Today again I started my swim day with Seeker and like yesterday I had some issues moving at the same pace. Three times I found myself falling behind the streamline and having to increase my speed and push to catch up with our sailboat. The crew has a very difficult job to do, since we don’t have any rolling furler, they can only increase or decrease their speed by changing sails. This cannot be done by one person and takes more than a few minutes. A change of sail is enough time to lose me behind.
In the fourth hour, I decided to change strategy and asked to have someone on the kayak to pace me.
Lauren volunteered and after we got everything set up she took on the lead and showed me the direction. Lauren is very athletic and did not have any problem pacing me for four hours. During my food breaks, she checked on me to make sure she was paddling at the right speed. She did a fantastic job. The waves had built up by the end of the day and one caught her by surprise and she fell in the water. She was getting hot on the kayak and didn’t mind cooling off.
By the end of the day our problems with our Torqeedo engine weren’t solved, so tomorrow would be another day swimming with the kayak or Seeker, it all depends on the wind and wave conditions. Every day is different!
Ben
4 thoughts on “[DAY 35] Swimming with the kayak”-
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Ben, you are an absolute inspiration! Thank you for raising awareness about the plight of our oceans. I am sending out strong well wishes to you and your awesome team.
Keep stroking, kicking, and sailing!
Tricia
Thank you so much for your support Tricia! We all appreciate the strong wishes. Ben
Hi Ben, I live in the Channel Islands and am an open water swimmer (nothing on your scale though!) Your swim and mission to make the world aware of what we are doing to our seas is inspiring and so worthy of great accolades. I trawl the beaches whenever I walk my dogs, filling bags with tiny pieces of plastic – each day is a few bags of rubbish, and I despair, that every day there is still more to pick up. I have reduced my use of plastic as a result of seeing how we have all contributed to this. Keep on with your inspirational mission – every stroke is worth it. Best wishes and stay strong, Regina
Lauren, you are a star!!!
Blessed be your journey!