Row from Cocos/Keeling Islands (Australia) across the Indian Ocean

NEWS FROM THE ROUTE

September 13 - 30  ●  October 11-31 ● November 1-9

 OCTOBER 1-10

Time zone: GMT + 5 hours

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It seems to me, that  I'm yet  to see the sea dead calm. It has almost happened today, but once again - similar to yesterday, - several times within the day there rose a chance wandering wind,  and  tried hard to drive us anywhere, but not in the right direction, of course. And then, as abruptly as it came - it was gone.
It's hot and sultry, too hard to row, so I'll  have to catch up by rowing at night. The only escape was to go into water and swim around the boat "on a long tether."
When diving I've gladly noticed that I am followed by a couple of pilot fish. And a good old "horn-back" fish has settled under the bottom and is modestly and meticulously cleaning the rudder from the goose-necks.
And besides that all I could observe was a black bottomless abyss  below.
Once again I tested my SeaMe - everything works, beeps and flashes. It could be just a coincidence that both ships were Chinese and both  did not have radar onboard or for some reason the ships kept them switched off.
 

Some time in the afternoon I was out on deck, when I heard a strange noise coming from the cabin - some sort of hissing or rustling. After investigation I found  that it was a can of beer, that had burst ( or rather open itself) and was flowing out. But what was even more frustrating - I discovered that five out of eight cans that I kept for special occasions had done the same nasty thing and were empty. I see, they could not stand to the circumstances any longer... So in order not to make the remaining two suffer the same fate, I decided to drink them immediately. And for now I can report that there's no more beer left onboard.

After storms, that have been teasing me for weeks since my departure, any more or less quiet night is accepted by me like a soft and pleasing gift from the sky. But it's really for the first time that I've been having such a night as the last one -  mere serenity, almost invisible waves, and a light, most light wind. In the morning the sky lit brilliantly blue sky with only rare cumulus here and there - quite a peaceful sight. The day will be nice.
Not long ago we  passed clear with a cargo ship, which was far enough away, somewhere at the horizon. But my SeaMe did not even meow! It is switched on and the indicators are flashing, but it remains speechless! Alas, it's a black box for me in front of which I am helpless.

It was rather a strange day today.
At times there was no wind at all and almost no waves; then suddenly wind was gaining strength and blowing...  in "wrong" direction; and then it was windless again,  almost calm (though it  never came to a dead calm), - now and then, several times within the day...
I've rowed my heart out, trying to correct that unwelcome wind, so I feel myself quite exhausted - all in all it was fairly hot today.
And in the same time it was an unbelievably beautiful day as well

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One more a really good night and beautiful bright morning. This is exactly the weather I used to call up in my best recollections about the Atlantic crossing and which I was missing so much while being here, in the Indian.
In fact I never experienced a full calm in the Atlantic (though many other rowers did) and I doubt whether I'll be given any chance to see it here, but to have light breeze and sea not higher than one meter - this looks just perfect to me and  most enjoyable.
At last there came some decent size flying fish on the deck, and now I am going to fry them and to have a delicious breakfast

Pic by Pavel Rezvoy. Atlantic 2004  click on the  image to enlarge it

Everything's all right with me and yesterday I just couldn't get in touch 'cause the batteries went low.
Here are two basic events of the day:
number one - after the encounter with the Chinese vessel, onboard my vessel there appeared a cockroach. A big, black, bold Cockroach! I had been hunting it around the clock until could finally  get rid of it.
The second and most important news is that I have fished a dorado! At last... Not a big one - at two

The night went perfectly well - with exceptionally tranquil sea and light wind...
Now I am enjoying a no less pleasant morning, but it's hard to forecast what the daytime's going to be - the sky is overcast

Splendid morning! Light wind, moderate sea are assisting without any tension. And I expect the day to be even better.

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The weather is far from good. It's not only that waves are still big, but that from time to time a non-standard huge wave keeps coming from somewhere and crashing on the boat. So after all I decided to escape and have a rest in the cabin

I was having a nap, when exactly one hour ago I suddenly heard human voices shouting from the outside.
God Almighty! Of course, in half a second I was on the deck, wearing my usual outfit, i.e. - nothing. And there I saw a big ship, that had approached me from the rear, its sides covered with hieroglyphs (I didn’t understand if it was a Chinese or a Malaysian vessel), and people on its decks were shouting to me in excitement. And there I was, exposing myself in full splendour... Quite awkward - there were women present over there, by the way!
So, I dived into the cabin and re-appeared again dressed more decent way. Well, lets say - dressed.
And the ship was already preparing a rescue operation, readying to pick me up! I hurried up to show them with gestures that I needed no rescue at all, and that I was in full control. Meanwhile the weather situation was just right to have a person in distress.

Next step - I communicated them by VHF-radio. Person on that end spoke not better English than I did, so we understood each other perfectly well. But what he could not grasp, it was the goal of my journey. "Madagascar? It's too far away..." And once again there followed an offer to lift me onboard. Only when I told him where from I had rowed, he plunged deep in thought and then asked – several times and in different ways - if there was anything they could provide me with (on such high sea!). I rejected the offer with gratitude.

Thus, after getting from me the final confirmation that I was not going to change my mind, the ship left me for  crew's  great disappointment. Of course I did frustrate the crew by depriving them of a rare chance to have the most exciting entertainment.

By the way, my “SeaMe” [active radar reflector] stayed speechless while the ship was approaching. May be that old ship keeps its radar switched off, or hasn’t got any radar at all?

 The meeting took place at 12:00GMT, positions 12°6'N 77°12'E.

 It was not easy to progress today. Even with good wind these steep waves slow the speed down considerably – the boat just slides backwards along their slopes.

The first half of the night was - in accordance with my expectations, - really pretty bad: forceful waves and wind were ruling the whole surrounding space. But closer to dawn they started to cease.
Now the sun has risen and morning looks so promising - there appeared some gaps in the clouds and I dare to hope that from behind of one of them the sun may suddenly just peep out and show up. Though according to forecast the zone of stormy weather that has caught me has not yet get away. Well, after all I am ready to any, even unexpected changes of weather - "Ever Ready!" - the hatches are closed and harness belt is always fasten...

Daytime did not bring any changes for better: low cloudiness - from horizon to horizon, not a ray of sun  or a gap in the clouds within the day; unceasing rain and wind; waves got lesser than they had been at night, though not much steeper at all.
And nevertheless I am progressing west - the wind is driving us at an incredible speed.
It's getting dark; tonight will not be an easy one.

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What a contrast! After the most beautiful day there followed the most horrible night. It's amazing that we managed to go through it without capsizing. Very, very steep waves with white-horsed crests; the blows were so powerful, as if somebody with all his might was furiously bashing the boat  with a huge baseball bat - blow by blow, the whole night long. Sea was mercilessly flooding the deck, and boat itself was continuously drawing water , but I was not giving it even a single thought to pump the water out, what's the point?
Once again I have to appreciate and admire the construction of the boat - it withstands ennnnnnormous pressure. Well done, Roswell&Adkins! Thank you, Justin.
Well, and a human being is capable to get used to any conditions; as for me - it seems that somehow I've got already used even to these conditions...

An exclusively nice day! Today I reached the twelfth latitude and will try to move along it.
After the sunset it started to rain and sea, as if being disturbed by it, rose in response. As I've been already used to do, I locked myself up in the cabin, preparing for night, whatever it's going to bring. Hopefully - nothing bad.
No fishing at all, ABSOLUTELY nothing, no matter what bait I am using. And I am longing for fish meal so much. In the Atlantic there were at least "pike back fish" always handy under the bottom, so I could pick some up from there, when I needed. But here even they can't be seen.
The only hope left is to get to shallow banks and over there I will fish a lot for sure.

Gastronomic dreams...
Pic by Pavel Rezvoy. Atlantic 2004

click on the  image to enlarge it

There got up only one squall tonight, and did not last long, so had no time to raise sea and expand it into a storm. And in general the night was not as dreadful, as I had been preparing myself for.
Now the ocean around is just splendid, and it's a pity that at the horizon there is something unpleasantly dark again.
After the squall there is a lot of flying fish on the deck, more than ever; I'll try to fish again with this fresh bait - may be this time I will catch something...

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Soon after the dawn the sky was already covered with grey clouds - within half an hour! A fog set in, it started to rain and went on raining until late afternoon. But in the same time waves were pretty week.
And for now the fog has been blown away and sea started to rise. I am afraid that later tonight the sea will get cross.

Very calm night, with low waves and light wind. The boat easily keeps course and I could afford myself to relax and to have a good sleep.
The morning is promising a nice day; well, we'll see...

I am sitting naked, watching the Southern Cross, frightening flying fish with my torch.
An absolute pleasure !

click on the  image to enlarge it

Very nice day - excellent waves, not more than a metre high; the sky - though cloudy, but somehow to a very pleasant instance. Stable wind persistently carries my boat, and - in right direction!
Today I went into water to check the bottom of the boat for barnacles. Amazingly - only a few of goose necks there, nothing dreadful!
And at last I saw two big fish, two dorados,  but they were so huge, that if even I caught one of them, I doubt I would able to drag it out into the boat. And if I were, I would still be unable to eat it! So, there was no sense in trying.
But what have made me happy, it's that there IS fish, and it means there is a hope to catch something!

Yesterday I  could not establish connection. The fog did not last long, and though the sky was still overcast, the wind was perfect and I managed to do really very good mileage, and was rowing almost into the night. But then it started to rain, and made me to have a rest.
It was raining up until the morning. Now there is a very low sky, but at least the horizon stays visible, no fog today. Waves are not high, and though the seascape is not so cheerful, the weather is quite suitable for rowing.

A very peaceful night and I had a sound sleep.
In the morning rain set in and thick fog wiped out the seascape around. The boat seems to glide in greyish-white milk, but from time to time a random unexpected big wave emerges out from this "nowhere", making me feel rather uncomfortable. So I have retrieved and locked myself up in the cabin, waiting for this situation to change

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