Bucket and Chuck It! By Woodvale
16 May 2009 20:48 BST

It is a common misconception among people not in the know that Ocean Rowing boats are fitted out with similar facilities to an ocean going yacht – a galley, a cabin with bunks and heads. This sadly, is not the case!



The galley is a small camping stove used to heat up meals on the open deck of the boat. The cabin is a tiny covered area barely big enough to sit up in let along stand and the heads are simply a couple of 99p buckets!



The mandatory kit list stipulates that each team must take three buckets, one for washing up the dishes, one for washing clothes and the third and final bucket to be used as a toilet.



For Guy and Andrew onboard Boat No. 6 ‘Flying Ferkins’, three buckets is not enough. Their toilet allocated bucket went overboard by accident in the first week of the race. Their washing up bucket, that then doubled up as a replacement toilet, broke under the strain and the third and final bucket together with a crack down the side is only just holding together. Let’s hope it lasts the distance! To hear Guy’s latest podcast all about the dyer toilet situation onboard the Flying Ferkins, please go to http://blog.indianoceanrace.com/.



Elsewhere in the fleet, Boat No. 7 ‘Bexhill Trust Challenger’ has taken the lead from the Ocean Angels in Boat No. 13 ‘Pura Vida’. The usual relaxed and jovial blogs sent back by the Fours ladies has been replaced today with frustration, as they have been forced to helplessly watch their substantial lead slip away and the see the boys overtake them.



With the best 24hr run today of 63.09 nautical miles also going to Bexhill Trust Challenger, the British Fours guys will be celebrating today. However, a change of weather conditions and sea state for the better in the area of the girls could make for an interesting battle over the next couple of days.