The wind is back
“After a short pause for a couple of days, the wind is back with 15-18 knots. The waves are fairly large, up to three meters. The deck is constantly washed off with the waves and I’m staying soaking wet, but thankfully the temperature of the water is much warmer here. This ocean shower is a pickling medium on my skin, which shall be preserved for months to come. Tourgoyak is proceeding really fast. I knew that the wind would come back and so I filled every possible container with fresh water. It should last me for a couple of days. It seems to me that my path until the French Polynesia should be the most speedy and advantageous of the entire expedition. I’m far away from the ocean ships and fishing boat routes. There are no islands for the next thousand miles. In addition, the waves and the currents are in my favor. Still, ocean rowing is not your typical seafaring and there are plenty of uncomfortable and inconvenient situations. Take for example, my living quarters. The only space where I can lay down and stretch out is the aft cabin, but not before I strap myself to the bunk to prevent rolling from one side of the cabin to the other. The exit hatch is low and narrow; the cabin itself is rather small and low. My back is constantly hunched and feels like I’m developing a chronic case of kyphosis. Creaking knees and pain in the back are my constant reminders that ocean rowing takes a huge toll on my body. On the bright side though, day by day, mile after mile I’m getting closer to my goal, which for now is the French Polynesia, since its location is situated perfectly as a half-way mark. The ocean is turning its colors and at sunrise its azure colors look stunning. It continues to appear that the waters I’m in are completely void of life. I still haven’t seen any birds, dolphins, whales, or sharks for that matter. It’s just the ocean, my boat and myself; and, I really like this arrangement. When I enter the waters of the French Polynesia I’ll have plenty of sea life, islands and other distractions.”
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