From Ocean to Desert

In the past weeks, Peter Gadiot has been a regular at the doctor's surgery, receiving treatment from the osteopath and having ice packs on his knees after suffering the heavy strain from rowing 3000 miles across the Atlantic ocean.

Now Peter is running The Marathon Des Sables (MDS - Marathon of the Sands) which is held for six consecutive days in the Saharan desert. It is considered the "toughest foot race on Earth".

The 250 km ultra marathon, which is the equivalent of 5½ regular marathons, includes running across ground with towering sand dunes, uneven rocky terrain and dangerous valleys.

The heat is one of the main challenges as mid-day temperatures can reach a suffocating 49°C (120°F) even in early April, made worse by the fact that the runners have to carry everything needed for the duration of the race in a rucksack. This includes food (which they must prepare from the stocks they carry), clothes, medical kit, sleeping bag, compass, torch, whistle, cooking equipment, anti-venom pump, signaling mirror, etc.

Water is strictly rationed throughout the race and handed out at each checkpoint in 1.5-litre bottles .

The longest single stage is 84 km (52 miles) long.

This is the third grueling event Peter has done in the last 6 months (a triathlon, rowing the Atlantic Ocean and this Ultra-marathon, for which Peter had no time to train because his Atlantic crossing was seriously delayed due to adverse weather conditions). Why would someone put his body through this much pain? Peter is bringing awareness to modern-day slavery in all its forms.

Although there has been a lot attention drawn to the issue of human trafficking and slavery in the recent months (the US president declared the whole month of January an anti-human trafficking month; in the UK, the house of commons had an exhibition; and an increasing number of celebrities are running campaigns about it), more needs to be done to fully eradicate this heinous crime.

Human trafficking is considered the second largest and fastest growing illegal industry in the world according to the United Nations, with 80% of victims being women and 50%, children (from a Trafficking in Persons report by the US Department of State).

Any donations of any amount towards our No Slavery project would be greatly appreciated. Please click HERE to donate.
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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

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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