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

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

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

Here we are in La Gomera

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Peter Gadiot in La Gomera.

The 12-seater rowing boat "Brittania III" is being prepared shortly before the planned departure in early December 2009 from the Spanish Canary Isles. Destination: Antigua, 3000 miles away! If they get there in under 33 days, they will have broken the world record!

Here are the members of the Brittania III team:

Peter Gadiot
Linda Brewer
James Scott
James Nettleton
Lise Kronborg
Neil Ward

David Hoskins

Ian Couch
Lee Fudge
Anne Miltenberger
Allan Lyngholm
Robert Prentice

Follow their progress as they row across the Atlantic Ocean here:
http://www.atlanticrowingrace09.com/progress/byteam/31/
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La Gomera!

So I have spent the last week in the Canary islands preparing the boat along with my fellow crew of the Brittania III. The weather and atmosphere is great. As I was arriving to the island I saw the Atlantic stretching out before me and was filled with a huge sense of anticipation and adventure. To think i'd be heading out there into the distance in just a little boat with no sails or motor.
Back in the docks we had lots of jobs to do such as preparing loads of food, padding, cleaning and trimming the boat, sorting the gearing of the oars, painting, putting landyards on just about everything..the list goes on! It feels good to finally be out here after what seemed like a long and often trying gestation period. Its actually about to happen! Thanks to those companies who donated goods to the project, much appreciated. PG