When Caroll first went down to Dover Harbour for a
training session,
she got no further than her waist before returning to shore, saying she
wasn't sure she could stand water that cold. The next day, the family
was
very concerned about her participation in the relay. She was able to
stay
in for only 15 minutes before coming out and complaining of headaches.
This was an "all-or-nothing" event. If one member failed to
enter the
channel on time, or quit during his or her turn, the whole team would
be
disqualified. All the planning, time, effort and money would be
forfeited
if one person couldn't perform. Caroll's aversion to cold water (a fact
she made known back in San Juan) caused great concern. After
contracting
a cold, she refused to practice altogether.
"When it's time for me to swim the real thing, I'll do my
share," was
her final comment.
-
3:30 p.m. Sixth swimmer: Caroll
Caroll is almost done with her hour. Everyone, including
the
official observer and the captain, has been shouting encouragement to
her.
She's doing very well, swimming freestyle at a nice, even pace. After
relieving
Harry, she swam breatstroke for a while. Tim is getting ready for his
second
turn, keeping his sweatsuit on until the last minute. It's late in the
day, the sun's warmth is diminished and the air much cooler.
I set the relay swimming order based on two factors. By
putting the
faster family members first, theoretically they would swim more often
than
the slower swimmers. (Tim and Krista, first and second on the relay,
have
won most of Puerto Rico's premier open-water events.) If we could
perform
an eight-or-nine-hour crossing, the slower swimmers would only have to
swim once. Secondly, I arranged to have the "questionable" members near
the end of the relay order. In case the swim lasted 15 or 16 hours,
they
would only have to swim twice.
-
4:30 p.m. First swimmer, second round: Timothy
Tim is swimming without goggles. He had trouble with them
as
soon as he relieved his mother. We threw him another pair, but he just
now threw those back to me, and is proceeding without them. Caroll says
she's okay, but hopes that she doesn't have to swim a second time.
We're
all relieved that she was able to do her segment. We're very proud of
one
another. When Harry Jr. got out, he informed us that he didn't think
that
he could make another hour. He said his asthma attack was very bad, and
that he couldn't breathe. He's in the cabin down below, trying to get
warm.
He's wrapped up in all the heavy clothing we could find, but is still
shaking
badly.
I was told by the boat owners, the Brickell brothers, that
although
they had been guiding channel swimmers for 20 years, they themselves
could
not predict when the weather would change during an attempt, or where
the
cross currents would occur. In fact, the day I went to pay them the
deposit
for our attempts, I was amazed to find that there was no water in
Folkestone
Harbour. Twice a day the tides cause the water to rush out of the
marina,
leaving the fishing boats sitting on the muddy bottom!
To my amazement, during the hour that I was negotiating
guide fees with
Reggie, the ocean returned to the port, and when I left Folkestone the
boats were floating in 14 feet of sea water. Imagine the strength of
the
currents involved in a 14-foot tidal change. We were told that as we
approached
France we could get caught in a 180 degree current directional change.
Many swimmers have been a mile from finishing when the tide switched,
pushing
them back into the channel for hours, eventually causing crossing
failure.
-
Krista is doubled up on the hatch cover, wrapped in all
the extra
clothing she brought along. She's due up next, but says she has stomach
aches and nausea. She think it's food poisoning, possible from
breakfast.
She doesn't look good. Still getting negative comments from Harry Jr.
about
his next turn. (Page 7)
|