanted to share the good news about my watermaker. It will keep until tomorrow. Please don’t be cross with me, Joan. It was a stupid thing rather than a bad thing. All will become clear.
Sorry Doug, still no glimpse of the crescent moon. After a clear day the sun disappeared into a big dark cloud as it set. I’ll keep looking.
Rita: Doug I did see the moon from my window here in Yorkshire, a very slim crescent, Saturday evening, not quite near the horizon. I discovered a couple of years ago that in midwinter the moon sets where the sun sets in midsummer. As we are quite near to midsummer now, I was quite surprised to see it near where the sun was setting. I obviously don’t know all the facts. (We would never know from the chilly weather that midsummer is not far off.)
Looking forward to hearing about that confession . . . . .
Grateful thanks for more information about contacts in Madang from Chris Bone, Aaron Hayes and David Lambourne.
Roz’s Ebay Store:
You can bid on an autographed picture of Roz Savage on her boat (The Brocade). Roz Savage is the sixth woman who has rowed solo 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, and aims to be the first to row all the way across the Pacific. This is the 3rd auction of the 5 autographed pictures that were available. The dimension of the picture is 8 1/2 by 11 inches. The 4th auction will happen shortly before Roz reaches her final destination. The 5th auction will happen after Roz reaches land. You can find the auction in the Roz Savage Items section or by following this link: http://stores.ebay.com/Roz-Savage-Ocean-Rower?_rdc=1
Sale! Reduction! The price of the Roz Savage Organic T-shirts has been slashed by 31%! Now selling at $19.99 each.
Solio Classic Charger – find it under the Eco-Friendly Items.
Please remember the request from Blue Frontier Campaign to vote EVERY DAY for Roz and Margo: http://pep.si/9ZMuai
Also vote for our coalition partner Project Kaisei to help remove tons of floating plastic debris in our Ocean! Vote here: http://pep.si/alxXp
Roz, it was very unlikely you would see the crescent last night … it was very thin and only the first day after the new moon. You will have a better opportunity tonight … If you look closely, you will see Venus right next to the crescent, almost superimposed.
Rita, as you well know the crescent last night was very thin and pale. It is rare to see it on the first night after the new moon. Here in Hayward (California) the sky had a very high layer of cirrus clouds that hid the crescent until just as the sun dipped behind the mountains across San Francisco Bay and the thin pale slice of moon magically appeared from behind a wisp of cirrus as it moved south. It was precisely 20:12, the time sunset was scheduled at http://heavens-above.com/
Happy Rowing and Mooning, Roz!
Madang is just around the bend.
Good going to you Roz, here is me blowing you westward, hope it helps!
My bet is that Roz’s confession is that she went overboard for a dip and Brocade almost got away from her.
All the best: we are pulling for you Roz! You can do it!! Thanks Rita.
Remember Roz, you’re the tortoise, not the hare. Your constant enthusiasm and steady rowing are what have gotten you this far on both the ocean and in you awareness work. Stair step or zig zag we’re still with you. As the Hash House Harriers say, On, On.
Roz, I am never cross with you. When I yell tease at someone (or at my computer), it’s always with deep affection.
ROW!
Joan, my messages to Roz have to be very very brief, hence I sent: Joan cross re confess. Did not know how else to word it! One of the victims of present difficulty in communicating. Hope you can forgive me. Rita.
I should add that Roz does get fuller reports when she phones me – there is always plenty to report.
Right, UncaDoug, I saw that sliver of moon last night as well and thought of Roz right away. Keeping my fingers crossed for the watermaker to keep functioning until she makes landfall.
Roz,
Glad to find your site via TED Talks. My shoulders and arms ache just thinking about all that rowing. I am always intrigued by the adventuresome blokes that traverse the planet for whatever reasons they may have. I’ve spent the last 3 years just being, quit my sorry ass job and now spend lots of time staring at trees. I live in Florida and the Atlantic Ocean is a short half mile from where I live. I never walk barefoot anymore on the beach because of the litter and trash. I do volunteer work at a local nature center, just keeping the center free of trash and litter is a major job there. I’ve given up on picking up trash out in the Everglades. It’s a no win situation and seems futile so I have stopped doing it. It’s too bad for the wildlife there, they deserve better.
Whatever bodies of water you may be traveling on, enjoy them. If they are still pristine then you are fortunate. Glad to learn from your site that you respect the earth, this incredible living and breathing entity that we call home.
Enjoy your rowing, it’s your life story unfolding one stroke at a time.
How cool is that? It’s pretty cool!
jo
Anke, are you in Europe of U.S.? If so, please consider reporting your sighting at http://crescentmoonwatch.org/report.htm
Rita, short cryptic messages are the bane of communication using sms txt twitter n fb … but thankfully, Roz can communicate in complete sentences to us. Her restricted input from Rozlings may be causing her weird dreams, but we get full enjoyment and inspiration from Roz.
Why, just from reading Roz’s blog today, I connected some Eco-Heroes’ dots — actually some vague thoughts — on how to save energy by using less water; less hot water in particular. Several Eco-Heroes have created Green Deeds related to using less water in the shower, http://twitter.com/eco_heroes …
– Deed: I pledge to take a 2 minute shower using a low flow shower head (or less) each day. I will…
– Deed: took a navy shower
– Deed: Take showers instead of baths
– Deed: Use a large kitchen pot to capture the initial water flow when warming up the shower; use…
– Deed: Shower with a friend. 🙂
– Deed: I only shower once a week. The rest of the week I wash every other day with a small bucket…
– Deed: Shower in the mornings to maximise solar hot water.
– Deed: Took a “navy” shower, the kind where you turn off the water while you are washing until you…
– Deed: Installed low flow showerhead and turn it to extra low for lathering up.
– Deed: Took an abbreviated shower this morning.
So, based on an experiment and some quick google research, I came up with this Green Deed
– Deed: 3 minute shower: cool down from hot to warm to tepid to cool to exhilarating: http://j.mp/ColdShower
Please convey the good new to Roz: “Yr cool sponge bth prompted eco-hero cold showr n deed”
Happy rowing and happy mooning, Roz!
As interesting as it would be if Will Smith produced an all-natural hot chocolate product, what Roz is actually saying is “Wilderness Family Naturals”. The hot chocolate product that Roz is referring to can be purchased directly from their website here:
http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=HCM1
It’s a shame to hear Roz so discouraged with the currents. Ferrying her boat may save her a world of hurt, allowing her to go pretty much due west (by angling her boat NW so the SE current pushes her west). It’s all in the physics of trajectories. I’ve ferried straight across 4 mile channels with 2 knot currents, without losing any ground. Hers would be on a much grander scale! Anyway, if anyone wants to talk to her about it to give it a try here is an excellent explanation (ignore the stuff about eddies – hopefully she won’t come across any eddies unless she gets too close to islands)
http://www.sit-on-topkayaking.com/Articles/Touring/CrossingCurrents.htm
Dear Roz,
Just wanted to applaud you as a human being who sees life as an opportunity to shine with hard work and alot of cussing! I just finished your book as I was originally inspired a couple weeks ago when Ted.com mentioned you on their twitter. Where did you learn to write so well? I really identify with your mental challenges to find yourself and purpose in the world and love your determination to silence the demons and voices. Thank you for shining, for finding yourself and for continuing to see that people like you are important beacons of Being in this universe. Eventhough you are on your boat – I have no doubt that you have already ‘made it!’. Love and hugs, Jeff.
Hello Roz – I’m still thinking about the incredible talk you gave at Anna Cummins house and feeling lucky I got to meet you in person. You are one of the few people for whom the word “amazing” is accurate. I’ve been traveling almost non-stop since that night (I left the next morning) and finally got the chance to read all your blog posts. You are truly an inspiring person who makes me feel downright lazy. I’ll check back soon. Happy rowing! – Randy
@Lesley Chapman – An ocean-rowing boat like Roz’s is affected by current more than a kayak due to it’s greater draft. That means the ferry angle you’re referring to has to be increased. Another thing that makes this different from kayaking is that Roz can’t row continuously until she’s across the current, so whenever she stops rowing for a time, she’s losing the limited distance she’s covered, and then some. Hence the “zigzag” pattern that she’s referring to. In other words, the technique you’re describing is exactly what Roz is doing, with rather limited success it sounds.
Did you ever consider installing AIS on your boat? It would < your chances of being run down. I guess it's late for that now, but do be careful, as you seem to mean the world to quite a few people.
@Dan Martin – Actually, the difference in draft between Brocade and a kayak has no effect on what the current does to her. The only difference will be when at rest, a kayak with no drogue deployed will drift faster downwind, but the current effect will be exactly the same.
HEY ALL ROZLINGS… WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE PEPSI SITE FOR ROZ EVERYDAY!!! THE END DATE IS THE 31ST…SO GO DAILY TO VOTE FOR ROZ. IT WILL HELP HER ALOT TO GET THAT MONEY FROM PEPSI!!!! GO ROZ GO
I don’t normally reply to posts but I just had to in this instance. Really great article!