Historical Blog Archive

Hello chaps, glad to hear you are moving westward again - one step closer to the finish line and being back to Sezzy Sue! Albeit belated, Happy Birthday to you both - I have just bought you guys a virtual pint each and there's a promise of a real one at the end if you row a bit faster! Jen x

Great to hear you're back on it boys! I'm just about to head off to catch my flight to the Comores Islands. I'll report back and tell you all about the great things you can expect from that part of the world when you reach land! Keep up the awesome work and here's hoping for good weather and more surfing for you. Ed

It's been great to speak to Andrew today and to have this informative blog from Guy - so comforting to know that they are doing just fine out there looking out for each other. The support and good wishes from everyone is overwhelming. Thank you to everyone who is blogging it makes fun reading and the messages, they really are appreciated. Here's to the halfway it can't be far off................

Sounds really tough going. But do always know that you have so much support behind you at home, and we are always thinking of you. We know you can do it. xx

Definitely bring on halfway. Dont think going backwards was part of the boys plan when they thought up this challenge couple of years ago. Certainly not when Andrew was trying to convince me about it!!! They are doing fab though and fine examples of effective teamwork and friendship. I also wanted to reiterate thank you to everyone that bought the boys virtual pints by donating to the charity. They are massively appreciated and a good moral boost for the boys during a tricky moment. xxxxxx

That's quite a big ocean then?! We are most impressed that you are doing so well and by the quietly determined tone in your blog. All the very best for the 2nd half of the ocean from all of us.

Got to be tough rowing West and going East - but with so many people rooting for you you must have a teriffic amount of etherial energy urging you onwards. Stick with the "just keep plodding" quote - although I think he stole it from Finding Nemo ("just keep swimming") - in any case, just keep rowing! Soon be on the downhill path.

Shuttle rowing is no fun!! There,back,there again............. You've achieved so much to be put through that, we are all sooooo proud of you!! Your positive thinking, your determination and utter endurance to achieve your goal is powerful!! ..... Just above your phone boys there is a blog message from SteveFish: when i copied it onto your cabin wall it made me cry ~ read it and believe ~ this is the power YOU gave Steve and James to climb their mountain!!! xtina

Hi Guy & Andy. Have probs with blog but in there now! I sat on the beach recently, looking out to sea...I tried to imagine it was the Indian Ocean & my thoughts went out to you both. We all send you our positive thoughts , you in return think them but it cannot be easy for you to feel at all times. Here we are safe on dry land ( relatively dry, the weather is typical Eng. summer)& there you both are out on a mass of water. You are achieving so much, under great difficulties & managing to keep US positive by your blogs etc. How weird is that! So you are both creating very powerful stuff & whenever you feel really TRIED by nature, you are doing the right thing, corny as it sounds you are having to "Go With the Flow", & you most certainly will row into Mauritius!! On a lighter note along with everyone else I just want to send my love & look forward to seeing you both in person to catch up very soon... Rox xxx

Sounds amazing! Reading this post really helps me to see how you're doing something unique; that as tough as the rowing and the solitude must be, you're seeing and experiencing things that most of us never will in this lifetime. How many of us have been in a small boat in the middle of the ocean watching shooting stars? I haven't. So I'm glad to hear that you're appreciating these moments. Will be praying that you continue to and that God keeps you safe out there. Pete.

So glad you have had a good rowing day despite the storm brewing. Hope tonight is a good row as well and that you enjoy what sound like an enchanting experience!! Go for it. john

The shooting stars sound amazing. So pleased to hear you are going back in the right direction, and that you are looking after each other so well. Simon has been keen to know if you have been able to fish. You said you went fly fishing but didn't mention if you actually caught anything??! We're thinking about you loads and sending you all of our love & support and willing you to the half way mark and beyond. All our love Fiona & Simon xxx

Hi there, So glad you are seeing shooting stars..they never cease to amaze me, and I always feel so lucky when I do see one. Sarah , like you , is now getting some more favourable winds and able to row seriously again. She was in good spirits when I spoke to her earlier today. She was going to have a bottle of fizz this evening, to drink a toast to Derek, her Dad. .......he died 3yrs ago today. Hope the " bucket" is still ok and that you are not missing the chocolate too much.....!!! Pretend you don't like it.....then it won't seem so bad. I'm sure you can make up for it once you get to the mighty M!!! Keep up the rowing guys, each one ( in theory) is one less to do. Hugz Helen ( Sarah's Mum)

Lovely to read your comments about shooting stars - not much chance of anything like that in suburbia!! Went across the Solent yesterday to the Isle of Wight and it was very calm and sunny - just a few sailing boats and other ferries. Not quite as exciting as your sea voyage!! So glad you are back on course - just keep plodding on and know that we are all rooting for you. Jenny & Peter

Boys...a little story to put a smile on your face. Every day that I feel like it's going a bit slow, or I just want to be able to do things a bit faster, I am reminded of the one night Tom and I spent in a 'dry ice' factory. We were drafted in at v short notice (University holidays) and had to travel to Crawley to a factory for a 12 hour night shift. We thought it may be interesting and earnt us as much as £80 tax free! It turned out that a machine had broken and all we had to do for the next half a day was to catch a small block of dry ice that shot down a conveyor belt every 3 seconds and put it onto another conveyor belt. That was it. After an hour, we had both dropped so many blocks, that we were stood in dry ice and started to get cold feet (literally). By about 3 in the morning, we were both delirious and fairly close to tears, but Tom simply said to me "Trumpet......your time will come!" The next few hours passed and our time came. We took the money and (I think) spent it on some after shave from a bloke in Oxford Sreet with a suitcase....but that's another story. So whenever I need to show some patience, I always hear those famous words "your time will come". Come on Ferkins (Nutkins) Socrates (Trumpet) out.

Dear Andy and Guy, Have enjoyed keeping track of your daily progress on your web page and the Woodvale website, sorry i have not been on the blog much lately. We all think you are doing absolutely fantastic, keep it up. Top Gun happened to be on tv the other night and when that volleyball scene came on with the cheesy Kenny Loggins song, it reminded me of when we were in Zanzibar playing volleyball, that was truly amazing. The one question is, do you remember who The Hammer was?! I have to say, the starting price on the Spearmint Rhino cards sounds a bargin, not that i would ever go to such a place, cough cough! Loved the previous blog about Trumpet catching ice every 3 seconds. They should do that as community service punishment! Just in case you are wondering, my dad and i did not go to Rome luckily. What a shambles that was, you did not miss much. Well, i certainly picked the right final last year. Anyway, keep it up boys and i will be back soon. Over and out, Andy C AKA The Chorltinator

Surfing and whale watching - what more coudl you ask for! How's the shark spotting going? Not long to the half-way mark now - great going lads, keep it up.

Boys, great to see you're heading in the right direction again - by my reckoning you could be half way by the end of today... (54nm out at 06.02 16/6) I know it's still a way off but have you got a rough ETA for Mauritius in your heads? It'd be interesting to see how you calculate your progress for the second half of the race - whether it will be a quicker half due to currents, wind etc or about the same. Did you know that 'Day 58' is a little auspicious in the pioneering / adventurer world? In 2004 Steve Fossett completed the fastest crewed circumnavigation of the globe aboard 'Cheyenne' in 58 days, 9 hours, 32 mins (since beaten by Francis Joyon). In 1928 Franz Romer rowed from the Canary Islands to Puerto Rico in 58 days and in 1990 Borge Ousland (long time adversary of Ran Fiennes) ski-treked the 800km from Ward Hunt Island, Canada to the North Pole in, you guessed it, 58 days... Hope this provides suitable motivation - you are in great company and continue to provide endless inspiration to all of us. Proud of you lads - keep it going. Russ x

russ you are right on the mileage, half way should be coming up later today - be prepared! Answers to further questions coming later... Jem

BTW Andy, Over and out?! Over and out?! What! Have I taught you nothing in sailing over the last 18 months?!!! You so owe Tim and I a beer for that... J