The guys rowed 67 miles in the last 24 hours and in the process picked up two miles on the opposition; not a particularly significant improvement but an improvement nonetheless.

The boys cleaned the boat for the third time yesterday. "Don't worry Kev," said Jamie 'Old Man of the Sea' Fitzgerald reassuringly, "There won't be any sharks about, there isn't anything in the area for them to eat." The pair of them dived into the water and immediately spotted lots of shark tucka in the form of Dorado - a very edible fish the size of a Terekihi. Several of the delicacy were caught in 1997. Very tasty they were too.

Speaking of fish, Kevin was hit by a flying fish last night. "At least I thought it was a flying fish," said Kevin on his Tech Rentals phone, "It turned out to be half a flying fish. The rest of it looked partially digested. It was as if a bird had vomited it up on us. Very strange," he said. Hmm, hard to argue with that one. Maybe the bird thought they were looking a little under nourished. For what it's worth, in many parts of the world having a bird crap on you is considered good luck. We're not sure where the play is on vomit.

Speaking of food, the guys continue to consume a mountain of food.

Speaking of mountains, Kevin has just finished listening to the Books on Tape (or rather MP3) story of Into Thin Air by John Krakaur, about the storm on Mt Everest in 1996 that, amongst others, took the lives of New Zealanders Rob Hall and Andy Harris. It is a moving tribute to these two great New Zealanders who endured unimaginable weather conditions, who bravely stayed at the summit with weak and struggling individuals helping them climb down to potential safety out of the brunt of the storm but whom, in the process, paid the ultimate price.

Kevin said the book took him away from the boat to another place more cold and fierce, "It makes you feel grateful to be in thick air and feeling reasonably comfortable," he said.

Rob Hamill
7.11.03