Peter van Kets, Pete van Kets, Cliff Coombe, Fusion, Vincent Park Spar
Update from Cliff 30 Nov 09
30/Nov/09 21:32 Filed in: Nyamezela
On Saturday we had a slow start but managed to do a job which has been worrying Pete for some time. We put Nyamezela’s dagger board in place and checked the fit. The dagger board is situated in the front cabin and is so long that it can only be fitted from under the boat. We pushed the boat to the water’s edge near a spot where the charter boats launch and board. We found a set of stairs down to the water and this allowed us to push the boat’s nose far enough over the edge to enable us to do the job nicely. We then had a thorough inspection of her underside and she looks great. The daggerboard fits even if it is a bit tight and sticky. It should loosen up when it has water on it. Pete is using a daggerboard to stop the rocking motion he and Bill experienced last time and also to allow him to put the boat on a course while he sleeps. If there is a side wind he can actually use it to move or drift forward just like a keeled yacht would.
That job done we both needed a swim and an afternoon nap back at the apartment. On the walk home we discussed starting a pre-race detox. No more alcohol for Pete, and lots of fruit and veggies to prep his body for the row. We had no sooner decided this than we were off to the fancy dress party. Pete had brought some blow-up aliens from Fusion, a sponsor of Nyamezela’s sound equipment for the boat. So we mounted them on some inflatable travel pillows, put on some green tops, made some feelers out of foam and went as little green foreigners (aliens!). The rowers really went all out with cowboys and sumo wrestlers. One fours team made a boat out of cardboard boxes. They had a navigation light, rudder, the works. Race owner Simon and fellow solo rower Charlie dressed in drag (Charlie borrowed his mom’s dress). After sampling the seafood paella we left early to attempt a good night’s sleep after a very late night on Friday. I’m so glad we did as rowdy partygoers were out in the streets at 2 am this morning. Poor Pete isn’t sleeping well.
It’s amazing how a race of this nature can fascinate people all over the world. I have a brother who teaches English in Japan and we have arranged for some of his pupils to chat to Pete when he is in the middle of the Atlantic (literally on the other side of the world). Well, in an email yesterday, my brother said that his pupils wanted to know what food Pete is going to eat. Well Pete will eat expedition freeze-dried food as his main meals, three times a day. Each meal is 800 calories. Breakfast is muesli or porridge with strawberries or raisins. His lunch and supper are a range of flavours from spaghetti bolognaise to Thai chicken. He will always have a pudding after each meal or in between meals for extra calories. He also has his ‘dankie tannie’ packets which have the following assorted goodies (sponsored by Vincent Park Spar: sugar-coated fruit sticks, chocolate bars, glucose sweets, Sugas sweets, raisins, biltong and nuts. There is also an assortment of flavoured energy drinks for his water bottles. It’s like a party pack for a big kid! He will also use special protein shakes during his evening rows and between meals. Pete has packed his food into separate compartments and each meal will be a lucky dip. He will put his hand in and what he grabs, he eats. His watermaker will be used to make the water required to rehydrate the food, and mix up the shakes. In the heat he’ll be drinking a lot of water too. He also has five litres of olive oil and he will drink a few millilitres each day to boost his calorie count. The Japanese will relate the soy sauce and wasabi that he is taking along. Pete will be trailing a fishing line and if he catches a fish he will enjoy sushi with the chopsticks which he also packed.
I am now off to massage Pete’s back which he says is feeling stiff and painful. It’s a bit of a worry actually, but it may be because of all the pre-race tension he is shouldering.
That job done we both needed a swim and an afternoon nap back at the apartment. On the walk home we discussed starting a pre-race detox. No more alcohol for Pete, and lots of fruit and veggies to prep his body for the row. We had no sooner decided this than we were off to the fancy dress party. Pete had brought some blow-up aliens from Fusion, a sponsor of Nyamezela’s sound equipment for the boat. So we mounted them on some inflatable travel pillows, put on some green tops, made some feelers out of foam and went as little green foreigners (aliens!). The rowers really went all out with cowboys and sumo wrestlers. One fours team made a boat out of cardboard boxes. They had a navigation light, rudder, the works. Race owner Simon and fellow solo rower Charlie dressed in drag (Charlie borrowed his mom’s dress). After sampling the seafood paella we left early to attempt a good night’s sleep after a very late night on Friday. I’m so glad we did as rowdy partygoers were out in the streets at 2 am this morning. Poor Pete isn’t sleeping well.
It’s amazing how a race of this nature can fascinate people all over the world. I have a brother who teaches English in Japan and we have arranged for some of his pupils to chat to Pete when he is in the middle of the Atlantic (literally on the other side of the world). Well, in an email yesterday, my brother said that his pupils wanted to know what food Pete is going to eat. Well Pete will eat expedition freeze-dried food as his main meals, three times a day. Each meal is 800 calories. Breakfast is muesli or porridge with strawberries or raisins. His lunch and supper are a range of flavours from spaghetti bolognaise to Thai chicken. He will always have a pudding after each meal or in between meals for extra calories. He also has his ‘dankie tannie’ packets which have the following assorted goodies (sponsored by Vincent Park Spar: sugar-coated fruit sticks, chocolate bars, glucose sweets, Sugas sweets, raisins, biltong and nuts. There is also an assortment of flavoured energy drinks for his water bottles. It’s like a party pack for a big kid! He will also use special protein shakes during his evening rows and between meals. Pete has packed his food into separate compartments and each meal will be a lucky dip. He will put his hand in and what he grabs, he eats. His watermaker will be used to make the water required to rehydrate the food, and mix up the shakes. In the heat he’ll be drinking a lot of water too. He also has five litres of olive oil and he will drink a few millilitres each day to boost his calorie count. The Japanese will relate the soy sauce and wasabi that he is taking along. Pete will be trailing a fishing line and if he catches a fish he will enjoy sushi with the chopsticks which he also packed.
I am now off to massage Pete’s back which he says is feeling stiff and painful. It’s a bit of a worry actually, but it may be because of all the pre-race tension he is shouldering.
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