Save Zimbabwe

Brett Sparrow and Scott Wonenberg

"Against All Odds".

page 1 ● 2 ● 3 ● 4 ● 5 ● 6 ● 7 ● 8 ● 9 ● 10 ● 11 ● 12 ● 13 ● 14 ● 15 ● 16

February 10, 2004

Day 20

17:50hrs

18:00hrs

20:30hrs

Fish on line. Fought for 10min. Close to boat – let go.

Scott and I cleared the air regarding things we were getting irritated about each other.

Brett’s shift has been absolute calm. Started to hear wind in the distance approaching. Wind comes.

February 11, 2004

00:50hrs

16:22hrs

Wind 15 knots. Boat speed up to 3-3.5 knots. Scott took over.

Brett’s dream: Kenneth holds rowers meeting in mid Atlantic. Due to cyclone in Barbados, finish line is moved further north. Refuses to give full details as still waiting for other rowers to catch up. For now sit tied up to all the other boats. Silence…

End Day 20
56N.M logged

N 20° 26.305’
W 033° 34.802’

1000N.M covered (trip meter)

D 2 Bar 1558N.M

February 13, 2004

Day 22

16:22hrs

Thunderstorms all around, only light drizzling on boat.

Wind SE

Paradox: Vast desert of water and sky but yet so bountiful with life and energy. When at top of swell, same feeling as being on an escarpment overlooking large hardwood forest. As if in touch with something ancient.

End Day 22 53N.M logged
N 19° 44.985
W 035° 23.930’ D 2 Bar 1449N.M

February 14, 2004

Day 23

16:22hrs

Storm clouds all around. A couple of showers in the morning.

Scott woke me with camera. Cooked sweet corn porridge. Very good.
Navigation by stars – Big Dipper

Toughest day yet. Frustrating! The harder you crank the less speed. Tea spooning = faster speed.

End Day 23 49N.M logged

D 2 Bar 1400N.M

February 15, 2004

Day 24

03:00hrs

03:27hrs

04:22hrs

05:00hrs

05:45hrs

16:22hrs

Much ‘Little white Bastards’ or ‘Bullet waves’

Scott’s Dream: Super extreme sport – elephant games?

Sleep deprivation playing visual games with Scott, moving things…..

Lots of falling stars. No moon yet.

Moonrise behind cloud front.

Breakfast – corn

Brett thinking about Yannie (Greek) who lost his father soon after he did. Differences in how we dealt with it.

Large front moving in.

Brett swam – lots of weed. Been saying that we are dragging weed as a figure of speech but we are in reality. Small striped fish living under hull.

Boat feels a hell of a lot lighter.

26N.M. in last 12 hrs          D 2 Bar 1374N.M

Moon rises over clouds, silver lining.

Scott spotted ship lights to the South

Finished last of Pasta

Greek tanker ship from Nigeria – Will arrive in Philadelphia on the 22nd ch.6 Offered assistance. We said our thanks but we were fine… just doing our do…

Wind died, seas calmed down. Cloudy but still sea. Slow going all day.

End Day                     24 57N.M. logged
N 19° 17.848’
W 037° 12.008’            D 2 Bar 1343N.M.

February 16, 2004

Day 25

16:22hrs

Celebrated party for halfway across Atlantic Ocean. Fixed Sadza and gravy and had raspberry crumble for pudding.
Drank bottle of Cordon Negro Champagne that Dave gave to us for this party. Video much of the party.
Stopped rowing for a total of one hour for the party then began our shifts again.

Brett Dreams of tired Kenneth Crutchlow waiting for us all to arrive and has giggle fit remembering it over breakfast. Also had another dream that we reached Barbados. One of the other boats found with nobody inside and day old litter onboard.

Finished last of rice

End Day 25 49N.M. logged
N 18° 55.111’
W 037° 59.625’ D 2 Bar 1294N.M.

Day 26

Evening Storms all around us. Brett rowing – preparing everything. (Battening down the hatches) Was like rowing into battle. Huge storm ahead but no way around but straight for it.

Only got small shower

Bullet wave knocked Brett off chair and bruised his back on Alpha foot plate.

February 17, 2004

01:35hrs

06:46hrs

16:22hrs

Tanker off to port.

Moon rise

End Day 26 52N.M. logged
N 18° 18.807’
W 038° 48.104’ D 2 Bar 1242N.M.

up ▲ up

<<<previous ● next>>>

photo gallery