Land at last!

I have arrived! After 38 days, 11 hours and 7 minutes of being at the mercy of the sea, I can once again feel land beneath my feet. Oh and how sweet it is! I am here in Barbados resting my exhausted body and enjoying once again all those little things I sorely missed in the wilderness, like showers, beds and fresh food! I still feel somewhat shell shocked after this utterly gruelling challenge but want to take the opportunity to thank those people who have supported me throughout this journey, your kind messages have given me strength to successfully row the Atlantic Ocean . I am going to take a little time to recover lost sleep and to learn to walk properly again! But soon I will write a fuller account of the crossing with its few highs and many lows, and share photos and videos. So watch this space. It's so good to be back!
Peter Gadiot

Nearly there!

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Barbados

It is all happening!

I arrived in Barbados yesterday to prepare for Peter's arrival. The main focus has been in raising awareness of modern-day slavery by informing people trhough the media and personal introductions about these issues. I have found many people in Barbados very receptive and willing to learn and help to end slavery.

Early this afternoon, we had a meeting regarding the rowing. We were told that there are less than 60 miles left to row!! Britannia lll is expected to arrive on the 11th Feb in the afternoon. They have been doing 60 to 70 miles per day, but the last 2 days or so, their speed decreased and yesterday they only made 37 miles. This is why.... As they get closer to land, local conditions, sea-bed depth, tide and current has a far bigger effect on the boat than in the middle of the ocean. It could be described as the hardest part of the crossing and is the reason why 2 crews in the Indian ocean last year were towed to land having crossed the line of longitude that marked the finish. Having said that, Britannia lll should make land on Thursday 11 February, possibly late afternoon. (Info from Woodvale).

Their water maker broke down again! But once more, they managed to fix it and they are on their way!

Next blog should be about their safe landing. So, watch this space!

M
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Land Ahoy!

Peter Gadiot is Going to Barbados!

With less than 500 miles to row, everyone is getting excited.

The rowers have the incentive of reaching land as fast as possible and so are filled with the energy one can get on the home stretch.

Recently, they had some scary times when their water maker broke. A few hours later though and they got it working again. One bit of drama over. Water is still rationed, however, as the water maker works with solar power (by desalinating sea water) and there have been plenty of clouds of late.

The ideal sea conditions for ocean rowing are to have a certain amount of surf to help push the boat in the right direction. Sometimes the waves are quite high and other times, the sea is so "flat" that is like rowing in soup.

Here is some info from the experts:

“While an imposing 5 or 6-metre high wall of water sounds terrifying, due to the small size and light weight of the boat, they simply ride up over the waves with their immense buoyancy. Sometimes it can be a harrowing position, with a wall of water racing towards the boat, but with each wave that progresses towards the boat, she will happily sit on top of the ocean. The ‘bad’ waves are the ones that break just before the boat. These waves will cover the deck in sea water, and promptly throw the boat and her crew around the cabins briefly.

There have been cases in the past where a wave may roll the boat and capsize her (these are generally waves hitting the beam), but then the aggressive self righting capabilities come into their own to ensure a crew's safety.” Woodvale

Peter's highlights in the past few days have been the best sunsets ever, beautiful dolphins and the news that he has become an uncle as his brother, Omar, and his wife, Siobhan, have become proud parents of a lovely baby boy.

So while all of that is happening at sea, here on dry land we are making preparations for the welcoming drinks, party and flying to Barbados. (I know, hard work but someone has to do it!)

Peter and the Ragainst Slavery team (each of the other crew members have their own chosen charities) will be setting up some visits at schools and other public places in Barbados. We are already coordinating with other Human Rights groups to increase public awareness of the problems of modern-day slavery.

As they say ... no rest for the wicked!

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See where Britannia III is right now!

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

Challenging times at sea

Garbage Island

Only 1000 miles left to row! (She says writing in a nice warm and dry office).

  The last time I spoke to Peter, he did not sound too happy.  Suffering from clawed hands, bleeding blisters, bad weather and having to ration their desalinated warm water!

  They have been chasing the trade currents that will make them reach their goal, but these are proving elusive and sadly they have lost ground to the finish.

  The first week of this adventure was one of nausea, cold, rain and getting used to the sea. The second week was a bit more exciting with sights of wildlife and bright stars. At the beginning of the third week, they were concentrating on reaching the middle line despite currents pushing them toward the opposite direction. This week seems to be the hardest. 

  Instead of sights of beautiful wildlife, in the last few days, all they have seen is plastic rubbish floating about (Garbage Island)!

  Temperatures are extremely high and there is no place for them to take shade. The boat has a tiny “cabin” that can only be used if you lie  down, but it is quite suffocating.

  If they leave the cabin hatch ajar, water can come in and flood it. (This happened once already and it took them days to dry it out). But if closed, the temperature rapidly rises making it almost impossible to stay in there.

  Lack of sleep, being hot, sticky, dehydrated, unable to walk, fed up and just a couple of inches  away  from each other for over 700 hundred hours cannot be good for their mood, and I can just imagine how tempers must fly from time to time.

  A vital piece of equipment broke down (the auto helm) and they were drifting for over 6 hours thinking that they might have to be rescued as they were unable to control the boat. But just when they were about to call an SOS, they managed to fix it! Horray!

  So if you are reading this having had a rotten week, just think of these guys who do not even have the luxury of being able to sit on the loo to contemplate their troubles! 

  Thank you for your messages of support and please keep them coming! Goodwill from all of you  means a lot and keeps them going! 

 "Courage is contagious. When brave men take a stand, the spines of others are stiffened". - B. Graham 

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See where Peter Gadiot is right now!

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