We're here - and still waiting to go!

We arrived in time last week and have been held up with paperwork and poor weather. There is another large crew that set off the other day without providing any paperwork or getting permission from the authorities out here. This has created a real poor attitude toward all Ocean Rowers by the local government officials. Although we have provided more paperwork and insurance than is asked for, we have been told that we MUST. Have a support boat for our crossing. Now whe do you find one of those at this late hour. Never before has an independent rowing boat been asked for this level of cover. However, if we leave from Gran Canaria we need no such documentation or support boat! How crazy is that?
Our start is now set for this coming weekend instead of today - and it will be from Gran Canaria instead of La Gomera. That means packing up all of our belongings and our boat / equipment and transporting it all over to that island. No mean feat. So when some of the future London to Paris to London Challengers tell me they are being messed around with arrangements, I'll have a little chuckle to myself and think. 'You don't know what being messed about is yet'! I will understand however the frustration felt when you pay for something that doesn't always the precise way you expected it to. I am still making adjustments in my every day life that allow for things happening in a different way than I expect. It helps to keep a sense of humour.

We have some members of our crew that are to date 'fine boat rowers'. It showed tonight when we had our first row together as a crew at sea - in the dark. One particular member was SO STRESSED by others inability to keep time in rough conditions that they shouted instructions in such a vicious way that I laughted out loud! That person won't be very annoying after 30 days at sea... I feel a swift punch in the kidneys coming on...I am sure they will mellow once the reality of being at sea sets in. Things are not as simple out there as keeping time, and not catching a crab, or correct recovery done at a set time. Good times ahead.

Our project progresses nicely too for the London to Paris to London row in 2012. We now have our recce crew ready for their row in June 2011. The coding for e Cornish gigs is going well too and we hope the MCA will get back to us really soon wi their observations on Richard's hard work.

Wish us luck - and follow us on www.woodvale-works.com There is a tracker on our boat that will give out our positions as we move.