Surely, some people consider what we are presently doing as a great andventure. for others, it might be something like climbing Mount Everest, or diving or maybe parachuting.

In retrospect, there is nothing in our cruise until now that really felt adventurous or dangerous. Maybe the close encounter with the French carferry in dense fog at the entrance to Dover's busy port.

The Ultimate Adventure can be something much more surprising and just out of an ordinary day. Like what happened to me today...

When we returned to the boat in the afternoon after a several hour walk through Ferragudo and to the shore and back, I decided to row the inflatable dinghy the 200 meters or so across the Channel to the Marina at the Western side of thei Ria. I wanted to leave some books we finished reading in return for the ones Isabelle found in their office a couple of days ago. At the same time I checked e-mails and weather forecasts on the internet.

I knew it would be a bit tougher to row back, since it was slack water when I left the boat, and the tide turned to ebb while I was in the Marina. The wind would be against me too, gusting to 25 knots from North. A little challenging but definetely manageable.

When I was done in the Marina office and came out on the pontoon again I glanced downstream the Ria (my sight was blocked by a wharf and a Navy building upstream). I was glad enough to see that the wind had come down a bit and jumped in the dinghy to row back swiftly... As soon as I left the pontoon I realized that I could barely make progress against the 3-4 knots tidal stream and the headwind acompanied by small choppy wavelets.

Nothing serious- all it would take was a good physical work out for maybe ten minutes, and then dinner aboard 'Röde Orm'. This little trip quckly changed into a 'steeple chase' in the wet though. Within a few seconds I discovered that a really nasty gust approached and with a power boat for company that would obviosly make some steep wakes. Needless to say he drove at 15 knots or so in the channel! Two fishing vssels around fifty foot each came the other way. Still manageable but a bit less pleasent. Then I looked toward the sea and started to laugh out loud by myself. First a tug boat, then a HUGE ferry from Madeira and last in this little procession the Pilot boat.

Fine, first row like my life was depending on it, look right-look left- stand by for a few seconds while one of them passed and then ROW again for all I could to cross the channel BEFORE the Ferry.... Don't get me wrong here, I LOVE to row, I love physical activity, in fact the only drawback with saiing in my mind is that it can be a bit too little physical action for my taste.

Well, now I got some action allright. I just about made it before the ferry, I could see a few people on deck - some seven floors up- watching me, a little guy in a miniature dinghy fighting his way against the tide and the wind.

Then one of the oars came loose from the oarlock. The nut had unwinded at the absolutely least agreeable time.

All of a sudden I moved downstream at what seemed like a speedboat. With the loose oar I started to paddle canoe style while I kneeled on the bottom of the dinghy. Simultaneously I considered the whole situation and how ridiculous it appeared and started to laugh.... but I still kept paddling like a maniac. It took me a couple of minutes to make it to a mooring bouy a mere 5 meters upstream. I tied a bowline to it and then I was able to reinstall the oar properly and breath for a few seconds. Now I noticed that Isabelle, probably when she heard the big ferry coming, had gone out itno the cockpit of 'Röde Orm', where she now with keen interest followed my proceedings. From this distance I couldn't tell if she was worried for me, or just amused by the absurdity of the whole scene.

I safely made it back to the Mothership and very much appreciated to tie the dinghy up to the swim ladder.

Of course there was never any real danger in all this except maybe a cold swim to safety on the shore if I hadn't been able to make it back rowing/paddling.

An Ultimate Adventure in the smaller format, wasn't it? ;-)