latest SMS from pirate ship: "Took 3h20 minutes to first shipping zone. Just had some tea and honey sarmie. Water temp 17 degrees. Still in good spirits. Water choppy. Crew freezing!"
September 5, 2007
swim status
Swim started
received SMS from pirate ship : "andy’s swim started at 4:21, northerly wind, chirpy at first feed, still very dark and currently a bit lumpy"
Received following picture taken 2 hours from start. And sport trac screen grab on right. Click to enlarge images.
September 4, 2007
2007 09 04 19h46
Swim confirmed for 03h30 start.
Todays swimmers had rough water but a trailing sea, which should have helped times.
2007 08 04 17h55
Wind still dropping - great - see chart below. Forcing down the last pasta, and waiting for my pilot Chris Osmond to confirm tomorrows’ 03h00 start.
2007 09 04 08h00
03h00 tomorrow (Wednesday) provisionally confirmed for my swim.
Weather & water have improved substantially and the high pressure system seems to be arriving slowly (http://www.meteonet.nl/aktueel/brackall.htm).
The first swimmers this neap tide got away between 03h00 & 04h00 this morning. I got up to watch them, thinking that will begin the reset of my body clock for tomorrow’s start, and met an Irish swimmer John with the same idea. From the Varne Ridge lawn at the top of the Dover cliffs we watched the little convoy make it’s timid way into the channel, with the lead boat accompanying a relay swim & getting away from the others.
September 2, 2007
2007 09 02 19h00
No swim Monday.
Wind is now 20 mph SW & ugly sea - the same wind that pushed me halfway into the North Sea last year. The locals are all confident "looks good for Tuesday."
Starting to get ratty now - logistics like accommodation & plane tickets start to intrude.
Afternoon swim at Shakespeare beach; white cliffs of Dover in the background.
2007 09 02 Sunday
Daily routine looks as follows:
09h30 Dover Leisure centre (25m pool 28 degrees)
- 500m warmup
- 2 x 50m 45 sec 15 sec recovery
- 1 x 100m 1m20sec 40 sec recovery
- repeat x 5 = 1.5km
16h40 Shakespeare beach (where most channel swims start)
- 1km straight easy - spending time in uneven water - the harbour is too protected.