Day 26

Fedor via the Iridium satellite phone: “Good day to all! I am doing well, the weather is exceptional and the ocean is calm. The wind is no more than 5 knots and there are practically no waves. It’s the first time the ocean has been smooth without wind waves. It was a good day to inspect the boat and start doing some maintenance.  For the first time, I put on a mask and submerged my head under the water to get a picture of how the rudder and skeg are holding up. They look great. The rudder has not been chipped or scratched. It’s sits solid; and there is no play in the steering. I found some green algae on the rudder and the keel, which means that the marine life has begun making a home on the bottom of my rowboat.  There will be a time when I have to dive under and clean the bottom of the boat with a special sponge and scrubber. The barnacles and other scrappy life forms will slow the boat down and attract the larger fish. It’s too early for deep cleaning, although the water is cooler right now, which means lower risk of attracting a shark. Later on, the ocean will become warmer and I’m bound to run into some of them. When I was doing my surveillance under the water I looked straight into the depth of the ocean and saw nothing. There were no fish, jellyfish, seaweeds; a complete void. It’s like looking into an abyss.

The wheels under the rowing seat are rapidly corroding in the saltwater conditions.  After only one month on the ocean I had to switch them with a new set. I have four sets on board, but I’m not giving up on the first one. After some TLC, scrubbing, and oiling I am sure the rollers will work just fine. ”

On photo: Fedor Konyukhov, Simon Chalk and Oscar Konyukhov at Charlie Pitcher’s shipyard. England. August 2013.

There are no ships, which is great news for me.  The fewer ships and islands, the better it is for me.

In my resolution to take better care of my health, I started taking vitamins.  The freeze-dried food and other packaged provisions are satisfying and high in calories, but don’t provide enough vitamins and nutrients.

Here goes another day on the ocean. A typical day here begins with a prayer, and a quick snack, followed by a rowing routine with breaks here and there, maintenance, and another stretch of rowing. I finish the day with another prayer before night falls. Things are not much different during the night. I must be honest, I enjoy my life out here. The ocean I’m experiencing right now is unattainable for most people. To see and live in this ocean vastness is truly amazing.”

The map of the Tourgoyak’s course: http://yb.tl/konyukhov2

The detailed map of the course: www.oceanrowing.com/Konyukhov/Pacific2013/dist_map.htm

Translated by Tatiana Koreski