Friday, January 2, 2009

Day 2: That Queasy Feeling

It's Paul's dad, with an update from Paul via sat phone:

Paul called at around 1:30 P.M. EST (sunset, out where he is) to report on Day 2 of the row. On the whole, it was a very good report. So far the challenges he's facing are pretty much the ones he expected (see his 6:25 P.M. blog of December 31, for his predictions).

The main challenge has been seasickness. The only two places where Paul's been at all comfortable are the rowing seat or the aft cabin (leaning up against the back wall with his eyes closed), and neither place is comfortable for very long. The queasiness itself would be bad enough, but it makes it hard for him to eat, and the resulting loss of energy has made everything an effort.

Nonetheless, Paul's put in a lot of time at the oars, and he's made good progress. As you can see from the GPS tracker, he's well west of La Gomera and south of El Hierro. He's been traveling in a southwestly direction (rather than straight south, as he had originally planned), but he's been doing that in order to take advantage of the prevailing winds. So far, so good.

Paul also expected to have difficulty sleeping. But on his very first night at sea, at least, the cause was a surprise. He was repeatedly awakened by the sound of his collision-avoidance alarm going off. On investigation, it appears to have been warning him that Liv was near herself, not some other vessel. Paul's confident that the alarm can be trained to behave properly, but for last night, at least, he just turned it off and set a timer to awaken him every 20 minutes, so he could go out and scan visually for approaching vessels. A tough way to spend the night, especially if you're seasick!

Despite the above, Paul sounded in good spirits, and he's obviously looking forward to settling into more of a routine. He didn't say so, but I'm sure that prayers for relief from the seasickness would be appreciated!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

well done paul....keep going. we can certainly help out on the prayer front! blessings
gary moore

That Guy said...

Thanks for the update Mr.Ridley. I am sure the seasickness is going to be just ridiculous. Glad to hear he is using the wind to his advantage. Let him know that the best way to get over the sickness is to concentrate on a tall Gin and Tonic to be had on the ides of March!

MAYE

Anonymous said...

Hey Paul! Are you sure it's seasickness or the remains of your New Year's Eve hangover?

Happy trails! (Happy waves?)

-Sara and Jon

Anonymous said...

Hang in there, Paul. The seasickness will go away in a couple days. I know exactly how you feel. Each day gets a little better and soon you'll be off and running...er, rowing! Keep up the good work, buddy.

-Brian A.

Anonymous said...

Thoughts and prayers are with you ... and your family land side. A Colgate Rower and Theta Chi Mom, or in "Gate" parlance, P '11

Unknown said...

Paul,
My class of 2nd graders is going to be watching and charting your progress.....So good luck and keep rowing from 25 second graders!!!
Teddi

Anonymous said...

You're inspiring so many people bud, keep up the good work. I sign on every morning to read the blogs and check out everyone's comments. You're always in our hearts, but I think I speak for everyone when I say we can't wait for you to actually be back. I miss Jason Harris' stunt double. "Triple the money, honey!"

Lori said...

I have felt that horrible seasick feeling many times aboard vessels and while learning to fly. I feel for you. Hopefully, by the time this comment is posted you will be feeling better. Good luck and God Bless!