LACHLAN

Miles rowed: 450 nautical miles.

No dramas overnight 18/04 into 19/04 apart from a swelteringly hot stern cabin — it feels like a sauna.

We were blessed with one of our first clear nights so far on the trip, and our first flavour of mid-ocean stars. I’m not sure whether the stars are clearer here than they are in the NW of Scotland, but the skies are vast.

The peach glow of sunrise stretches to light green then baby blue overhead. We may not have a toilet or a shower, but we’re rich in sunrises and sunsets out here.

Sighting of a large whale at around midday. Unknown what exactly it was, but the width of the tale was approx half the length of the boat. Also a sighting of a large black bird early in the day: crooked large wings (4-5 ft wingspan) with a bill similar to a Herron. Could it be the albatross that I’ve dreamed of seeing since reading Michael Morpurgo’s Alone on a Wide Wide Sea as a 10 year old boy?

One week complete. I marked this with my first full body wash! Squalls in the distance as we row into a beautiful evening with singalong PAC playing — quickly becoming a daily routine.

Quote of the day: Andy the winklepicker, Assynt: “I’m a billionaire with a penny in my pocket.”