White knuckle Christmas on the high seas

Salthill man Ray Carroll is currently in a 14-man row boat crossing the Atlantic Ocean, in an attempt to break the transatlantic record of 35 days. This is the second in a series of columns detailing the experience. He has undertaken this mammoth venture to raise funds forAware.Tuesday, December 25: Wow, what an evening. I mean really 'Wow’. Nailbiting, teeth and buttock clinching, white knuckle, edge of your seat, and I do mean edge of your seat ride. We careered and surfed along all night into the moonlight and sometimes cloudy skies. The boat skated with a mind of her own and us there, mostly helpless, trying to enjoy the ride. Every now and then, it really does get completely out of control, but for us to think about it or pretend to the troops that this isn’t in the plan would be folly so I won’t even admit that here. I can only compare the experience to Disneyland. Think of its wildest roller coaster, multiply by two and then make it unending. Then you’ll appreciate the mix of adrenaline and terror we feel.The experience is beginning to show on me. I mean, I haven’t been able to look in a mirror since the last morning in Puerto Mogan, but I certainly feel “less” round the mid-section for sure. My injuries, too, are beginning to manifest into the various categories in my mind — the serious, the not serious, and the keep me awake worrying types. My thighs and knees are the most concerning and the dread of becoming unable to row makes me sick to my stomach.Please God I’ll stay strong.You can read more of Ray’s diary in the Connacht Tribune and the Galway City Tribune this and every week.