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South of the border!
July 25, 2007 32.5692N,124.2539W
I have achieved one major goal, which was to reach two weeks at sea without any injuries. This critical period was important for my body to adjust to the rigors of the life at sea, and to work out the daily routine.
Everything changes when one commits to an ocean crossing like this. All comforts of home go away, human interaction disappears, no conversation takes place except on a satellite phone. Showering with fresh water, drinking a cold soda, and a chilled fresh salad become things of the past.
In a few hours I will have crossed south of the US-Mexico border at about 360nm west of land. The last few days, I have been receiving nice 20-25kt winds from the NNW and finally the waves are also lining up.
Yesterday, the remnants of the WNW swells were still coming in as the new wave train was forming from the north. This overlapping of two different wave regimes made for a tough day of rowing, as waves towered when they superposed, only to collapse in all directions. The resulting sloshy seas were not fun.
I put in two 3-hour sessions of rowing yesterday, resting during the remaining time. It seemed my body could take the midday naps, and the night time sleep just fine. As I slept, rushing waves would crash against the boat with a bang, making me wonder about the the long voyage ahead, and how many more of such hits this boat could take.
I am committed now. Crossing 125W still represents that imaginary line of safety, beyond which the storms will not venture.
Case in point is Tropical Depression Delila which has formed about 300 miles south of the tip of Baja peninsula. It may become a hurricane for a short while. It is projected to move NW toward my path, due south of where I am. As it moves across the cooler waters on this side, it will weaken, is the general rule. What effects of Delila that I will observe, remains to be seen, and it may even prove helpful by creating some winds to push me west a bit.
The conflicting feelings inside of vulnerability and being in charge of one's destiny, are worth exploring in future dispatches.
One thing which makes me sleep better at night is my new navigation light, with a new LED bulb which draws only 0.05amps, and which is brighter than the 2amp bulbs I used to have on the Atlantic. I can leave this bulb on all night and never see a drop in battery charge. My batteries could not keep up before...
Three days ago, the ship traffic was very noticeable. I probably was on a shipping lane, on the approach route to Los Angeles or San Francisco. I have not seen a single ship since.
Life is good so far.
Erden.
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Ships are around...
