Wednesday 21 October 2009

Absolutely Knackered

Offshore in engineless boats like Onawind Blue you kind of depend on the wind. You whistle for it, you pray for it and when you’ve got it you pray for it to hold. When if fails your heart sinks. It might seem futile to take up the oars when you’re still forty miles from your destination. But waiting could mean just sitting, drifting with the current for a day or two. So you row. And, fun as rowing is, you do eventually get tired. If you go beyond tired you get knackered. When you’re knackered and the wind still hasn’t appeared you somehow have to continue rowing. Sometime later you find that you’re absolutely knackered.




13 comments:

chris sollett said...

Your rowing reminds me of my grammar studying. I sit there and plug away at it for hour after hour. My arse gets sore from sitting down. And my progress is... so slow.
Oh well.

Unknown said...

Ostres, Ben! Hi un moment que fas molta peneta. Potser, per a aquestes travessies tan llargues, hauries de considerar la possibilitat d'instal·lar un motoret de 2 o 3 cavalls. Ja sé que és afegir pes, però potser en aquests moments que estàs "absolutely knackered" et pot donar l'últim impuls necessari per arribar a bon port.

Segueixo la teva aventura amb tot l'interès del món!

Una abraçada!

Ben said...

Keep hammering away at that grammar Chris, I'm sure it'll pay off.

Ben said...

Hola Joan!

Amb el mirall de popa que tinc un motoret es fa complicat i portar benzina i tot el rotllo em fa una muntanyeta. Peró no pateixis per mi, m'agrada vogar i fins ara no he estat tant cansat que no he pogut arribar.

Ens veurém al nàutic.

Una abraçada!

Gavin Atkin said...

Very good - that'll get them smiling in Internet land.

However, I think the cheeks of their arses will twitch in sympathy!

Ben said...

Yes Gav,
for next year I must find a better solution. I've tried a few things which all work fine in normal conditions but nothing that will protect my arse for sustained day after day bouts of rowing. What rowers butts must have been like back in the cushion-less days doesn't bear thinking about.

Chris Partridge said...

The most recommended solution is a sheepskin thwart cover. Apparently the lanolin allows limited movement of arse over wood, thus preventing chafing.

Ben said...

I found that the worst chafing came from the small but continuous friction between my lower buttocks and my very salty trousers and shorts. I did try rowing naked but the foam I sit on was also very salty. If I could keep salt out of the equation I'd stand a better chance. I wonder how the sheepskin would behave in a very salty environment?

Anonymous said...

Ben,
Try rowing with the looms of your oars on the aft side of the thole-pins you will put more energy into the boat an maybe less Knackered for a longer distance rowed..120 mm might make a big differance in you energy..

bowsprite said...

Oh! this is so good!!! for awhile there, the green monster Envy surfaced as I saw you there on the briny. But you killed the beast off rather efficiently.

Ben said...

I agree with your logic Anon, but haven't found aft mounted oars to work well in practice. Do have links to any articles or picture of aft mounted oars on single thole pins?

Anonymous said...

Ben,
woodenboat forum: http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85105
Then here is a site full of Greek Letters and Vector Diagrams:
http://home.hccnet.nl/m.holst/report.html

Anonymous said...

The Greek Letters and Vector Diagrams comment was ment to be Funny.. We are the Experts.. We know what feels right when Rowing..