19 Days at Sea in a Rowing Boat

 http://www.atlanticrowingrace09.com/progress/byteam/31/

Peter is getting used to his new life as an ocean rower with the highs and lows that come with it, such as sleep deprivation, salt sores, aches and pains, flying fish, whales spouting, beautiful sunsets and, of course, the never-ending rowing!

With their goal of achieving the world record of the fastest Atlantic ocean crossing, the boat never stops.

Taking shifts of 2 hours on 2 hours off can be tough, especially at night. You've heard of sleep walking? Try sleep rowing!

A few days ago, they had problems with their electric desalination pump which provides them with drinking water.  Luckily, they were able to sort that out quickly. 

Peter day dreams of lovely food and fresh water, so one of the highlights of his his trip so far was when he shared a segment of an old orange Linda (one of the other rowers of Britannia III) found in her bag!

Some of the crew are rowing naked (sorry no pics!). This is to help heal their salt sores and prevent more chaffing (some people will use any excuse!).  

They have been making good progress and are approaching the half way point. Skipper Ian says: “After our initial storming start and our move south, weather conditions have dictated that Britannia III will now be going to Barbados instead of Antigua. Barbados has seen the finish of most of the historic ocean row records and so it is appropriate that Britannia III ends her crossing here.”

At the time of writing, they are a bit behind where they should be to break the record but they are still in with a chance. To be fair, they have had a tougher time with the weather than previous record breaking attempts but if they keep doing what they are doing and the weather decides to be on their side, they can achieve their goal.

"Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence" 

D. Waitley 

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See where Peter Gadiot is right now!

http://www.atlanticrowingrace09.com/progress/byteam/31

ROWING AGAINST SLAVERY - Latest News!

Peter Gadiot is rowing the Atlantic Ocean right now. The journey is 3000 miles, from the Canary Isles to Antigua.

Peter and crew will be attempting to break the world record for the fastest crossing.

To follow their progress, you can actually see the real time tracking of the boat's exact location in the ocean!

To find out what motivated Peter to do it, to watch videos of the boat that shows where they eat, sleep and their “en suite facilities” (a bucket!) etc, scroll down the blog to find all the news!

Website: http://www.rowingagainstslavery.org

Blog: http://rowingagainstslavery.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=291911600110

Twitter: http://twitter.com/RAgainstSlavery

Phone call from the middle of the ocean

Peter phoned on Sunday afternoon (10 Jan). It was incredible for me to be able to hear his voice and the sound of waves in the background.

As suspected, he had been quite seasick for the first few days, unable to keep anything down. The lack of sleep and strenuous rowing did not help either, and he was feeling rather weak and exhausted but he is doing better. He is monitoring his back as it is really painful and so is his behind!

They have seen whales spouting, sea turtles, dolphins, birds (that far from the shore?!) and of course lots of fish! 
 
He mentioned that it is a bit difficult to keep a sense of time and space with just miles and miles of ocean all around them.

They have had some "exciting" moments such as when the tiny cabin where they rest (see videos below) was flooded by huge waves. Unfortunately, Peter was in "the coffin" which is the part of the boat under the floor so he got completely drenched - not much fun! It has taken them days to dry it! Pete says that by the time they get the cabin ready for them to rest, it is almost not worth it.

Britannia III sleeping quarters

 Tour of Britannia III

They have been at sea for 10 days and they have been making very good progress. Today they recorded 74 nm of Distance Made Good which is their best yet.

Overall, Peter sounded in really good spirits and his main complaint was how expensive phone-calls from the middle of the ocean are!

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See where Peter Gadiot is right now!
http://www.atlanticrowingrace09.com/progress/byteam/31

We Can End Slavery

 image: vietnameseworkersabroad.wordpress.com

Article No. 4 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

“No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”

Yet, slavery still exists and it is growing at an alarming rate.

The problem of contemporary slavery:

• Major forms of slavery are human trafficking, forced labour, exploitation of domestic workers, especially children, debt labour and sexual slavery.

• Human trafficking is a modern tragedy and it is the fastest growing criminal industry world wide.

• Slavery is not something that “happens elsewhere” or only in the “underdeveloped countries”; it is a global problem. Any country might be used for sourcing, transit or as a destination by traffickers; or it all happens within one area.

• Women, children, ethnic minorities, indigenous people, hill tribes, refugees, and illegal migrants are amongst the key target groups. (UNIFEM)
  

Suggestions to help end slavery:

• Keep yourself and others informed on this issue. A simple 'Did you know that slavery still exists?' is a good way to start.

• Contact your local police if you see anything that looks suspicious.

• You have power as a consumer. Support fair and ethical trade initiatives by buying products from them. Write letters to your favourite retailers and big chains asking what measures the company is taking to identify, prevent and end the use of forced labour and slavery from within their supply chain.

• Encourage and support groups, organisations and individuals who are actively doing something about the problem.

• Participate in efforts to end this crime - such as organising or participating in activities that increase awareness of the problem and/or raise funds.

Whatever you choose to do, please do something. Do not close your eyes to slavery.

"Action is the Antidote to Despair" - Joan Baez

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See where Peter Gadiot is right now!
http://www.atlanticrowingrace09.com/progress/byteam/31

Rowing Against Slavery media coverage report

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East Grinstead Courier & Observer, 7 Jan 2010

Rowing across the Atlantic to end slavery

by Sean McLachlan, Gadling.com, 5 Jan 2010

Rowing Against Slavery: An Attempt to Break a World Record and Slavery
by T-roy, Gobackpacking.com, 14 Dec 2009

REMANDO CONTRA LA ESCLAVITUD
Cobach 04 Seybaplaya Journal, 2 Dec 2009

Rowing Against Slavery Update

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By now they should be settling into a routine; dealing with sores and seasickness, a daily chore.

Last Tuesday and Wednesday (5 & 6 Jan) were cold, dark, rainy and very windy - just like home really! (U.K.) But inside the tiny cabin where the rowers sleep, it's going to be hot and sticky.

They are still rowing south which must seem a bit disheartening for them, but it is all part of the “cunning plan”. Very soon, the winds will become northerly and then north-easterly, helping them move faster.

They are covering just over 70 nautical miles a day but they need to speed up to an average of 84 nm/day to break the current Atlantic crossing world record (33 days).

If a boat has to be recovered (i.e. rescued), it usually happens within the first 48 hours. So far, so good!

So there you are, the pain (I mean plain!) facts!

Please, feel free to write a comment (below). Would love to hear from you. Thanks also to the many tweets and e-mails!

Q

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See where Peter Gadiot is right now!
http://www.atlanticrowingrace09.com/progress/byteam/31

On your boat...get set... row!

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Peter Gadiot and crew of Britannia III on a practice row just before Christmas

After frustrating delays of almost a month, Peter and the crew left the Canary Isles at 5:30 A.M. on January 4th, 2010 on board Britannia III, heading for Antigua.

The first 46 hours or so, it looked as if they were going “the wrong way” and very slowly. But their priority was to clear the islands and get the boat into a position to make best use of trade winds and currents. So the best way to go was south. Within 11 hours they had cleared La Gomera.

During the trials, Peter was getting very seasick and I dread to think how he is feeling now. He was taking seasick tablets, but I doubt if he can keep them down. I have been told that even the most experienced rowers get very sick due to the motion and nerves in the first few days. Fingers crossed he will be fine soon!

Just before leaving, Peter asked me to thank every one who has helped on this project, so far, with donations, nutrition, services, encouragement etc.

Some of you might know that while they were waiting to have a window of good weather in order to depart, instead of spending time at home during the Christmas holidays putting on more weight (needed for the row) with lovely minced pies and cream, Peter flew to Mexico to help the volunteers of an anti-slavery, anti-human trafficking project there.

So, please, do remember why he is doing this “mad journey” and help us to do more. Here are some suggestions:

1. Keep yourself and others informed on this issue; it is the fastest growing illegal industry affecting a great number of people (and not only in the underdeveloped countries). A simple.. 'Did you know that slavery still exists?' is a good start.
2. Invite others to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, our blog, YouTube or e-mail. We will keep you informed on this issue. At the moment, the fastest way has been sending links and news on Twitter, but I will try to send a newsletter and keep Facebook updated.
3. If you can give a donation or hold a fund-raising event, it would be great! The funds go directly to help the campaign. Anything counts!
4. If you would like to help by writing blog posts, the newsletter, proof reading, doing research, updating the website, etc. - i.e. anything that helps to get the message against slavery out there would be much appreciated.
5. Continue to support us by checking the blog regularly, reading our tweets, and leaving comments, tweets and retweets of support and encouragement to Peter (it really does help!)
   

Many thanks...!

Until the next blog post!

Q

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See Peter Gadiot's current position in real time:
http://www.atlanticrowingrace09.com/progress/byteam/31

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Physically weak, mentally strong.

5.30AM, Monday, 4th January.

At last we leave. The month of delays is now but a faded memory.

Final preparations have been done and one last night on land is upon me. I worked hard in October and November to bulk up and managed 8kg on my last triathlon race weight. But I found it hard to maintain with the meager variety of food in La Gomera and what with a bit of illness over Christmas, I have lost about 3kg. So I am not in as good a shape as I was, as well as having to depart with a cold, just for the added challenge. But the benefit is having more time to psychologically prepare. I have used it to find things to motivate me and to keep things in perspective; not least those souls throughout the ages, and to this very day, who have had to suffer unimaginable horrors - like those who have been deprived of their freedom, tortured, dehumanised, enslaved.

In comparison to that, anything I suffer is just folly.

I have been thinking about the crossing and how to respond best to challenges and the extremes I will face. I know it will be harsh and relentless, but I hope to be able to learn from it and use that learning to aid me in future challenges in life. I hope to be rich in experiences from the crossing.

"Strength does not come from physical capacity, it comes from an indomitable will."

Gandhi

I imagined being asked, 'How are you doing? and I responded, 'Physically weak, mentally strong' and the more I thought about it, I felt that this pithy phrase will sum up my inevitable condition and my resolute intention. I have adopted it as my motto. Through will, one can withstand anything. Throughout human history, many great men have discovered this to be the truth, and I feel no different.

"The mind is everything."

Buddha

The test is upon me.

I will endeavour to send out short blogs while at sea every 4 days or so, dependent on power, nausea etc, so please check back to keep updated. Also remember you can see a satellite tracker of our boat (Brittania III) here.

Happy New Year Everyone! I'm off to row the Atlantic.

Peter G.
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