Ocean rowing through the Years
By Nick Rowe (Father of Jess)
I have the privilege to have been asked to write a blog for the Seas the Day crew of ladies who are soon to embark on an extraordinary challenge and adventure and very happy to write about my experiences in rowing an ocean – and highlight any differences between then and now.
I took up the challenge in the 2005/6 Woodvale Challenge race, who took over the reins from the famous Sir Chay Blyth who started the Atlantic Rowing Race in 1997. I was joined by Al Howard (who is Jess’s Godfather), a great friend from when we served in the Army together. In 2005 there had been only 124 successful crossings of the Atlantic, 5 crossings of the Pacific and only 3 of the Indian Ocean (and none of these all the way to continental Africa).
In our race 26 boats and crews made it to the start in San Sebastian de la Gomera (of 34 who had planned to be there) and there was a lot of media interest because one of the crews participating were the well-known James Cracknell and Ben Fogle. Our start was postponed for 3 days as a massive storm front came through from the West and this was a pre-warning of what to expect out in the Atlantic and it became the stormiest period on record for 60 years. We ‘experienced’ one hurricane, which did it’s best to push us towards Africa and we were on sea anchor for four and a half days getting bashed properly by very big waves and 50 to 60 knot winds. There were 3 further tropical storms over the crossing, and we ended up being capsized, a full 360 degrees, three times. Al cracked a couple of ribs on the first occasion and sliced his head open on another. We saw an amazing amount of wildlife, were followed by curious whales (I think minke and pilot) a black marlin and saw several feeding frenzies as marlin and dorado chased smaller fish. We were also regularly battered by flying fish while rowing at night. We’d have to collect them off the deck in the morning, and even tried one boiled – disgusting!
In the end our crossing took 66 days and overall, it was a most amazing and uplifting experience. Of the 26 boats and crews who started the race, only 14 managed to get across the finish line and into Nelson’s dockyard in Antigua. Some had been swept too far south or north by the various storms we encountered, and some had to be rescued at sea. One part of me did not really want to stop but the welcome we got on arrival was unbelievable, and I had to do some serious eating! I had gone from 75kg at the start to just 54kg, in spite of eating up to 5,000 calories a day.
Seeing Jess and team ‘Full throttle” depart La Gomera and arrive safely (and taking the women’s cup) in Antigua was also an amazing experience which brought it all back to me.
So, what has not changed between then and now?
Getting to the start line
Rowing an ocean, whichever route you decide to attempt, is not an inexpensive undertaking and procuring the necessary funds is, without any doubt, the most difficult aspect of the whole venture. It is also the most important. Fail in this and you will not make the start line.
I know of no rowers who have fully funded their expedition from their own pockets; it takes real tenacity and teamwork (a wide support network of family and friends) and some innovation to succeed. On our expedition we were 25,000 pounds short, and I decided that, because one of our charities was also a key charity supported by the organisation I worked for, that they should be supporting our endeavour. Having gone through the usual channels like corporate affairs and being blocked every time I decided one day to park my boat in the CEO’s parking space. This involved a 2-hour drive with the boat from Hampshire into central London and getting the timing right to arrive before him (luckily, I knew his driver – another ex-military man of previous adventures). He was not pleased (I think “who the hell are you?” was his initial question, if I remember correctly) but he rang his secretary, and I got a 10-minute slot to “explain myself”. That 10-minute meeting got me the remaining sponsorship we needed. We were on our way! I also have no doubt that Seas the Day also have what it takes to make the start line in Lima, Peru.
Camaraderie and team spirit
The build up for the Atlantic race, and the month or more of final preparations in La Gomera is also a time to meet the other teams and build strong bonds that go beyond the race. All highly motivated and inspirational people and all helping each other. In our race there were several ex-army or serving military personnel and we all gravitated towards each-other to share tips and suggestions, and a few too many beers in the Blue Marlin most evenings! There were also a couple of young 21-year-olds taking on the crossing and then joining the Army soon thereafter. They beat us to the finish line. They even listened to our advice about what regiments to join! They ended up serving together as the OC and 2IC of a Famous British Regiment!
That two of Seas the Day (Miriam and Jess) crew are already experienced ocean rowers, and that Lottie, with the right attitude and equal determination which complements the team, will stand them in good stead on the Pacific. Their choice to stay as a team of three, rather and a four, will, I think, prove to be a wise one.
Food and ablutions
While there have been improvements in portable adventure food and nutritional snacks to fill in the required 5,000 calories a day, it still amounts to the same stuff; a majority of freeze-dried meals with nice sounding names but mostly fairly disgusting, you just have to get used to it!
The ablution scene has changed not at all! All fresh water comes from a water maker with an osmosis pump to remove salt and powered by solar panels (yes, we did have those in 2005!). Sometimes we had enough spare to fill a shower bag to wash off the encrusted salt but on many occasions, we had just finished a clean-up when a nice cold wave would douse us properly! And, yes, the toilet is still a bucket which soon becomes one the most important bits of kit on board, lose it overboard at your peril.
So, what has changed?
Boat design and electrical gadgets
A lot has happened in rowing boat design since 2005! At that time most were built with marine ply, sheathed in fibreglass and designed by Rowsell and Morrison. These were no doubt strongly built and were capable of self-righting if capsized but most of the second-hand boats at the time were “well used” and we did not have the funds to have a new one built from scratch.
We relied heavily on the Ocean Rowing Society and particularly Kenneth Crutchlow to source the boat we wanted, and we were looking for fibreglass foam sandwich. In the end we found exactly what we were looking for and it turned out to be a Rowsell & Adkin MK4.
We had the boat refurbished and, probably the best decision we made, we had side supports made from carbon fibre windsurfing masts which were attached to the side of the deck and to the forward and rear cabins. These enabled us to cross the deck standing up instead of crawling around on all-fours and saved my life on one of our capsizes. I was on deck cooking and saw an irregular and massive wave coming. As it broke over us I had just enough time to shout to Al to shut the cabin and grabbed the starboard side bar, facing the wave as it crashed over us and rolled us 360 degrees. In only a few seconds the boat popped up with me in a heap still holding the bar. When Al opened the cabin, he was convinced that I would have been washed overboard. I remember we lost our gimballed stove to the deep, so we went to plan “B”, and I got the jet boil out and lunch started again! (Pictured is Jess aged 9 testing out the grab rails in Nick’s boat, ‘Ghurka Spirit’.)
Our rudder system was very different than for the modern rowing boats. We had the rudder hinged directly to the stern and two lines coming off the top to port and starboard and these were joined to the right footplate in the bow rowing position which you could swivel left to right to adjust steering. We also had a reverse compass (obviously) positioned between our legs so that we could maintain course during the day and at night we navigated by the stars, Orion being a major constellation that rose over our stern each night and made its way overhead as the night progressed. It was simple but worked.
Our electronics were very simple with a mounted GPS and hand-held as a backup. We plotted our position on our laminated paper charts each day and made progress each day of 50 to 60 nautical miles. There was no chart-plotter or AIS and we had no way to predict what weather was on the way or if any shipping was getting too close – we just had to keep alert and our eyes open. If we spotted a ship on the horizon, and we could clearly see it was heading in our direction (we would see both the port and starboard lights) we knew we would only have 15 minutes to get out of its path. We did have one such encounter with a massive tanker carrying vehicles, we think, to Brazil and it passed us only 400m away after some hasty rowing to get out of its course of travel. We did have a sat phone which was brilliant until it got soaked on one of our rolls, so we ended up with no comms for the second half of the crossing.
There are now two main companies who make ocean rowing boats. Most of the boats that take part in the Atlantic and Pacific Challenge races are made by a company in Essex called Rannoch. These are very well-designed boats which are very good at keeping a straight line and extremely safe and robust. They represent the “Gold Standard” of ocean rowing boats. The only issues I think they have had are that several boats have experienced steering issues on the recently organised races, and I know that Rannoch are already working hard to solve this.
Rossiter, a well-known boat building company started, I believe, to branch into building ocean rowing boats as early as 2007.
Seas the Day have chosen a Rossiter Ocean 2 for several reasons specific to their challenge. Being 29ft in length it has the capacity that the crew will have to carry enough food to last up to 6 months on the pacific and can also take more solar panels. It also has a stern mounted rudder system which is hydraulic (uses less power from the steering mechanism) which can be replaced if damaged.
Conclusion
Whether then, nearly 20 years ago, or now, rowing any ocean is still a massive challenge and one of the last great physical and mental challenges left in terms of the sheer determination and guts required to make a crossing a success, let alone what the weather can throw at you. The sea is her own boss and cannot be ‘overcome’, she just might let you pass over her if you are fortunate and well organised.
What Jess, Lottie and Miriam are taking on is a first (all female crew across the Pacific) and I think they are a great team and will make it happen. If anyone is reading this and you are a potential sponsor, they are still not at that start line and still need help, in return of course for a considerable amount of publicity (they have already featured live on the BBC, Sky News and Talk TV) and a Netflix program in the making. If you would like to enquire as to how your organisation could help, please contact them directly on contact@seasthedayoceanrowing.com
Or, if you would like to donate privately the link is here; https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/seastheday
Lastly, I can’t wait to see them off in Peru, track their progress, and hopefully, meet them in Brisbane as they meet land again after a possible 6 months at sea. To the ladies of Seas the Day, I wish you the very best of luck with this wonderful endeavour!