For once I am speechless.
The last 12 hours on Dream Maker were the longest, most nerve racking, and tense hours of my life. Fear, apprehension, uncertainty and a touch of sadness that it was all about to come to an end. Most stressful of all, would my parents and my sister be there in time? The tooth ache and effect of the antibiotics on my stomach made the experience even harder.
The welcome we had was beyond my wildest dreams. Flares, fog horns, cheers! It seems that everyone in Nelson's dock joined in to welcome us ashore. The sight of my sister and parents on shore was the most overwhelming feeling of emotion I've ever experienced. It was also very special that Rachel & Lin (Barbara Ivy) who knew our experience and feelings more than anyone else were also there to greet us, having landed 24 hours earlier.
We had done it! We had proved everyone that doubted us wrong! We had rowed across the Atlantic! It was (and still is) too surreal for me get my headaround, to believe, I have to pinch myself and say, "Yes Elin, you have done it".
I've now just spent a wonderful week on the Antiguan beach with my Mum, Dad & sister, quality time before returning to the UK for some normality. I can't wait! But hope I'll adjust, what will I do with all my free time....?! Yesterday we went sailing and today we took a helicopter ride over Montserrat volcano, so the amazing experiences continue while I'm out here.
As many of you know by now, shortly after landing I found my sea legs, or was it my Caribbean rum legs? Either way I somehow managed to stand on my phone - crushing it to pieces and loosing EVERYONE's number which explains why I have not contacted as many people as I would have liked by now. Please forgive me; it certainly wasn't because I wasn't thinking of you. So everyone that has my number, please text/ call me and let me have yours.It will help me on my road back to normality. . . .
In the next week or so, Herdip & I will sit down to look through all our photos, and we'll post some here for you all to see, and share some more of our experiences. Before then though, I really need to thank so many people for helping us across every wave and through every storm.
Ian Roots for teaching us to row,
Lucy Jameson (our Number 1 fan, and close friend!) for making the HISC facility a possibility),
All the Jameson boys (big & small) for letting us be part of your weekend lives whenever we needed help & support.
Mike Baker & Frank for always being there to get us in and out of the sea for our training runs and out of the sandbanks when we got it wrong.
Jo Barode for making that crucial contact possible, and organising the most amazing valentine's ball.
Jamie Hopkins (and everyone at Mapeley) - our "knight in shining armour" for making our dream come true in the most amazing way, with the most amazing support that we could have ever wished for. It was certainly beyond what is normally expected from a sponsor.
Chris Moon & Juliette Reynolds for getting our heads ready for the challenge. Simon, Tony & Amanda at Woodvale for being our "big brother" out there.
Amy Cole our blog editor for helping us keep the outside world updated on ourexperiences
Sinead Bryan for flying over to take such fantastic photos and to be mychampagne supplier!
Our families for withstanding the worry.
Bobl Penllyn a phellach am gymryd cymaint o ddiddordeb a chefnogaeth Each and every single one of you that sent us messages of support. We can not start to express how much they meant to us. They were certainly the key that kept us going.
I also want to express how much it meant to us to develop such a close rapport with other boats in the fleet. Our time together in La Gomera, our communication while out on the sea and the words of support now back on land was and still is very special. I feel we've made friendships of a unique bond. So (in order of completion) to Pura Vida, Gquma, No Fear, Unfinished Business, The Reason Why, Ocean Summit & Barbara Ivy in particular - Please keep in touch.
So for the time being, it's not really an "over and out", just a "stand by on 16" ...
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