Day 42 – Sargasso Sea

As the crews continue making their approach towards Barbados they are entering an area known as the Sargasso Sea. It’s a huge area of the Atlantic Ocean where floating seaweed is prevalent, and the crews have been rowing through it over the last few days. The prevalence of these blooms of seaweed have increased dramatically over the last decade due in large part to the amount of fertiliser run off from farms. The Sargassum is harmless and generally snaps fairly easily though if it gets wrapped around an oar or rudder.

The crews are expected to receive a strengthening of the winds over the next few days which provides an opportunity and a threat. After being at sea for so long the threat is that they are so comfortable with being onboard their boat they forget the risks and dangers of the basic rules of keeping hatches shut and keeping themselves tied on at all times to the boat. However, it affords an opportunity for the crews to use the stronger weather to their advantage and keep pushing even faster towards Barbados, so we can expect / hope their daily mileages covered to increase slightly.