Michelle Lee’s journey continues. Last Friday, Michelle provided another quick update following on from one only days prior. Her words help us understand what she is enduring and her mindset.
Two days ago, was day 68. If it was on my #Atlantic row, I would be crossing the finish line. I just let that day come and go. I did take time to refocus my attention on my finish line on that day. I put my mind to what it’s going to be like arriving in #Sydney. The focus shifted from “I would have been finished”, to what it’s going to look like. I’ll be coming in on a beautiful sunrise, I’ll be rowing through the heads of Sydney Harbour on a perfect sunrise.
Other than that, the focus is on finding these big currents. Roger’s plotting the charts and putting me in the big currents again, particularly as I’ll shortly be coming across the equator. The currents can be quite vicious at the equator and Roger’s indicated he’s got to decide where we cross. That will then put me in the South Pacific and I’ll feel like I’m on the way home.
Everything’s pretty good otherwise. Eating well, sleeping well, the boat is working well, all my systems are functioning as they should.
Thanks to all the 37 books I have on audible that I’ve listened to several times now, I have taken up so much storage space that I don’t have any music on my boat. So, I’ve been singing to myself. Singing a tune to keep each day moving along. Sometimes I find myself strumming my ukulele at 2:00am in the morning as well. If I wake up, I give it a little strum, but as for playing the uke during the day, that’s not on my mind one bit. This is a very different row to the Atlantic row. When it’s mealtime, I literally line up all my pots of food, and don’t get off the chair to eat or anything else. If I do, I get pushed up or down.
I’ve never had all the wind behind me like it should be. In the Atlantic I had such different conditions. I don’t get a chance to do anything that I might have done on the Atlantic, it’s too freakin’ hectic. The priority is to keep the boat heading the right way.
Again, with fishing, that priority is not there either. I’ve certainly got all the gear, but having a fish flapping around my boat, the blood that’s everywhere as I prepare the meal, I’m not interested in it. If you like fishing, you’d be having a ball out here, but I can’t even see myself doing it. The time that it takes me off the oars and the trauma it would cause having to kill it, is not worth it for me. There’s enough packet food to last the distance, and it’ll take me to #Doyles when I get home, I’ll have my piece of fish there.
I saw another cargo ship today. I jumped on the radio, “I’m a rowing vessel, can you confirm you see me?” I said.
“I see you” he said, “do you need any assistance?”
“No, I don’t need any assistance” I said.
I saw he diverted his course and then it looked like he was coming for me. He called me again on the radio.
“You sure you don’t need any assistance?”
He checked quite a few times on me just to make sure. “Are you sure?” I assured him several times I didn’t need any assistance and they went right on past.
Thanks to all my sponsors;
The Quays Marina LTD Southern Seas Marine Dunbier Trailers Fibre Marine Boat Repairs Simrad Yachting Survitec Group Ltd. Deep Cycle Systems Chief Nutrition Speedo Sharkskin Tiller and Kites CAMPERS PANTRY Pty Ltd Crewsaver Australia One Party Silva Method Australia
This adventure could not be done without you all!
