right now I have to be so rational and
sit in my cabin and just think don't do
anything stupid basically just gonna be
gonna be sitting in here until storm
alley lets us move
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sup guys we are not in England I wanted
to be the England but we're not not a
great start to this week I'll be honest
you know I was swimming not necessarily
angry but my way of coping was just kind
of swimming like I had a job to do like
I said there wasn't so much smiling and
swimming it was more just you know
swimming with sheer intent and a purpose
and and it was working it worked we were
actually making some pretty good mileage
all down the east coast of Scotland that
was until today and that's because storm
alley has decided to pay as a visit we
kind of knew it was coming but just lies
just come at the worst time and that's
just because I don't mind
swimming through Jellyfish any more like
chafing salt tongue I don't I don't mind
any of that as long as I get back to
Margate and then I can I can go and you
know see the family and give everybody a
hug but one thing I cannot stand is is
not making progress and whilst you know
storm alley and 80 mile-per-hour winds
aren't fun because they don't make for
good swimming conditions the worst thing
about this is is we we can't go out
there you know at the moment fishing
boats and and and ships have come into
Dunbar Harbor and are just seeking
safety so right now I have to be so
rational and sit in my cabin and just
think don't do anything stupid maybe
they're just gonna be gonna be sitting
in here until storm alley lets us move
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so we've had this ongoing issue with a
bent prop shaft which has been just a
background anxiety really because this
has been going on since right down the
south coast where we actually in the
dark here on lobster port and just the
Rope got wrapped around one of the
propellers and just kink the shaft
slightly so there was a slight bend in
it and we actually managed to bend it
out a bit manually in on a beach in
Cornwall but it you know to get it
really true needed to come off the boat
and be in a workshop and be on a lathe
and straighten properly of course with
two engines that's a crucial part of of
making sure that we're okay for picking
Ross up in the water when it's rough but
we just had not had the time to do that
you know the pace has been so relentless
and we've had this amazing forecast
Ross has kept going kept going kept
going and so all of a sudden here we are
we've got 36 hours where I've been able
to do that and personally I feel really
happy about that it's a hold up but it's
just a huge relief to have been able to
find a bit of time to do that essential
bit of maintenance and get that repair
done
Wow morning guys
today there is hope not a lot of it not
a lot of hope quite a small portion like
it like a snack of hope and but it is
there and that's because Matt's woke me
up this morning and said he's checked
all the weather reports and that there
is a very brief period a small window
where storm alley kind of let the guard
down just a little bit and and if we're
able to sneak across the Firth of Forth
we might be able to make the last 10
miles which means we'll actually come
back into to mainland Great Britain and
we can start thinking about England
which which feels amazing to say but
this is going to be unlike any swim
we've done so far on the Great British
whim and that's because what to date
we've always swim with the tide because
it never makes sense to swim against it
right now that's not the determining
factor so it's rather than looking at
the tides we have to look at the weather
and we have to look at what's gonna be
safe for the boats for the crew and for
me in the water so we can actually be
swimming all day through the day for as
long as storm alley let's a swim I just
would rather swim in the middle of a
hurricane right now
then sit in the harbor and not do
anything
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you're 300 cook in the store after five
minutes indicates why we weren't going
anywhere but we all get have to wait it
was a gamble there you know it's no
point to me against it sorry it's 2:00
tomorrow 6:00 no no no we knew is we
knew is exactly where we don't normally
swim you know an answer and that's the
impact it's just better to not waste
your energy I think you know most
important used to stay warm against it
okay
snap obviously didn't go to plan that's
probably we're gonna do a Kiner just
notch that one down as a little bit of a
false start that was the first time that
we tried to swim against the tide and if
there's one thing I've learned about
mother nature is she doesn't want to
swim you
you want Natsume that day just what
we're gonna do now is we're going to
wait out in the middle of the sea for
another two hours hope there the tide
starts working with this and also the
winds and the waves from store valley
don't come rushing in and cancel a if
I'm completely honest with myself I'm
probably not thinking that recipe of the
boat are probably swimming on a little
bit too much emotion so I would have
kept on swimming against the tide right
there that was like get out conserve
your energy eat get warm get out your
wetsuit and let's go again in two hours
and just still keen to get out there as
the tide changes
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[Applause]
okay that will probably go down as one
of the worst ones at the group pretty
swim so far that's hard tight dough
slack which allows me to pick up a
little bit of speed and then we get
about five hours of swimming under our
belt things are actually going okay
the tides been turning and it's actually
helping us all about two o'clock in the
morning when Matt gets a radio through
from a level 11 storm warning on the way
so Matt turns to me and says Ross I
think we need to call it you know for
Matt to say that you know for the last
110 days me and him have swam through
some pretty ropey waves so when he says
we should call it you know Matt
obviously knows best
I now realize that that's actually how
you swim in a storm you know for all of
the kind of bravado and go ah you know
man versus hurricane and everything it's
no like mother nature would always win
I've learned that the hard way before
you don't compete against mother nature
those I love the saying there
you don't conquer a mountain you're
merely allowed to stand upon it for a
brief moment and that's kind of the case
with this you know you don't conquer an
ocean you just blessed er drift around
within it sometimes back in the harbor
now but it's a little bit better - the
clocks and miles so
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you get to England mate we'll get this
strong man at the border this is the
last point eight miles time to go home
engine here we come soon have fun
you're on the board of eight okay you're
away guys can't quite believe I'm saying
this but as a 524 p.m. today the Great
Britain is back in English waters and it
just it feels amazing to say that more
it means more to say that than it did
Lands End
crossing the Scottish border John
O'Groats just because and I said this at
the start of the swim I said what we see
berrak upon tweed but me is is the start
of the the home stretch a long home
stretch but a home stretch nonetheless
when I got back on the boat there was
there was relief there was there was a
celebration there was a lot of emotions
in them me and Matt had our customary
hug it feels if it was amazing to say
they were back in England gonna miss
Scotland Scotland was amazing from the
people the scenery the food I really
will miss Scotland but happy to be back
in in English waters it was a tough swim
as well
Scotland wasn't gonna let me over the
border quite quite so easily and a
little bit sunburned as you can tell
from what goggle marks also as well just
like a few rogue jellyfish we're just
kind of guarding the border to England
and so I took a few of those by just I
just didn't care nothing nothing was
gonna stop me from getting to England
today I'm really here there big man
everybody take it Amy said don't worry
we'll be there feels amazing
still still not a huge celebration but
more other celebration so it's you know
maybe you know maybe I'll have I'll have
two puddings tonight double pudding
celebrations boom one o'clock in the
morning next tight that's that's the
plan
but feels amazing feels so good to put
the English flag up so good it's hard to
explain so this week and it just feels
amazing to be signing out in English
waters so don't forget you can always
follow my progress at www.kppc.org/keeps
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