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Thursday, October
10th: - another good day It was raining all night, even a wind almost abates for 3 hours, thus Emmanuel could relax after last, very rough, days. He woke up one hour earlier to start rowing, as the northwest wind has gained strength of 15 - 20 knots. The rain was always there, Emmanuel was totally wet despite his waterproof coat, it was cold, but he wanted to benefit from favourable conditions. Heavy rain all day long, wind from northwest and west, 12 - 25 knots. But at 15:30 GMT the wind turned west, 20 - 25 knots, and Emmanuel was able to take advantage of more than 2 hours of sunny weather. But soon large clouds appeared on the horizon. Emmanuel hopes, that they are not the signs of a new cyclone coming from the north or east. Ladybird made a maxi-surf at 11,6 knots. Emmanuel has noticed a metallic-colored fin very close to his boat - it was a large moonfish again. After 15 very intence hours of rowing, by the evening Emmanuel felt OK. But the rain got back and one more cold and dump night is coming. |
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Wednesday, October
9th: - The Ladybird still escaping During Tuesday, Emmanuel only rowed 7 hours, then put the Ladybird in drift - sea too rough. He also informed us that Ladybird had capsized 2nd time, surprised by a strong wave, in the afternoon of Tuesday, but had righted almost at once. The night was starry, very dark and cold. Wind N and NW, approx. 30 knots, rough sea. Emmanuel had 3 naps (approx. 40 min each). In the morning, ocean very rough NW - north, with swells from north. Emmanuel couldn't take the oars again - too dangerous. Weater was fine with some cumuli, Emmanuel planned to go to see his hold, as soon as weather allows it, to see how much water did ladybird take during last two capsizes. But there was still too many big waves, therefore he had to act with precaution. During the contact, Emmanuel said that he sees large walls of water being formed to the north from his position, which arrive and are burst in front of him, and sometimes on the Ladybird, producing awful noise. During the day the wind didn't change, 20 to 33 nodes, significant waves from north mix up with waves from NW. As a result Emmanuel didn't take oars since Tuesday. In the evening the wind calmed a little, and the Ladybird lost a bit of her speed, but the sea was still very rough. Weather forecast turned out to be exact - this large depression above Coindre is dissolving, and moving towards Golf of Gascogne and Spain. Emmanuel found himself on the intersection of the winds. Nevertheless he managed to empty the water from Ladybird's hold, and to catch on the radio France-Infos, that means for him, that he's approaching the continent, and a little support of course. |
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Tuesday,
October 8th: - violent winds. In the last contact of yesterday evening, the NW wind weakened a little bit at night, Emmanuel was able to row, with 10 to 12 knots it was possible. Then a small nap, too short, because the blast at about 3:50 am announces the arrival of the expected wind. The wind from NW, 40 knots, rough to very rough sea, swells from the north 4- 5 m. In the contact of 1pm Emmanuel informed us that he has capsized approximately 15 minutes ago. The boat was surprised by a rather violent wave, certainly from the north. Ladybird remained upside down for approximately 1 minute, Emmanuel has found the spot to recover the boat. He lay on the box of starboard and the Ladybird returned in normal position. Emmanuel didn't row any more since the blast, too dangerous, the Ladybird was drifting. During the capsize, Emmanuel saw in his bubble as in an aquarium 3 pilot-fishes. During our contact an enormous noise was heard and... after few endless seconds Emmanuel informs us that a very big wave had just come down on his boat. In the afternoon, same conditions, always 35-40 knots from the north and the north/west. Despite the fatigue and the lack of sleep Emmanuel is not unhappy of his last two days. He moved well to the north, had just a little back, and made good progress eastward. The weather was very nice in the afternoon, it is good to recharge the solar panels, and also for the morale of the rower, still locked in his transparent bubble. He prefers, rather than to lie down in cabin, to put often his head in a bubble to watch waves. Emmanuel knows that he must remain careful and conscious of the danger until the end. |
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Monday, October 7th: - more patience until the fair wind returns. The night was difficult,from rough to very rough sea, Emmanuel slept only 1 hour before the day rise, the Ladybird is still under floating anchor. Early in the morning: - wind always from NORTH, 25 to 30 knots, waves from NORTH crossed with the NORD-EAST, strong sea with quite a lot of breakers. In the morning still the NORTHERN wind, the rather strong sea, but seems less dangerous than before, the weather is beautiful, with passages of cumulus. This night also, there were big rainy passages, and at the end of night, stars. Emmanuel is surrounded with zones of low pressure, thus shaken non-stop, sea in opposition, again has to wait because the carrying winds are announced, and to be still brewed. In the afternoon, finally, Emmanuel could remove his floating anchor, By the contact of 8 pm (French time) it has been 1 hour since he recovered to row, we feel in the sound of his voice that his spirit is up again. The wind is always NORTH, 20 knots hardly, the sea is very agitated (crossed the NORTH, the NORTH / WEST and NORD/EAST), with big swells from the NORTH, but it seems soft, waves collide friendly in spite of the still strong wind. In the afternoon, also, a mammal about 5m, with a round aileron, appeared 2m from the front of the Ladybird, thus very, very close, then left. While listening to the weather report on RFI, Emmanuel heard the message of encouragement sent by his family, it warmed his heart. He knows that many people in the world, think of him, and pray so that his arrival does not delay any more too much now. Emmanuel will do his best, as winds become again favorable. |
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To row the Atlantic |
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Sunday,
October 6th. Under floating anchor Emmanuel rowed till midnight , in polar jacket and a hat, because the sea allowed it - a calm. Then approximately 4 hours of sleep. And at 5:50 am the announced NORTH blast arrived abruptly, 20 then 30 knots, rain continues . Impossible to go to row with these conditions, has to be locked into this small cockpit. Emmanuel knows that all his efforts to go more to the North are going to perish. At the end of the morning, this NORTH wind strengthened, at present - from 35 to 40 knots, Emmanuel put himself under floating anchor, and does not like it at all. The rain stopped a little, but big cumulus still threaten. All the adversity is with him since his departure: 7 depressions, 2 tropical storms - its inconceivable. Since Hurrican DOLLY Emmanuel really had terrible climatic conditions, here it is hyper noisy, the ladybird taps non-stop, all around vibrates and whistles and is hyper wet. Sea is strong, Emmanuel fixed himself as he can and stays stretched out mostly. It is necessary for him in the same time to watch the course the boat drifting, and also to breath and open a little his bubble for that. In a word - a lot of problems of this sort. Emmanuel also has to keep the Ladybird on the course to less going down, and from this fact has to double distrust - a turn-over may happen any time. He saw some seagulls in the strong current of water, that wet their legs, and as soon as they stretch their wings, fly away and disappear very fast with this strong wind. He also saw two big black birds, does not know what those are, not frigates at least. Emmanuel begins to dream to be able to stretch his body at least for a single quarter of an hour - on a good lawn, either to eat a beefsteak at a house with a fireplace, or at Hervй and Josiane, "La Brigantine" at the port of Pornichet, France ...... to counter his tiredness Emmanuel will do some stretching as soon as these conditions are weakened a little bit, and for now he has only one haste: to resume his row and to resume the road, and not to undergo the conditions he has got at the moment. |
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Saturday,
October 5th. Emmanuel has to
blend with the elements. At night - East wind, from 15 to 20 knots, waves from 2 to 3m. Black night, low ceiling, very crossed sea coming from the East and South/East - the conditions far from desirable. Cold and very humid night. In the morning - the same East wind , 15 to 17knots, crossed sea, waves - 3m, ceaseless rain, very painful to row. Not so easy here. In the South Emmanuel sees a corner of blue sky, hopes for an improvement, but the forecasts that we give him are hardly happy. The special bulletin requested from Meteoconsult-France announces to him a strong gale from the NORTH, force 8 to come. On Sunday he will be in the crossroads of several depressions. He suspected it because he had heard a weather bulletin on his RFI that the situation in North Atlantic was very difficult at the moment. He seems to row in a wall, Emmanuel does not fear the strong winds, but fears only the hurricanes and the East wind . At 14.00 the sky cleared, nice weather but very hot, then the wind turned very slightly WESTERN, and currently he has WEST wind from 2 to 4 knots, so nothing to say, but with a sea from the opposite direction - from the East against WEST, swell from 2 to 3m. So, the day of 15 hours of intensive rowing, because Emmanuel smells very well the current from the East under him. For 2 days he is feeling a general tiredness, the muscular pain has returned. In the morning Emmanuel was on a collision course with a container-carrier proceeding towards France, a company which had already worked with him. They didn’t collide since Emmanuel could speak by VHF with them and they spoke French. At the end of the afternoon, Emmanuel crossed another cargo liner, going western direction this time. Here we are, Emmanuel gets ready to face another strong gale may be for 2-3 days, but with some mistrust nevertheless - force 8 is nothing. But it may well happen that all his miles fought to the North would be lost and perhaps, and even certainly, would have to be gained back…Over and over to start again.. |
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Friday,
October 4th. Difficult night. Emmanuel had to row almost all night long, while sleeping by 20 minutes naps only (all in all - 2.30 hours of sleep), all this because of an East wind in 15 knots. Fortunately it was rather a star-spangled night , Emmanuel even saw a falling star. At 3 am he saw far off a cargo boat. In the early hours, wind again rose to 20 knots, very crossed sea, with sea passages SOUTH/EAST, and of swell NORTH / WEST of 2 - 3m. The weather was nice all the day long - a comfort for him, - with passages of big cumulus. He passed next to a moon-fish, much larger than those already seen, with a beautiful aileron like a shark. In the afternoon he also saw another cargo boat approximately 1 mile away. This evening, Emmanuel is tired enough - 17 hours of oars ! - tired, but also satisfied, because if he had not rowed so much, he would have been pushed off course too much, and it is very important for him to raise to the North, while advancing eastward. It is not simple - with this crossed sea the Ladybird smacks a lot and badly. And the East wind… Emmanuel has never loved it, his morale feels the effects of it at once. This evening he is thinking about the Children Patients of the Necker Hospital, and it helps him a lot and keeps his spirits up. And an enjoyable experience - Emmanuel took time to appreciate the brioche and the croissants, as well as the good mango (not guava) of the Azores. |
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Thursday,
October 3rd. Day full of
emotions. Following the damage of a large bag, though waterproof, in his hold (certainly during the last two enormous storms) - bag containing mainly energy food, - Emmanuel was forced to call a yacht in the Azores. A yacht of 13m, "Muirsheen Dirkin" has travelled since Sunday to Emmanuel, to bring him this replacement of lost food. Chris, who had sent on September 3rd a mail of encouragement to Emmanuel to greet his courage, has generously offered this "complement of food ". The contact has just been established this day, Thursday, October 3rd at about approximately 15.00 GMT - between Chris on dry land, Emmanuel and the yacht. The ocean, very quiet, allowed this resupply at its best. At the moment Ladybird inhales less moisture and salted water, but rather the pineapple, the guava, the fresh apples… “Thank you, Chris, it is royal ! - between people of the sea, we understood, the admiration is mutual - the hardness of the sea binds deep links. Thank you also, the skippers! - John and Lesley,- who had to face, as me, the last blasts in 35 knots; and good wind for your return in the Azores. Hello The Azores !”. So, now Emmanuel is going to pursue his hard crossing, to re-concentrate on his project, while hoping not to have other damages of this kind any more. Yesterday evening, Emmanuel saw 5 passages of long waves in the WEST of 9m at least, then nothing more… Impressing. After a star-light night, no WESTERN AND NORTH / WESTERN wind, a long swell of 2m, in the early hours, the wind has just turned South-East in 5 knots. Emmanuel saw another small turtle, and group of globycйphales which went westward. It was very warm all day long, small day in miles today, but Emmanuel was forced to stop rowing to establish the contact as quickly as possible with the yacht from the Azores. And now, when the wind East returns in addition, he has to take again his oars with more force and doggedness, but it does not frighten Emmanuel. |
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Wednesday,
October 2nd. Starlight night with 1/4 of the moon, the agitated sea with a West wind, 15 in 20 knots. Wind turning the WEST and the NORTH / WEST at 9am , 10 knots, the weather looks beautiful, with cumulus and passage of rains, but not over him; long, long swell from the West of 3, 4 and 5m. A well brightened up day. At about 11am, the WEST wind turned into the NORTH / WEST and fell in 5 knots. Still long swells from the NORTH / WEST, that puts the rower a little back, the Ladybird slides, and thus pats less. The boat is thus stabilized in the calm for the end of the morning. Emmanuel is going to take advantage of it and clean the bottom of the Ladybird, because barnacles are still very numerous. So, it was a day of 15 hours on oars. By the way, on Tuesday Emmanuel had even made a surfing for 13 knots when there were another 35 knots of wind. |
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Tuesday,
October 1st. Two capsizes, but Ladybird self-righted very well. After our contact yesterday evening, the wind strengthened, to reach 25 - 30 knots. The sea was strong and very strong, waves from 5 to 6 m. Emmanuel was brewed well all night long, that caused a new sleepless night, in addition to the cold and the pervading humidity. At about 4 am in the morning he underwent a blast from the South-West in 35 knots, that provoked two new capsizes of Ladybird within gap of one and a half hour. Fortunately without damage, Ladybird recovered immediately. This morning the sky is like a dragnet, the sea is still very strong, still waves from 5 to 6 m - and this good West wind! At present the wind fell a little, to 20 -25 knots. As he cannot row endlessly, Emmanuel takes advantage of it to clean his boat. He arranges everything and everything is indeed fixed and in proper place. Yesterday he rowed only 7hours, a very good day, because with this wind Ladybird slides on its own. |
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