July 20, 2007

I finally received some winds from the northwest since my last dispatch.  For a while I was averaging 3.5 knots due south.  Knots are a unit of speed for boats, like miles per hour. This was exactly where I wanted to go.  I traveled 21 nautical miles last night while I was sleeping.  I will see even better winds as I travel further south.

I had a visitor.  It was a large bird, which looked like an albatross.  It was brown and had a large wingspan.  It landed next to my boat and I stopped rowing.  For a while, the bird swam next to my boat and I gave it some bread.  I thought, “Will it now come into my boat and make a mess?”  A pet bird would be messy, but I could use a friend.  It later flew off.

It’s hard to get used to being alone.  Talking on the satellite phone is expensive.  E-mail is the best way to talk to my friends at home.

I ate my last banana yesterday.  I still have apples, oranges and limes.  My bread is still good too.  I brought some flat lavash bread for later.  It won’t get moldy for a while because it is dry.

I miss home, its comforts, its routine, its cleanliness, its peace.  I miss my wife, Nancy.

In these long journeys, it takes time to get used to being alone.  The excitement wears off after about two weeks.  Nancy and I miss each other and have to find peace within ourselves.

Many people have helped this journey.  The Around-n-Over team has invested a lot of time and many sponsors have come forward.

*Entry adapted for grades 5-8 by Andrea Rogers