Let's talk about swimming the English Channel??? Day 2 Samphire Hoe

F/ July 18: As Mike navigates toward the beach, I'm instructed that he will try to get me into the beach at the corner of the wall of S.H. At 3 am, I get all greased up. 3:15am I'm standing on the starboard side waiting for the call, I'm nervous and not comfortable about this. A heavy breeze is blowing the fog and the moisture feels like it's misting...I AM getting cold.

It felt like an hour, looking hard for a place to drop me in, even tough it was only 20 minutes, before I'm told to go back up top, cover up and stay warm. I gladly accept the order and cover up. I'm very uncomfortable with all this grease on, trying not to get any on the boat, it's a disgusting feel. We wait for atleast 20 minutes, while Mike roams the coast for a spot. I am getting wiped out at this time, I'm tired. The decision to head back to the harbor is made, even though other swimmers are arriving to the beach. At 4:30am we enter the entrance of the harbor.