In today’s update, Elsa introduces us to her cooking facilities, and writes about her wind troubles…

Feeling ok but quite frustrated as I lie in my smelly sweaty cabin being tossed around by the sea anchor. This morning was one of the best I’ve had. The sea is noticeably turning more blue, the sun was out, and I managed a whole poo without a wave hitting me. I rowed hard, and managed to maintain a route just west of south (just), even thigh it was pretty slow. Sadly, the wind either changed or picked up after lunch though, and by mid afternoon I was struggling to get anything close to south. Pushing my hardest I was still going east, which was majorly frustrating, as otherwise conditions were so much better than they have been. The waves are smaller today too and I was enjoying rowing in the sun. Reluctantly, I’ve got the sea anchor out, and am going to try some tactical nighttime rowing. It’s critical that I don’t lose too much to the east right now, as I try to make a push out towards the trades, but that’s definitely easier said that done. It’s not until I’ve gone through the whole palaver of getting the sea anchor in, the rudder out, the oar about and tied on, and all my wet weather gear and harness on, that I can actually find out if the wind will let me make any progress west, or if I again have to wait until later. I cannot wait until I’m going the right way, with the wind behind me!

I promise to start writing more interesting blogs soon, too, that don’t just consist of me moaning about how far east I am…

The last few days I’ve been rowing in silence, enjoying the space in my head and the thoughts that come up and disappear again. I’ve found that, at the moment, cabin time is when I appreciate something to listen to, particularly when I’m being thrown around a lot. Most listened to things at the moment are Dad’s Army and Faure’s Requiem – both really able to take me away from the crashing waves and help me breathe through each time the boat is lifted up and then slammed down hard.

Oar repair is currently holding up fine. I’ve no doubt I’ll have to do more repairs and upkeep to it as I go, but the fact that I’m able to row with it right now is brilliant (or would be if I could row in the right direction!).

As ever – comments, messages and emails are making such a difference to me every time I get them. Thank you everyone who is supporting and sending good wishes – your words really keep me going. Also thank you to everyone who has been admin the wind to change, blowing towards my boat, willing me westward, and cheering out to sea – let’s hope the winds start listening soon!

Finally, a little peek at life on the Pacific – check out my kitchen!

 

Elsa’s kitchen: her JetBoil stove on its gimbal; and Expedition Foods breakfast!

Campaign manager Steve says: Elsa is racking up the miles, having covered 350 nautical miles in actual distance, but only having reached mile 49 on the direct-line route is psychologically challenging. She is doing fantastically though – turn on the wind data on the tracker, and the plan is clear: as long as she keeps heading as west of south as she can, she’ll be hitting the more favourable trade winds in no time.

 

Please continue to send messages of support. Like and share Elsa’s row on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, subscribe to the newsletter – and dedicate miles and sponsor oar strokes!!

Yesterday was a frustrating sort of day. Although it started well – sun, slightly better waves, some west, an albatross… mid afternoon saw a wave crash right over the boat and snap the spoon of one of my two remaining oars in half. Not good.

I spent yesterday getting getting together advice, ideas and equipment, and this morning attempting repairs. Ideally I would have been doing this somewhere where I could have kept the surface of the blade clean and dry, but instead I had to make do with trying to shelter it with my body every time a wave crashed over. I've gone for the simple repair to start with, and will see how it holds over the coming days (seems to work ok so far). Stronger, more complicated repair lined up as an option, but only if this one doesn't work.

It's annoying to still have most of the way to go with broken oars, but hopefully it won't slow me up too much.

With my rowing cut short yesterday evening, I spent some time on blister care. My hands are actually looking surprising well (thanks mainly to my lovely Kakadu gloves), but I had a couple of blisters that were getting painful and full of pus. I lanced them and then sprayed them with my iodine dry spray, before going to sleep. It worked wonders and they are feeling great today!

 

From Elsa, in the Pacific:

Today has been frustrating as I’ve struggled to make any progress west at all. Rowing as hard as I can I’ve still been travelling a gentle south-east. I’m hoping to have more luck tomorrow and make a break for it in the early morning. It’s nice to be getting a little further south, but I need to make that west as well, and I know how far there is still to go…

I started rowing a little later than usual today as I spent some time in the morning making some ‘improvements’ to my kit. Using my hand drill for the first time, I’ve drilled some holes in the spoons of my remaining oars, and attached them to the boat by a lanyard. I’m rowing as carefully as I can, but hopefully this means that even if one does break now I won’t lose the spoons again, and would be able to make repairs. Ideally I won’t need them, but I feel a little more comfortable about them now.

Thank you again to everyone who is sending messages and words of support – it makes a huge difference to me, and I look forward to downloading my emails each evening. Steve has been sending on the comments and messages to me. It’s so lovely to lie down in my cabin, sore and aching, after I’ve cleaned the salt off at the end of a long day, and read everyone’s messages. Thank you – you keep me going.

Please continue to send messages of support. Like and share Elsa’s row on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, subscribe to the newsletter – and dedicate miles and sponsor oar strokes!!

Another message from the Pacific! Elsa had a detailed satphone conversation with her shore team today, is confident that she can continue safely, and that she can make timely and appropriate decisions if she does need to request any assistance. Thank you all for messages of support and concern – read on, but don’t fear for her safety – all is in hand!!

Golly – it’s kind of scary reading all these rescue stories. Partly reminds me that I’m not mad and overreacting at how horrible the conditions are, but also scares me as it confirms that they are dangerous….These seas are no joke. Are those that have retired staying in Monterey a while or have they headed home? Really really really going to do my best to make it to Hawaii in one piece!

Previous pic was tiny and on sea anchor! Prob with getting pics of bad waves is that I’m too scared to let go of anything to try and take them, and nervous of taking camera things out of the cabin in these conditions. Am aiming to get plenty of film footage to use on my return.

Am rowing very carefully though and putting the oars first, and tethering the spoons in case of further breakages.

Today was a funny sort of day. The morning was markedly better than it has been, and I allowed myself briefly to hope that I was getting on the better weather. I only got splashed twice all morning, and was making good progress. Alas, the afternoon changed all that – totally mad and turbulent waves and strong wind making it impossible even to hold a course south. Got dumped on by wave after wave and ended up retiring to my cabin early, totally soaked, to warm up a bit.

I did see dolphins late morning though – a couple jumping through the water ahead of my boat.  Although it’s shit again now, that brief glance of slightly better weather this morning has made my spirits lift a bit – it can’t be this bad all the way.

Thank you to all for so many messages! Really does help to read them. Gives me more reasons to keep pushing through. Thank you to everyone who is sending messages and good wishes.

Please continue to send messages of support. Like and share Elsa’s row on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, subscribe to the newsletter – and dedicate miles and sponsor oar strokes!!

Elsa still has a way to go to reach her fundraising goals – please share as far and wide as you can.

Elsa writes:

I’m so sorry to hear the news about Team Pacific Rowers. They’ve had a tough time from the start, and looked like they were doing amazingly well. Was looking forward to catching up with them in Hawaii. I could hear the coast guard on my VHF throughout the night, as I was hiding from the scary waves in my cabin. It is only today that I’ve found out exactly what happened though, and am thankful that the whole team is ok. Thinking of you guys.

I’m still struggling with the cold, wet, windy conditions. I haven’t been out of my foulies when rowing yet. I do manage to change into slightly damp but perfectly acceptable clothes at the end of each shift (I’m trying to keep ‘indoors’ and ‘outdoors’ as separate as possible), but getting into my freezing cold wet rowing clothes at the beginning of each shift still makes me shiver and complain. Roll on the warmer weather!

I’m getting quite adept at ‘speed cooking’ – trying to time my food preparation between waves. I take a good look out towards the waves and wait for a  quieter patch, then quickly open up my ‘cooking’ hatch, and snatch out my stove, gimbal, gas canister, and bag with lighter. I balance them between my knees and quickly close the hatch up again before a wave can break over it. Then I put everything together, carefully holding onto loose bags and bits and pieces – at the moment I’m tucking them under one of the broken oars while I cook. I choose an expedition meal out of another hatch (using the same wave avoidance method), and check the amount of water I need. Tucking that under my foot,  I fill the stove with the right amount of water from my water bladder – again trying to time the pouring between waves so I don’t spill everything. While the water heats I open up the meal and remove the desiccant sachet, and usually refill my drinking bottle at the same time. Once the water has boiled, I pour it into the meal and stir, and then close the pouch up and tuck it behind the broken oar while I put all the stove pieces away (again, trying to avoid waves). This has been mostly successful so far. I’ve had some water slosh into the hatch, and one wave attempted a big attack, but I managed to block it with my body, so the stove pieces are mostly still ok. Eating food should be a simple matter, but I’m still struggling to work out how to get a whole spoonful into my mouth while still keeping a wary eye on the approaching waves. Bits of pasta have ended up all over the deck, on my clothes, down my neck, in my ears… For some reason, the wind doesn’t like the idea of  food going into my mouth.

It seems the wind and I disagree on a number of things then, including which direction is a good direction. I’m still inching south west, but it is slow and painful. Come on trade winds!!

Please continue to send messages of support. Also like and share Elsa’s row on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, subscribe to the newsletter – and dedicate miles and sponsor oar strokes!!

Elsa still has a way to go to reach her fundraising goals – please share as far and wide as you can.

Elsa writes:

Waves are still pretty big this morning, and I’m totally wiped out, so thought I’d take an hour to catchup with emails before heading out there. I’m lying on my back right now. Before I start rowing I have to cook up some food for the day, readjust the ‘button’ on the oar, which has slipped up towards the handle, and then sort out the sea anchor, rudder etc. All a faff and takes ages. Can’t wait to not have to bother with sea anchor every night! 

Loving peoples messages – really makes a difference. So sorry I’m not replying them – but I hope they keep writing. When I got the last update with all the messages, I’d spent the last two hours of my rowing shift crying out loud as I rowed, feeling totally frustrated and useless, so was amazing to read all those words at that point. 

I’ve finally made it to deeper water – just. I’m only on the cusp, so not getting the benefits yet, but psychologically it feels great to have passed that milestone. Yesterday I determined not to stop until I’d made it this far – meaning I was so exhausted when I went to bed I could hardly sit up to eat or brush my teeth before collapsing onto my back to fall asleep. Even the steam train waves, crashing into the side of the cabin, didn’t keep me awake last night. 

Hoping for another big push today – my next goal is to start making more south and west, so start seeing lighter winds, and then hopefully some helpful winds headed I the right direction! That’s what I want for the next couple of weeks….

Please continue to send messages for Elsa via the web form!

 

This ‘better weather’ further out is tempting me so much – I can’t wait to get there, but at the some time I’m struggling to know how to…Awful news – yesterday was not just a day of one oar break, but two!!!  And both just snapped immediately and the spoon disappeared completely in an instant, so I don’t even have those to mend or put together for future ones. Now I’m terrified of breaking the next one and and am feeling a bit in limbo. Feel like an idiot – only 8 days in and already messing it up…

Both oars broke as I was nearly capsized by big breaking waves. Tried my best to get them out of the way but also was holding on to try and stay in the boat. Waves broke right over me – whole side of boat underwater, and whole thing filed by wave. So fast. So scary. Left me shaking.

Everything in cabin so wet and damp and disgusting. You’ll have to get yourself a nose peg if you meet me in Hawaii! Condensation dripping from ceiling and running down all the walls. I’m sleeping with a waterproof bag on top of my pillow as it is sopping wet. Putting talc all over my bum and feet every night before getting into my sleeping bag to help hold the salt sores etc at bay.

Massively grateful to all supporters and sponsors – some that I’ve been using a lot this week : Kakadu gloves helping protect my hands as I transition into constant rowing – developing some nice strong callouses and hands haven’t bled at all. Mover layers have been keeping me warm – the nights especially are still cold at the moment, especially as it’s so windy. LifeProof cases and OverBoard dry bags keeping as much of my clothes and kit dry as possible.

Still near a lot of shipping lanes, so am frequently woken up by the AIS warning me that there are ships in the area at could be a danger to me. The AIS has a lovely way of putting it. “Distance from target” “Accuracy: high” etc. I then watch them anxiously on the GPS to see if they carry on heading towards me, or if they look like they’ve noticed and have changed course. Often I have to get on the VHF to speak to them, just in case – particularly at night when I feel more vulnerable. When I get a reply from hem, I let them know that I’m a small vessel, limited in my ability to manoeuvre, (and also often lying in para anchor) , and I just wanted to make sure that they’re aware of me. So far they have all politely agreed to alter course.

I’m feeling rather battered and am covered with bruises all over. Impossible to predict where the next wave will come from.

When I was lying on para anchor and going to sleep last night, I was thinking that maybe my boat feels something like a kite. It is held by this point, but is being lifted and swept around and hit from all directions. Sometimes I’m lifted in bit swoops, sometimes thrown side to side, or lifted up and then slammed down. Sometimes I hear what sounds like a huge train approaching, and then a massive wave slams into me from the side, smashing over the boat and leaving foam everywhere. It is so loud in here at night!

Apart from all the oar breaking and scariness, the rowing itself is easier to do for long periods that I had worried. Hours can go by without it feeling too long.

I can’t wait for a bit of a break in the weather to do some washing and drying, and to make cooking a bit easier. I’m struggling a bit at the moment as dollops of cold water keep being dumped on top of me when I’m on deck – not ideal when you’re trying to heat water!

All the messages, letters and emails make such a difference – thank you so much to everyone who is following and sending good wishes and news. Hopefully this elusive ‘better weather’ will bring with it  more coherent blogs from me.

There have been some sunny evenings where I feel like I could just keep rowing Indefinitely in the golden sunlight, albatross swooping around, and the foam on the water making all sorts of shapes… At least, until a big wave breaks over me, covering me with cold water and leaving me gasping from the shock.

It’s great to hear from Elsa – even if she’s having a tough time at the moment. Great Pacific Race director Chris Martin says that as she passes into deeper ocean (which she is doing as we speak – see the race tracker pic below!) the waves will be more rolling and less breaking, and the further south and west she gets the more favourable the winds, waves and currents. The team is also putting contingency plans in place for Elsa’s oar situation.

Please continue to send messages of support via the contact form, Twitter and Facebook – Elsa apologises if she doesn’t reply individually but says that they’re all massively appreciated.

Please also continue to support Elsa and get involved by dedicating miles and donating oar strokes. Elsa is well on the way to covering core costs and wants to make as big an impact as possible on the causes she’s supporting.

Media: please get in touch for resources and to enquire about possible satphone interviews.