Across the Atlantic alone…in a rowing boat

This is a story of how I crossed the Atlantic alone in a rowing boat. 3000 miles from Spain to Antigua.

A REFLECTION
In no way can any summary do justice to the experience I have lived through this incredible period. Although a record may have been the objective, the experience gained through seeking that record becomes the reward.

Rarely can we find the time to get to know ourselves, how would we deal with a situation? What about questioning every action that you take because your life depends on it. If we are stripped of society which parts do we actually need? The answer is very little.

Early on in the row I had encountered terrible weather for a long period of time, the boat had been immersed several times by breaking waves, the rudder and flag mounting had cracked by the force of the waves and my tiny cabin was filling with water.

I spent nine hours stripping the inside of the cabin, removing wet belongings and fixing the leaks. The contents were then secured on deck so as not be washed away. I bailed gallons of water from under the floor and realized that a number of crucial spares had been damaged. Finally I stripped out of my wet clothes and huddled naked on the timber cabin floor.

The next time I was able to step on deck safely was nearly 3 days later. That experience was a low but what it did do was make the high that much greater.

Trying to row across an ocean has its own share of challenges. Firstly, the decision to do so and then planning, learning, training, logistics, equipment and a million other things before the oars first touch the water. Out at sea, you have to deal with exhaustion from rowing 10–12 hrs a day, the physical discomfort of living in a 6ft cabin, muscle fatigue, salt sores, sleep deprivation, constantly being soaked by waves, navigating, fixing equipment — the list is endless.

Yet, every one of my 106 days at sea have been a privileged experience. The full arch of a rainbow, the magnificent electrical storms and huge rolling sea are just magical. Shoals of fish swimming round the boat, whales, sharks, dolphins, storms, flying fish, incredible sunsets. On some nights the moon would be so bright that it would be daylight on deck. The mood of the ocean often changes by the hour and you never know quite what to expect next.

If my crossing spurs one other person either young or old to get up and experience something different or achieve something greater then it has been a success.

Being alone is a state of mind. With so many people supporting my row across the Atlantic, I never once felt that I was alone. Thank you all. / Bhavik