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Atlantic rower Andreas: I feel like I’m turning into Robinson Crusoe in the middle of the ocean
Agu 27, 2004 11: 32 EST
Anne and Emmanuel out on the North Atlantic are averaging around 80 miles per day and had as of yesterday only 258/439 miles left to France. Andreas Rommel had a whopping 2009 miles (3233 km) left to his UK destination, and hurricanes coming his way.
This is his latest report:
"Finally I’m starting to move faster, as I just hit faster currents. I was starting to doubt myself. I was pushing with all my strength for about 15 hours a day. I felt like I was pulling a super-tanker. It was getting so frustrating that I was getting down both physically and mentally. I found myself in a similar situation as Jean-Luc, rowing against the waves and headwinds. I was thinking to stop my journey because of exhaustion.
Unable to hit the Gulf stream
The reason I found myself in this position for the first 30 days was because an announced storm was hitting south just before my departure. Therefore I was unable to go down and try to hit the Gulf Stream where Emmanuel got it. So I started my trip going north, from then on, my nightmare started.
I’m glad I didn’t give up because now I’m moving forward at an acceptable pace. Now I’m rowing 17 hours a day and it’s not as tiring as before. I got in contact with the first officer of the “Jarvis Bay”, a British container ship, who gave me valuable meteorological information.
Three hurricanes coming my way
He told me about three hurricanes starting from the Gulf of Mexico and headed north in my direction. I could hear the captain in the background insisting on picking me up. He asked three times and I said “no, I’m confident with my boat”. When I asked the first officer if those hurricanes would “blow me out in the middle of the ocean”, and said, “yes, most probably”. He must have thought I was crazy when I responded, “that’s what I was waiting for, a good push!”
Then the captain called me directly and told me his sister ship would pass by the area in a few days and would inform her of my position.
It was pitch black, this was it, I thought
Two days later, the wind was getting stronger and the waves bigger. I think I was getting what I was asking for: at around 6GMT, it felt like something was smashing the boat with a sledgehammer. It was pitch black and I was inside. All of a sudden, my boat capsized. It didn’t turn over as fast as the first time. I laid on the roof for much too long. I felt like a hamster in a cage-wheel. I was totally in shock. This was it, I thought. Then the boat self-righted again.
The center of my boat was full of water
The darkness made the situation worse. I was now in the middle of a heavy storm and I was getting battered. My survival suit and my beacon were ready. I felt my boat wasn’t going to take it this time. Morning came, but I was still on gale nine with 41 knots winds and 25 foot waves. In the afternoon, the winds went down to 30 knots, the waves to 15-18 feet.
I could feel “the Lady Georgia” lower down on the water, extremely heavy. The center of my boat was full of water, as well as all my compartments on deck. It took me two hours to get all the water out. After this exercise, I went back into my cabin to get some rest.
Electrical wiring was submerged under water
But something strange happened, I was listening to the sound of water dripping close to me. Too close. I began to check around me and found water inside my watertight cabin! I was horrified. Now I’m really scared; electrical wiring was submerged under water, my stove burner was under water, and I’m thinking I have a hole in the boat.
Now I won’t have warm food anymore
After searching for the problem, I realized that the outside compartments are connected to the inside ones. This doesn’t make them watertight anymore…it explained why my electrical water maker broke. Now I won’t have warm food anymore. I feel like I’m turning into Robinson Crusoe in the middle of the ocean.
On a brighter note - a turtle
On a brighter note, the day the storm started, I saw a sea turtle following my drag, trying to mate with it. Then I saw four huge, white, dolphin type fish surfing the waves (do not know the names of this animal). I would like to thank M.K. and Henry for their precious meteorological information and support.
Andreas Rommel plans to become the first German in history to row Atlantic W-E from Cape Cod (USA) to UK. Andreas is last out of the North Atlantic rowers.
Image courtesy of ORS and Allan Tannenbaum.
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