DAY 4 – CAYLE ROYCE’S BLOG

Last night we were surrounded by electrical storms, it was like something from a film as you saw the lightening all around us. It is one of the best parts of being out here. That feeling of being insignificant and seeing the power of nature. The sunrises and sunsets are amazing and the force of nature is with you all the time.

Looking back, the start of the race was quite confusing and we had struggled to identify were the real start line was before we were off. We made ok progress to the first waypoint and had headed south so we could avoid the next Island Hierro.

Rowing effort has been really hard going. There are no following winds and the long night rows are demanding. We are all adapting to life on board and to the routine of rowing, cleaning, eating and sleeping. The ration packs that we are eating have dehydrated food and so far they taste ok. Porridge with blueberries and spaghetti Bolognese are my two favourites for now.

We heard the sad news that one of the crews, Atlantic Trio, had been forced to turn back. Since we have had a bird following us for the last few days we have decided to rename him Hamish after one of the Atlantic Trio crew members. Brighter news was hearing that our buddies in the Inspirational Friends crew are back on track after some technical problems. Keep going girls!

Overall back in the Row2Recovery boat, we are all working well and everyone is managing to get on and off shift and keep the discipline up. Routine is still hard going, and it feels like there is a constant knock on the door telling you that it’s time to get up again. Even though we don’t get a long single sleep we are still getting enough sleep to feel in good shape.

On the technical front the adapted seat has been amazing – thanks Dad, you did an unbelievable job. I have also been able to move around on deck with no problems and I have been traversing between the bow (front) and stern (rear) cabins as we complete all our jobs.

Finally, getting into our routine has given us a chance to reflect a bit more on the bigger project. I have been thinking not just how spectacular the sea scape is, but how good it is to still be around and to participate in something like this. We are trying to raise the profile of the wounded service personnel. Scott said that he is doing it for his mates and for the guys that didn’t make it. That thought is a strong motivation for all of us.

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DAY 49 - CAYLE ROYCE'S FINISH LINE BLOG

After a frustrating last 24 hours or so we began today with slow conditions and not much visibility. It was quite squally, with little rain showers coming and going, but things cleared quite abruptly around 8am and suddenly we could see land. After being hidden in the mist it appeared out of nowhere and it seemed really close! This last stretch was totally different to the first half of the race. For so much of this crossing the weather has been horrific, I have never experienced anything like this. Yesterday morning at 8 am marked the first time in the entire race that we had a full 24 hours out of full foul weather gear and today is also the first day that an equipment failure would not be a cause for emotional devastation. I always thought that we would make it, but equipment failures could have slowed us down a lot. The thought of breakages always kept us on edge. But now we can finally enjoy the realisation that WE HAVE DONE IT!!!!!!!!

DAY 48 – SCOTT BLANEY'S FINAL BLOG

It feels great to count down the hours and the miles. It is a big morale boost to know that we are almost there. For most of the crossing I had felt confident that we would make it but we did have a few scares. When the auto-helm broke I did worry that we would be down to one rower for the whole crossing. One rowing and one hand-steering would have been a horrible routine. Luckily we managed to fix it. But the most important bit of equipment is my leg - it has never let me down.

DAY 47 – MARK JENKINS FINAL BLOG

Hard as it is to believe, this is my final blog! It has been a moment to reflect on an extraordinary 7 weeks at sea and an even more extraordinary group of people. By that I mean not just the guys in the boat, but the many wounded persons that they represent. I have been thinking a lot about what this team has achieved and what we hope others can achieve. This project has been about setting a huge challenge, committing wholeheartedly to it and then facing every challenge head on in pursuit of our goal. There have been no excuses only a choice to live this experience to its fullest and to take a positive attitude to all things. I hope that we have demonstrated that it is not what people see in you but what you go on to do that counts. I want to thank to all those who have personally supported me – you know who you are. There were a few people who said it could not be done. Oh dear… you will have to kiss my nappy-rash!