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Final Days
Now back on terra firma, and already my fantastical row seems like a fast fading dream. I have finally got around to catching up on the final 3 days of the voyage. The last days are something of a blur of rough seas, exhaustion and mounting aprrehension re. Putting the Olive safely ashore.
Day 121 - Range to Bishops Rk 88 NM, WNW 15-20kts . Seas decreased after last
Night. Rowed all day till 2000 when went to sleep awaiting wind change
Expected approx 2300.
DAY 122
Overslept until 0500!! Range to Bishop 47NM. Seas building again crests breaking heavily. WSW-WNW 20-25kts.
Began rowing through the clear cold dawn. Making fast progress despite heavy following seas.
Approx 1000 while having breakfast in cabin, me and all loose kit violently shunted into opposite wall water began pouring through open hatch quickly sealed. So Olive lay pinned on her side at 90° half underwater, the gunwales full of seawater and the scuppers submerged and unable to drain. Unable to right herself I scrambled out of the hatch sealing it as quickly as possible then bailed out the water like a crazed man!!! The force of the capsize had snapped the port oar which had been lashed up on the rail.
So having recovered from the first capsize and reorganised all the equipment to retrim the boat got back to rowing until 3 hrs later and we got nobbled by another monster breaking wave..
First we surfed down its front but as it kept rising up and then broke, Olive slewed uncontrollable with the improvised steering and beam on we were knocked over again I was still sitting in the rowing position held in by the foot straps with one oar pointing down to the devil and one oar flailing in the sky! Half submerged I scrambled up onto the high side before another Olympic bailing session saw us roll back to the horizontal once more. - The immediate concern was to free the oar which was forced under the keel and threatened to snap, that done and water bailed, we lost the trusty kettle which was thrown from the footwell and a flask, my mug and a seat cushion.
Thankfully both these capsizes were in daylight night time would be a different story
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DAY 123
Seas subsided a little, high swell but far apart. Fine NW 15-20kts. The Bishop became visible about noon. No sign of the islands though. Quite a lot of shipping around tricky to see in the swell.
Around 1700 rendezvous with the tug ANGLIAN PRINCESS. This was our escort vessel arranged by Virgin Atlantic - an enormous ocean going super tug designed to pull super tankers out of trouble! By dusk the wind had turned against us so spent night on anchor with Princess standing by Dad & sisters on board!!
DAY 124
Slightly oversleeping anchor retrieved and rowing again by 0730 grey day, drizzle wind perfect! With the ANGLIAN PRINCESS following us we made our last break for the island of St Marys the capital town & harbour of the Scilly Isles.
Torrential squalls came through all morning dropping visibility down to about 400 yds. Even the Princess was pitching in the rough sea, by now the Bishop was coming clearly into view, and around 1300 we crossed the theoretical finish line signalled by 2 blasts from the tugs fog horn and more sheeting rain! The pilot boat came out with mum and brother & some locals on board but it was very rough & bouncy for them so they headed back quite quickly.
Soon we began passing the first rocky outcrops of the islands and rowed parallel to the coast making good speed and surfing often making 3 5 kts. Soon the Scilly sea safari RIB came out and did some filming and gave us some directions before zooming back to the harbour.
I felt sad that our tremendous voyage was about to end so shortly, so I rowed slowly and opened my last US beer. Though it was very exciting to see land again, especially the wild Scillies. Soon we came into St Marys Sound where we had to fight against the tide and wind in order to round the headland and make it into the harbor. Despite draining all the ballast tanks this task proved impossible we couldnt make any headway. 2 options remained head back out to sea & make for Falmouth or land on any feasible area ie no rocks! Fortunately I had spotted a sandy, sheltered beach which I thought we could get to, I asked John who was now escorting us from the Spirit of St Agnes he guided us between the rocks and slowly we closed with the beach, the wind was pushing us on and so no need to row we just drifted me sitting on the bows of OLIVE, misjudging the depth and perhaps a little impatient I slid into the water too early straight up to my chest!
Ran up the beach touched the sands before returning to the water to push OLIVE back out to sea so we could get a tow round to the harbor from John.
So half an hour later we parted the tow and amidst 2 explosions I rowed a snaking course into the harbour and the shelter of the crowded quayside. Stepping ashore we were greeted by the Harbourmaster and Jim, then stumbling up the steps alone the Mayoress greeted me although I nearly knocked her into the harbour as I stumbled about! The Mayoress kindly gave me the Scillies flag & pennant and we chatted for a while before chatting to some of the locals, visitors and the fantastic harbour staff.
I fixed the rudder and Amanda very kindly washed and dried my clothes so that after supper in the Mermaid pub and picking up some fresh supplies my brother & I left at 2200 being towed out of the islands by the pilot boat.
More updates on Monday
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