Stein HOFF: News from the route

STEIN HOFF: news from the route

Thursday, 10th.October day 62 In the world of flying-fish!
12 GMT pos: N1055 W3825 43 n. miles past 24 hours. Light-moderate breeze form NE, temp 30/28. It is hot, but he has now learned to cool the boat by pouring water over the deck and coach-roof. There have been heavy clouds to the north again, which gave a dramatic sun-rise. He has now taken a new course, towards the original way-point 4 at the border of Surinam and French Guyana. It is 954 miles away, then another 242 miles to Georgetown. Today he has seen more flying-fish than ever before, must have seen thousands, flying in large schools, often 50-60 at a time. There has also been a bluish tail-fin following the boat for a while, probably a blue marlin. There is also a school of small dorados following him, when they swim past, half go on one side and half on the other side. They duck down when the oars come over them.
He has finished reading "The sea, the sea" by Iris Murdoch, and listened to the cassette "Iris" which is her husband Jim Bailey's account of her life and how he looked after her the last couple of years of her life when she had Alzheimer's disease. This he found very touching, as it reminded him of his mother who looked after his father with the same illness.
He has now been at sea for 2 months. He has chatted to his son Martin who is 29 today, and the conditions are perfect, so a cheerful greeting from Stein.
Diana.

Wednesday, 9th.October day 61 Thin legs!
12GMT pos: N1116 W3745 35 n.miles past 24 hours. Light breeze from east or south-east, and fairly calm sea. There has been massive cloud formations to the north, but good weather where Stein is. It was a bit slow going during the night, but better during the day. Last night he saw the biggest shooting star he has ever seen, like a New Year's rocket, which lit up the whole boat. He saw a ship again, a white, rusty vessel with lots of antennж, doesn't know what it was. He also heard the first plane for a long time. Scrubbed the hull again yesterday, discovered that his striped pilot-fish has deserted him, but a new one has come, a remora with suckers.
He has measured himself, found out that waist and chest are the same as before, but that his thighs are 10 cms thinner! He now has pretty ladies' legs! Sseems to be eating enough, anyway. Greetings.
Diana.

Tuesday, 8th.October day 60 Video-camera destroyed!
12 GMT pos: N1135 W3713 46 n.miles past 24 hours. Light cloud and light breeze from NE. There have been some rain-showers to the north. There was a forecast of a tropical wave moving north of him so hopefully he is now south of the most unsettled area.
Yesterday evening, there was a lovely sun-set and he had a chat to his colleague Stein Olsson, who is looking after his practice. He was glad to get the news from work, and feel that his patients are in good hands. He listened to the cassette of the classical novel "Crime and Punishment" by Dostojevskij, and was amazed when I told him on the phone that I had just been to the theatre to see the stage version "Raskolnikov".
Today has been another good rowing day, and he feels in good shape. Spent an hour and a quarter this morning trying to open the PC, as one of the smart data people in the Norwegian Data Society has given a suggestion to open it and take out cards and parts one at a time, in an attempt to get rid of the defect one. He didn't even manage to get it open! Worse to come, he decided to try the waterproof rain-jacket which we managed to get for the video-camera. It seemed to fit as it should, and he checked that everything was tightly closed, then started filming under water, but after 15 seconds, bubbles started coming out and it was a third full of water before he got it up on the boat again. Goodbye video-camera! So no more filming on this trip. Interesting to see if the full-proof insurance we took out for the camera has any small-print! The rain-jacket is an original Sony piece of equipment, so there should have been no problem, but Stein is furious with himself for not trying it out first under-water without the camera!
Later he had a visit from the fishing vessel Manuel Alba from Vigo in Spain, which came within shouting distance. They waved flags at each other, and had a chat on the VHF. They wanted to know if they could give him anything, but Stein told them he is not taking any help en route. First use of the VHF on this trip.
Diana.

Monday, 7th.October day 59 Perfect conditions!
12 GMT pos: N1208 W3639 42 n.miles past 24 hours. NE fresh breeze, there was quite a rough sea during the night, and it was very hot and humid, like sleeping in a
Turkish-bath. It has become calmer today, and Stein has really enjoyed rowing in perfect conditions, with following wind, beautiful weather with trade-wind clouds, and probably some current with him. Let's hope that this will continue. The pain in his back and neck is gone, and he had a big luch consisting of rice, onion, salmonpaste, feda cheese, a boks of squid and alfa.alfa sprouts! (it actually tasted good!) He has seen another Portuguese man of war, about 15 cms diameter, which sailed away too fast to be filmed, and a storm-petrel which flew around a few times, but also disappeared when the camera appeared! There was a rain-shower this morning, followed by a lovely rainbow. Stein sends a cheerful greeting.
Diana.

Sunday, 6th.October day 58 New way-point
12 GMT pos:N1243 W3616 30 n.miles past 24 hours. ENE moderate breeze to near-gale. Pretty rough, but has become a bit calmer during the afternoon and is going a little faster. He didn't manage to wait until he was south of N12 before going more west, but has made a new way-point today, N11 W3730, 126 n.miles away.
He was interviewed on Norwegian radio this morning, both his mother and I forgot to listen!
Yesterday, he had to wash his hat (a Tilley hat) which was getting mouldy! He has found it difficult to get out all the salt from his clothes if he washes in salt-water with a final rinse in fresh. So he has found a new way of washing, does it in fresh water with only a little soap, and doesn't rinse at all. This works well, and at last he has some clothes that have no salt in them.
He put some Alfa-alfa seeds in a jar with water a couple of days ago, and today has got some sprouts- lovely to get a little greenery on his food! He has eaten his last date, but has found that the prunes are also good soaked overnight with the apricots. taste good on the morning cereal. He made 10 litres of water both yesterday and today, he has to have an all-over wah every day, otherwise he gets a salt-water rash. The pain in the neck is less, was gone this morning, but came back a bit during the day. He keeps hoping to find the west-going current which is supposed to be in the trade-wind belt. And he sends a grreeting.
Diana.

October 5th. day 57 8 weeks at sea!
12GMT pos: N1300 W3542 39 n.miles past 24 hours. ENE breeze varying from light to stiff, about 2 metre waves. Temp 29/27.5.
There is now 12 hours daylight and 12 hours darkness. He rowed for an hour before sun-rise, there was a fine, starry sky, and he saw the Southern Cross for the first time. An odd little fish landed in his lap. It looked like a flying-fish, but had vertical stripes, and two long whiskers from its upper lip. He tried to catch it between his knees, so successfully that he killed it, and it ended up as food for the pilot-fish!
Yesterday he shaved, the whole beard is gone (thank goodness!) and he listened to the novel "The English Patient". Lunch consisted of hard-boiled egg, mashed potato, pickled gherkins and beetroot, bread and ketchup. Some funny mixtures of food at sea! He is tired of going south, as it would be faster to go more west. He had planned to row south to N10, but may "cut the corner "and go more west when he is south of N12. He sends greetings.
Diana.

October 04. In a good mood
12GMT pos: N1331 W3516 26 n.miles past 24 hours. Moderate ENE breeze, short waves, less counter-current than yesterday. Temp 30/26.
Last night he felt in a much better mood again, enjoyed more of the good bread, re-listened to Angela's Ashes, and sung with Evert Taube " O,happy days are here again!" (took Arne's suggestion seriously!) The other songs he has been listenong to are the Norwegian folk-songs by Vilhelm Krag and composer J.Halvorsen, also good for lifting the spirits. It has still been a bit slow, but has picked up during the afternoon with more wind, a bit rougher, but more speed.
Cheerful greetings from Stein.

October 03. 2000 n.mil fron Lisbon!
12 GMT Pos: N1354 W3503, 42 n.miles past 24 hours.Light breeze from ENE, light cloud, temp 30/27. It has been a bit heavy-going again this afternoon, after a day of better speed. Now there seems to be counter-current, sharp waves, and difficult to keep good speed. He hasn't felt in a great mood today, although has nothing to complain about (except the PC of course!). He has baked bread, the pressure-cooker is repaired and it became the best bread of the trip, despite small beatles in the flour-mixture!
The highlight of the day was passing 2000 n.miles from Lisbon. This evening he is 2021 miles form Lisbon and 1429 from Georgetown, so he is getting there slowly but surely. He opened a 2000 mile present form daughter Elisabeth and Hugh, a book about Martin Luther King and a nice card, and another enery-packet from son Martin and wife Camilla with dried apricots. Thanks a lot for both presents! He has discovered that if he puts dried apricots in water at night, they are good with the breakfast cereal the next day - learned this from the Iris Murdoch novel which he is reading.
He would like to thank Rшntgen-senter for their support, especially Truls Lohne and Bernt Mikkelsen. Greetings to all.
Diana.

October 02.
That is definitely the end of Stein's E-mail reports. The dealers have talked to Microsoft who cannot suggest any solution since he does not have the right soft-ware. That is lying at home here, so he will have to make do with the telephone. To look on the bright side, at least it will give him a little more time to row instead of sitting at the PC.
12GMT position: N1424 W3428. 30n.miles past 24 hours, light breeze from NE. temp 31/27. Conditions rather slow with a swell and current against him, but getting better during the afternoon. He is well, the pain in the neck has gone, although he now has a little in his right hip, and he suffers a little in the strong heat.
He has enjoyed comic poems from the BBC and Monty Python. Made more fresh water, now has 55 liters in reserve. Eaten well, had some cooked rice from yesterday which had become almost liquid in the heat, but he fried and ate it all the same ! Hope there will not be any exciting consequences during the night. He has partly shaven (better get rid of all that beard before he gets to Guyana if he wants any hugs!) and congratulated himself on the anniversary of his engagement. That was one of his more sensible undertakings (according to Diana).
His faithful pilot-fish is still around, and is getting bigger all the time, and now a school of dorados are also following him. Now that he cannot send his daily report, he has begun to talk into the video-camera, as a kind of diary, and good to hear that the vocal-cords still work!
Greetings from Stein and Diana, newly engaged 35 years ago!

October 1.
The day's bad news is that Stein has no longer any E-mail contact with the outside world. He has been on the phone twice with the dealers of his equipment, but it seems that without the right soft-ware, there is no way he can get back into the programme. This is the result of letting the PC run out of current while he was transmitting, and something he had no idea could happen. Now he can get into the start page, but not any further into Windows. Anybody any ideas? He is very disappointed, now he cannot write his reports or send pictures, and cannot get any greetings either by E-mail or through the guest-book. Just as well he has an Iridium phone, he will now phone me daily and give a short report, and I can give him any greetings. So if anybody wants to contact him, you have to write to me at dhoff@online.no and I will relay the message on the phone.
At 12 GMT he was at N1453 W3416. 37 n.miles past 24 hours. He has changed the next way-point to N10 W37 which gives an easier course to steer. Today has been overcast, almost no wind. It is hot, about 30 degrees, counter-current and heavy going. He has had a swim, and observed that even in 24 hours, there is some new growth, doesn't say much for the two coats of expensive anti-fouling we put on! Cheered himself up by listening to a cassette by a Canadian doctor David Posen called "How to stay afloat when the water gets rough", a book on positive thinking. Apart form this disappointment he is well and sends greeting. Diana.

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