OAR Northwest

We often get the same questions asked of us about the Ocean row.  I thought that I would answer a few in this post.

What kind of seas and swells will you see on the ocean?

Seas can be as calm as pee on a plate or as big as 50 foot swells.  Most of the time, we will be rowing in 2-5 foot swells.  We will navigate to avoid large storm systems.

What happens when you get into a big storm?

We put out the sea anchor, which is essentially a large parachute that aligns our boat with the waves and weather for safety.  The four of us crawl into the sleeping compartment and close the hatches.  We bob like a cork, until the seas are calm enough to row again.

What will the temperatures be like on your route?

We are rowing just above the equator. The Temperature will be between 20 and 35 degrees Celsius. We will probably row naked through the night to prevent chafing, then wear sun clothes in the day.

What hardships do you anticipate  facing ? Salt? Shipping? Storms? Pirates?

Shipping is a concern. The big barges would decimate us and not even notice. We have a radar amplifier on board, radios and flare guns to aid in our avoidance.

Salt will cake on our body and be a bit uncomfortable. However, this brings another hardship to the top of mind: skin health. Sunburn, blisters & chaffing can turn into large problems when not properly addressed. Blistered bums make it hard to return to your shift. Raw skin can make touching anything feel like you are touching magma.

Storms. When the weather gets rough, it gets scary and cramped. We have to crawl into the small holding compartment and wait it out. We have to put out our sea anchor, which essentially is a large underwater parachute. This can be difficult in strong winds.

Pirates. We plan to avoid these guys all together.  Almost all pirates are on the east coast of Africa.  There is a small risk and we will consult locat authorities and ensure we avoid any contact.

Food. We will prepare to the utmost. Last time, the boys ran out of food. Other trips have had spoiled food, broken water makers. We will be fishing for some food, and dealing with the capture and slaughter of some big fish.

Close quarters. Dealing with personalities in close quarters is always an issue.  Especially because Rick is a selfish Jerk…

Bathroom. Constipation. Diarrhea. 1) you have to share all of this with your boat-mates, because there is no space. 2) Small issues become big big issues on the ocean, because your resources are limited, and you body is taxed.  Greg had massive constipation issues during his last ocean row.

Sleep. We will be on 24 hour shifts. This makes you go a bit wonky, especially during the first 3 weeks.

Loneliness. I am pretty sure I am going to miss my wife and kid. Greg will miss Ginger.  Jordan will fill his yearnings for Rachael with Rick. As Jordan has long, meaningful conversations Rick we’ll really start to miss land…

Boat maintenance. We will need to keep the hull clean. Because we are not moving very fast, gunk will build up on the boat as we cut through the Ocean.

Equipment malfunction. We plan to have backups and backups of backups. Adventure is adventure because you dont know what will go wrong.  Recently, Roz Savage, a fellow ocean rower had electrical issues at the beginning of her trek across the Indian Ocean and had to be towed into port to fix her equipment.

Illness or Injury. Again, if anything goes wrong we will have to deal with it on our own. The severity is amplified. Also, Rick gets pretty seasick. We have been working through this. Seasickness is a big thing off the start.

Wildlife. I knew a boat that got it’s hull pierced by a marlin in the middle of the ocean. Dolphin stampedes and flying fish are harmless, but would make great footage. Whales can come real close which can be scary.

Debris. You never know what is floating out there. Old boxy cargo containers. Islands of plastic or seaweed that could ensnare us at night. We are traveling a route that is more remote. Who knows what we will see.

How will you row 24 hrs a day (Two Shifts?)

Rowing 2 hours on, 2 hours off is the current plan. Constantly switching. We may experiment with longer shifts.  We have to talk to our university research partners to figure out the best method to try.

You have no support craft right?

Correct.  We are alone.  Completely self supported.

3800 nautical miles is 7000km is that right?

Yep.  That’s the equivalent of rowing from Vancouver, BC to the West coast of Ireland (dublin is 7, 167 KM).  Or the North-south length of the Andes mountain Range. Or the distance from New York to Venice.

Till next time,

Adam