Update: 24/01/23

Featuring a huge pod of dolphins, dodging a very large tanker and the para-anchor’s first appearance!

Even though the winds were strong for the first two weeks, they certainly helped Andrew cover 750 miles in the correct direction. However the next few days, Andrew will face new challenges; being pulled in the wrong direction with a passing low weather system that will try and drag him North rather than West! 

After a years worth of preparations and many years of sea knowledge, Andrew knows what to do in this situation and consequently In Full Cry’s para-anchor will be making it’s first appearance.

A para-anchor is a very useful and vital piece of kit for any ocean rowing boat; it is essentially an underwater parachute sea anchor that provides sufficient support to hold the bow of a vessel head to wind. It provides hydrodynamic drag and in this circumstance will control the negative drift and try and act as a break. Depending on what happens with the weather and wind, he may be like this for a couple days. The positive to this situation is that it will allow Andrew to carry out any repairs and also hopefully have some much needed rest. 

Andrew had an incredible moment yesterday with a huge pod of dolphins surrounding In Full Cry. He first heard them chattering away through the hull of the boat and managed to capture incredible footage on his underwater Go Pro. What a moment that must have been to witness!

Andrew also had an encounter with human life for the first time in 2 weeks. His AIS  (Automatic Identification System) which picks up marine traffic, alarmed to Andrew that a 400ft long tanker travelling from Argentina to Morocco was nearby and heading in his direction. He was able to make contact with them to make sure they gave each a wide birth and didn’t have a mid Atlantic collision! A carbon fibre 22 foot rowing boat wouldn’t stand a chance in a run in with a tanker and in Andrew’s words ‘she probably wouldn’t even know if she had hit me’. 

Let’s hope Andrew isn’t on para-anchor for too long and will be back on his way soon!