EXTRA... EXTRA... READ ALL ABOUT IT... Big! Big! Big! News! Tommy is landing in Barbados 12 April 2012!

Tommy will be landing in Barbados 12 April 2012!  There is a webcam looking out over the port and hopefully we will be able to view his arrival - view the WEBCAM link in the 'LINKS' page in this blog... keep checking in for updates on his twitter page and his blogsite - these links are also found on the 'LINKS' page in this blog... I'm so excited! I'll probably miss it all, knowing my luck!  The update is posted here on this page if you continue reading!

The Quilt is looking good!  I'm trying to get it tacked together ready to quilt away... has been a challenge, with my sewing machine breaking down and all! But has been fixed now and will be back in action, tomorrow! 

Paul and I are on our 'post Easter break' at the moment, so we are trying to catch up with family and so on... but of course trying to do the sewing, too!

I say!  Why don't the Tippetts simply stay in Barbados for a lovely holiday and I'll give them a shout when the quilt is done!  Of course we would miss them! But it would give me more time to complete the quilt! x

Anyway! It's wonderful that all is going well!  Please keep all the Tippetts Family in our prayers especially Tommy - this is a crucial time, so everyone must keep their head and stay focused on the job - Tommy, you especially!

UPDATE FROM TOMMY

Sent from my (Roz') iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Tommy Tippetts" Date: 10 April 2012 20:45:52 AST
Subject: Day 81

Ye looking like I’ll be in Thursday morning, will do well to not arrive before the offices open!

Had fly past today from mum dad and liz, pretty amazing.

last blog below. thanks for posting all of these. x

Day 81

The last few days have produced some good weather that is set to continue for my final run into Barbados. The winds are averaging about 15kn and some good current helped me to drop south into the position I am in now.

With some good miles made I am now 56.6 miles from Port St Charles in the NW of Barbados. My expected arrival into the Port is Thursday, currently looking at around about mid morning local time. My aim is to get to within about 20 miles in the next 24 hours and then work my way round the North of the island to arrive at the Port Thursday morning. Whilst my crossing time will be taken when I arrive into Port St Charles, ocean rows are officially recognized when a boat crosses the longitude W59° 37’, which is also the longitude of North Point, at the northern tip of Barbados. After crossing West of this line I officially become an ocean rower!

With the island being fairly flat it is not going to be until about 12 miles out until I spot land, although I make catch some of the lights tomorrow night. But as I close in on land there are certain changes that suggest I am approaching the island, a lot more birds at out at sea during the day and a large build up of cloud in the West suggesting the weather is hitting land to name just a few.

I also had the fantastic experience of a fly past this morning. My parents and Sister have been on the island for a few days and were able to commandeer a light aeroplane and pilot who flew them out to my position this morning! As I say a fantastic experience with the plane getting very low to the boat as it went past! Apparently it took about 20 minutes for this Piper plane to make the 70 mile trip ot to me so I can’t be too far off now!

As I have mentioned before with the end now less than 48 hours away, the last 80 days at sea seem to have caught up with my body. Along with about 7 hours sleep in the last 3 days, the end is becoming more and more of a welcome prospect. With the fly past this morning my usual routine that has varied little in the last month became disrupted and it was very worrying how this change affected the rest of my day! As my old housemaster used to say, the most important thing is ‘routine, routine, routine’! I very much agree.

So tomorrow is my last full day at sea and I am very much looking forward to it. Fair winds, good swell, decent cloud cover and the final day of the Windies/Australia test in Barbados on the radio it should make for a good run in. I’m sure the Bob Marley tunes will also be blaring out at some point!

That also makes this my last blog from the Atlantic. I will update again once on dry land and able to think straight again, but thank you for following my voyage over these past 80 days or so. I hope my blogs have given you some insight into life at sea in a 24ft rowing boat, the rest you will have to find out for yourselves!

Thank you to everyone also for their huge generosity in donations for Mind. Both on and offline donations are now at the best part of £10k which is brilliant, but please don’t think we are stopping there! Anything you can give is really appreciated. I also hope that I have been able to spread the word about how much support mental health charities like Mind need, but also to get people to talk more and be open to discussing mental health issues, rather than continuing to treat them with the stigma that is so strong in society.

Thanks again everyone, next blog from Barbados!

Oh ye one more thing, I gave a quick phone interview the other day for a guy just starting up a podcast on ocean rowing. Search ‘Ocean Rowing Podcast’ on Facebook or youtube or in google and you should find it. Think I am episode 2. Cheers.

Pps there is a webcam in port st Charles that looks out over the harbour. I don’t have the address but if you google Port St Charles, Barbados I’m sure you can find it. If someone does locate it maybe you could post the link as a comment for everyone else? Not sure how good it is, but keep an eye out on Thursday about lunchtime onwards UK time.

          END

 See you soon, Skipper! 

Lots of love and prayers from all of us here

 in Kirdford & Plaistow et al. x

A section of the quilt in mid process - getting ready to tack the layers together and then start quilting!
Pray for me and the quilt, too - Please!