Daughter's quest to row round the UK.

[Scottietottie]

Hi 

Well 13 days on the girls still have 1089 miles still to go. They've been battling headwinds and made slow progress and tonight are taking shelter from an oncoming storm. They are about 78 miles further on than the boys though, who appear to be in harbour and there is speculation as to whether they've given up. There have been blogs from the girls but nothing from the boys for a few days.

They were on TV tonight. It was a piece filmed before they set off. It was nice to see them all but brought home again just how small their boat is!!

I've been checking up on them every hour or so - it's got quite obsessive. (Not during the night however - not that bad!) There is a way to see where the boats are from either seagals.co.uk or gbrowchallenge.com
At the moment the girls are also winning the fundraising battle. Both teams are raising money for "Help for Heroes" which takes care of injured service men and women.

The rate they're going it's going to take them longer than the month they hoped it would take!


Take care - Scottie 

[lynnmarie219]

Scottie,

I can understand why you keep checking....I check periodically on the sites too just to see how they are doing and who is ahead! Sending positive thoughts to keep them safe during the storm and to stay in the lead!

Go seagals!

[Patze]

Keeping my fingers, arms, legs and eyes crossed that you daughter and her team come out victorious!


Patze

[Dolly Dimples]

  Scottie, how brave of these girls to tackle this project, they too deserve a medal,
                     What if it does take longer than expected, at least they will have done it!
                         To do this for such a good charity is a credit to our young ones ,
                                                                   who are so often criticised by lot's of people, so well done .
                                                      I salute them all,  Dolly

[Cheryl]

Scottie,
How is our team doing?  I've been out of the loop and behind on news.
Cheryl

[Scottietottie]

Hi Cheryl 

By the end of the day they will have rowed about 900 miles. They are not quite at the half way mark but have been in the boat for 21 days now.  They have had terrible luck with northerly winds against them and have had to anchor up on several occasions because the wind was just too much to row into.

Today their luck seems to have changed and the wind is moving in the right direction. They are still in good spirits and still determined to finish. Because of the time that has been wasted due to inclement weather, there is a question about whether their food stocks will last out but they are not thinking about that right now.

The boys they were racing gave up. They said they weren't going to be able to beat the previously set record and it was just too tough. The girls are making a record if they do it because they are the first women.

The girls are disppointed it was too tough for the boys and of course they are also fundraising for "Help for Heroes" (a charity that helps wounded servicemen and women) and I guess the boys fundraising has stopped.
If you'd like to see where their boat is there is a link on www.gbrowchallenge.com   or on www.seagals.co.uk I keep checking them every half hour or so! (Sad isn't it!)
Thanks for asking - take care - Scottie 

[Katybarstool]

Hi Scottie

Not been on for a while, but wondered how the girl's were doing. What tenacity! Let's hope the food holds out, and that this weather lasts a bit longer, so that they can get finished.

Hugs
Kathyx

[Cheryl]

Scottie,
  I don't blame you for following the girls closely!  I would probably be even more obsessive than you.  I'm proud they have kept up the fight, and I'll cheer for them when they finish.  Please keep us posted.  I, too, have checked the sites for news. 
  Here's a hug for one anxious mom:
((((((((((((((Scottie))))))))))))))))

[Patze]

Still keeping things crossed, and I'll need to uncross the eyes as it's getting a bit painful!   You must be so proud of that young lady!


Patze

[Scottietottie]

Hi all 

Well today they are finally just over half way!  If the winds are kind to them they will do second half quicker. Apparently they rowed 75 miles yesterday!

They are still hanging in anyway.

Take care - Scottie 

[Katybarstool]

Well done, girls team. Woohoo!

Kathyx

[lynnmarie219]

I still check in on them too Scottie....so proud of the girls team for hanging in there!

Hopefully the winds will stay kind to them! I hope they know how many people are watching and wishing them well! 

[Bucky]

Wow, 75 miles rowing in one day sounds like alot!!  Good for them!

Have you talked to Bev at all while she's been on this trip?  I read on the blog the other day that they were finally able to get some phone connections and make some calls.

Ok - I have some questions:

1.  Do they have a little porta-potty on board?

2.  Do two people sleep while two people row?

3/  The one gal uses a wheelchair when on land, how does she manage sitting in the boat or in confined spaces on the boat? 

4.  Do they just eat "packaged" food - something that doesn't need to be cooked like granola bars, peanut butter, etc.?

5.  Obviously, they don't take showers - or do they some how?

Just me wondering what it must be like on their water version of Survivor.   

Bucky

[Scottietottie]

Hi Bucky 

Bev phoned about half an hour ago - first contact for over a week. I told her about how many people were interested in what they were doing and she was really surprised but that's because they are pretty well isolated from what is going on. I get the impression that the confined space and lack of sleep is beginning to take its toll a bit and there's been a bit of squabbling going on. I told her to tell the others how many people are following their adventure and wishing them well.

1. They have 3 buckets. One for washing, one for drinking and one for 'potty' (bucket and chuck it!) Nothing as posh as porta potty.

2. Two people do sleep while two people row. I don't know how well they sleep though!

3. The wheelchair user has some use of her legs but has a spinal injury as a result of a botched op after a basketball accident. She has amazing upper body strength and manages to get round the boat somehow. She probably just has to move about 12 feet max.

4. I think they are oin army/navy rations and chocolate. Lots of chocolate! (Bev is vegetarian so I'm not sure what she's eating. I think she agreed to be veg-aquarian for the trip) She said she didn't eat right for the first 2 weeks cos she couldn't get the hang of moving and eating. I think she was prolly a bit sea sick.

5. They wash down from one of the buckets.

Its all pretty basic and classed as an extreme sport.

Take care - Scottie

[Katybarstool]

Those girlies are such toughies - or will be by the ime they get back. I wonder if they ream of hot showers, or bubble baths. Send them my best.

Kathyx