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Dr. Stein Hoff began his attempt rowing across the Atlantic on Sunday morning off the Battery in his rowboat named FOX II, 120 years after George Harbo and Frank Samuelsen.
Here’s his facebook link to track his voyage.
Here was his last report :
Position 40 15 N, 071 30W 14.40 UTC (10.40 NY)
“Cold, clear, hazy sun.13 C, but breeze from E!
No good for rowing E, but good day for drying out those clothes I wore 16th when I took the season’s first swim. Half my wardrobe, nearly. Produced 10 l fresh water y’day, rinsed the lot,some twice. Thinner clothes I just dried 17th and used were as wet next morning, that’s what salt does. After that enormous ship “Americas Spirit” of Nassau veered off as I called them on VHF (he had not seen me), two large balleen whales rolled slowly past on the other side! Saw them clearly twice. Later heard and saw many vertical spouts like water fountains.
Wind eased 11 pm, in came the sea anchor (SA) and I rowed for 3 hours. Again heard the whales numerous times close in the still night, a sound I have not heard before: The hiss as air goes out and a low frequency wow! for inhalation. Surprisingly loud: hisswow! Those guys must be big! Are they signalling?
At 2.30 wind freshened and temperature dropped further and I gave up and put out SA same way as I pulled in, tripping line, buoy and all. Mistake! So instead of hitting my comfy bed fast, I had to get the tripping line, a rope that floats and goes to the apex of the SA, untangeled from the rudder. It would not shove down with an oar from the cockpit leaning over the cabin, covered with dew, so had to crawl through the cabin with the boat hook, open small hatch, squeeze upper half out and must have looked like a troll out of the box as I finally managed to push down the line and free the SA. By the time I had reversed out with a wet hook my cosy bed was not quite as warm and inviting…
Just had wonderful br’fast with fried bread, egg & tomatoes and cereal while listening to “Lønsj”-a favourite NRK1 program of which I am very happy to say I have many podcasts. My first entertainment this trip!
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