Archive for January, 2016

Day 73 – The one and only Laura Penhaul

Natalia Cohen By

image1
I think it’s only fair that I get to have the last say…so here we go…Miss Laura Penhaul (there’s only one of her in the world – literally and figuratively!) aka LP, Laur, Laura 2 (that’s someone you don’t really want to see), Penelope, P.
I’ll start at the very beginning as it’s a very good place to start.
When I met Laura at the first interview day at Bisham back in April 2014, I felt an instant connection with her. It wasn’t that we were similar personality types, it was more that it was obvious that we shared exactly the same life values. Although I found the Row intriguing on so many levels, LP was one of the main reasons I decided to do this expedition and I think that if anyone else was coordinating it, I very possibly may have declined.During the last year and a half, I’ve got to know almost everything there is to know about this wonderful woman. From the people she admires, the unbelievable passion she has for her work, to the men she has dated and her ability to join me in speaking in random accents!

LP is the one that keeps things running smoothly. Without her this expedition wouldn’t have started and certainly wouldn’t have kept going all these years. She is the driving force and is without a doubt one of the most determined and focused women I know. She’s a well oiled machine and makes sure everything gets done effectively. She is always able to step it up a gear when needed (except maybe during the twilight hours!) and will make sure you’re standing firmly by her side. This is why I affectionately call her the engine.

From the second my involvement in the row was confirmed, we knew that there would be moments where we may disagree or differ in opinion as we’re both incredibly strong minded, independent women who are used to holding leadership roles and not afraid to discuss how we feel. However, what united us so completely was the passion and belief we both had in the success of this project and the unfaltering way we drove it forward in getting to the start line.

LP worked tirelessly in the run up to our departure from San Francisco, juggling work, seeking sponsorship deals, coordinating logistics, physical training as well as mentally prepping for the journey with numerous chats and meetings with our sports psych Keith (who has been an invaluable part of her journey during this project). She gave up everything for the Row as it consumed her social and personal life and became her number one focus.

In a nutshell (one of my favourite expressions LP used to say), Ms Penhaul has left nothing about this project to chance. She did her research meticulously and planned for every eventuality. I have never met anyone, in fact, that has everything so perfectly pre planned in their minds as LP does. Never mind a 5 year plan, her wedding, holidays, and future career opportunities have all already been thought about.

Within every area of planning and execution of the expedition, LP has been nothing but professional throughout. I did my best to get her to pose for a nude Coxless Crew calendar, but she was having none of it!

After consolidating our team values when the final team had been selected, it not only cemented my original intuition about the two of us but also made it glaringly obvious how totally committed to these values LP was. She epitomises true SPIRIT in every sense.

One of the main traits that has always stood out to me is the way LP is always looking to better herself or improve her skills. She’ll take on all feedback given to her and then make a point to take it onboard and action it the next time there is an opportunity to put the particular skill or change of behaviour into practice. As well as doing this on a personal level for herself, she also thrives on seeing others push and challenge themselves…and will always be near by shouting words of support and encouragement.

Sometimes this may be taken to the next level as I don’t think I’ve met anyone quite as competitive in my life. We’re not just talking how many miles you’ve rowed, what weights you can lift, how much you can eat…but LP will turn the simple pleasure of eating gummy bears into a ‘ok…let’s see how long we can keep the bear in our mouths for without biting or swallowing it’. Obviously she wins…and apparently the 43 minutes wasn’t a patch on the 1 hour and 52 minutes she has once kept a Jaffa cake on the go for on land.!!??

It’s been amazing to watch LP develop as a person, improve in her leadership skills and allow herself to open up and share her vulnerability. We spent hours talking in her car (pre row) and even more hours talking on the oars rowing across the Pacific Ocean. I have shared in her happiness, joy, excitement, frustration, disappointment and pain.
For the 5% of time that we have wanted to strangle one another, there is the 95% of time where we have laughed, hugged and walked this path of what we hope to be a great achievement together.

Although I know that LP was already thinking about our arrival into Cairns even before we had begun this odyssey 9 months ago, I’ve seen an amazing change in the way she has learnt to step out of her head (where there is always a million things going on) and just be in the moment.

Screen shot 2015-11-06 at 15.38.48Memorable tunes: Titanium, Happy (C2C, Tetra), Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Memorable moments: Doing a David Attenborough voice over to the rituals of waking and getting ready before a row shift, our ‘cloud shape’ row session and uncontrollable laughter, our adventure to discover the mystery of the strange debris, our times on the oars together with whales, the most magical sunrise in the world, our ‘row dance’, our time in the rain and even our noodle incident!

IMG_0268
It’s been an honour and a privilege being part of Laura’s vision and being able to experience the journey that we have all shared. This Row has meant different things to all of us but I know that I am not only speaking for myself but also on behalf of all 5 of us, the Coxless Crew, when I say a huge thank you from the bottom of our hearts for allowing us to be part of the most ridiculous, incredible, rewarding, insightful, entertaining, challenging and unforgettable journey of a lifetime. Laura Penhaul WE LOVE YOU xUPDATE:
This is really happening…we are less than 100 miles from land.
Emotions are beginning to run high and the food supplies are running very low.
Our final push to make landfall before the parents leave but ensure we savour every last moment out here in the almighty Pacific too.
As a team we want to breath in the beauty of our 360 degree world, the colours of the ocean, the sounds of the wind and the waves, the movement of our small 29ft home, the utterly unique experience of conquering our Pacific and say,
THANK YOU.
Thank you Oceania, thank you Neptune, thank you Universe, thank you Doris and most importantly thank you to EVERYONE who has supported, followed and been part of our journey.
We could not have done it without you…your love and motivation has been felt every stroke of the way and we are not only humbled but also truly inspired by YOU ALL x

Share:     

Leg 3, Day 72 – In the beginning

Emma Mitchell By

Day 72 – In the beginning

As we (very slowly today) approach Cairns and our final miles aboard our beautiful Doris who has been our protector and our home for the last 9 months, I was reminiscing about the first time that she touched the water and began her adventures. At the time we were reluctant to share the full details of this exciting day as we didn’t want current or potential sponsors to doubt our boat handling abilities but since we have now navigated our way across almost 8,500nm of the worlds largest ocean I think there can no longer be any questions about our ocean rowing skills and therefore I wanted to share where it all began.

doris

It was mid December 2013 and three aspiring ocean rowers arrived at Rossiters boat yard in Christchurch to take their first oar strokes in their beautiful pink ocean rowing boat Doris. I had been a part of the Coxless Crew for almost four months and had seen Doris go from being a pink hull sitting on blocks in the shed to becoming a fully fledged ocean going boat with hatches on her cabins, a rowing setup on her deck and the start of her electrics box in the aft cabin. During the week we had finally heard from Cris Rossiter that he would be putting Doris on the water for us ready for the weekend so that we could go for our first paddle. It was a breezy day but after assessing the conditions we decided that it was nothing we couldn’t cope with. Laura, myself and Natalie Miles who at the time was part of the team were excited and after getting everything organised we set off with Natalie and myself on the oars and Laura stood on the deck in front of us navigating. In all the excitement of our first few strokes Laura got a little carried away taking photos and by the time she looked up we were very close to a very shiny and expensive looking boat as we tried to make it round the first corner. Fortunately we pushed off with our hands and got away without causing any damage. As we emerged from the narrow channel of the boat yard there was another 90 degree corner to navigate. It was at approximately this point that it occurred to us that we had no ballast on board. We also had no dagger board. We were effectively rowing a 29ft lilo out into Christchurch bay on a breezy Saturday. Needless to say we ended up wedged between a tree and a signpost as we rounded the corner. As we attempted to free ourselves a dragon boat came round the corner with its whole crew wearing Santa hats and as they waved and wished us merry Christmas we tried to nonchalantly look like we were deliberately taking a short break near the bank. Finally free, we continued out into the bay with only a couple of close encounters with the well known mud flats of Christchurch.

dock

Laura and I were on the oars and making good progress but as we reached the more open area we could feel the wind picking up. We were enjoying ourselves so much that maybe we waited for slightly too long before deciding that it would probably be best to turn around and head back to more sheltered waters. When we went to turn the boat we just couldn’t do it. Despite rowing as hard as we could and even getting two of us on one set of oars we still couldn’t get Doris to move past 90 degrees as the wind blew us rapidly towards the breakwater. Not wanting to get swept out to sea it was time to put our backup plan into action. Our options were basically to call the Coastguards or to call a lovely guy called Mark who we had met the previous week at Christchurch Rowing Club. We decided that on balance it would be less embarrassing to call Mark than the Coastguards so LP gave him a call from the aft cabin. Cue a hilarious conversation where LP started a chat about how we were taking Doris out for our first paddle and how we were wondering if he was around at the rowing club just in case and finished with asking him for a tow. Fortunately he arrived in the rowing club’s coaching launch before we were swept out to sea and we threw him a rope so he could help us turn around. Once we reached the more sheltered part of the bay we thought we would be ok and so Mark threw us the rope and we started to row. However within about 30 seconds we were stuck in the mud and LP had to get out and try to push us off the bank. After getting pretty wet we decided to admit defeat and accept a tow all the way back to the boat yard. With Doris safely moored up again we could reflect on the lessons learnt from our first rowing experience and ensure that the next time LP and I took Doris for a paddle it would be a far more successful exercise.

UPDATE: We are currently headed slightly North towards our final waypoint before we hit the Great Barrier Reef. This is in anticipation of hitting a strong southerly current shortly before reaching the entrance to Grafton Passage which we will pass through to reach Cairns.
Last night a boobie landed on Nats’ head while she was rowing!

Share:     

Leg 3, Day 71 – Our last ocean SitRep

The Team By

Day 71 – Our last ocean SitRep

Our SitRep (situation report) is something we complete weekly on the boat. We discuss the answers as a team and then email the report to Keith (our sports psychologist)
Each section is marked out of 10.
1 equates to poor and 10 to excellent with a sliding scale between the two.

Please find the 19th of Jan sitrep below:

Emma

Physically 9 – body very heavy and tired but no other issues or injuries
Mentally 9 – can’t decide whether I am excited to finally reach Cairns or sad that this incredible journey is almost over but trying to stay in the moment and enjoy the time we have left on Doris
Medically 9 – pressure sores on the bum and some rashes on my skin from the salt and sweating
Health 10
Sea Sickness 10
Group 10 – these amazing women have made this journey what it has been and am proud to be part of such a strong and joyful team
Boat & Equipment 8.5 – we have managed to fully charge one of our batteries but since we are working off only this battery and are prioritising charging of camera equipment we are still having to hand pump water for a shift each per day as we don’t have the power to run our electric water maker
Sleepiness 9 – struggle to sleep in our first sleep shift as it is so hot and takes me about 10-15min to become awake but once on the oars I can stay awake and alert
Boat routines 8.5 – always room for improvement but generally all on time for shift changeovers just need to keep an eye on hatch checking and keeping the autopilot shelf under control
Keeping you up at night: Hoping we arrive into Cairns before my mum’s flight home so that she doesn’t have to change it.
How prepared are you for land: Have been thinking about and discussing what I/ we want our last few days aboard Doris to look like and what we envision our arrival to be. Bit overwhelmed that at the moment our feet touch land as we step off Doris together that means we have completed our challenge together. Looking forward to seeing our families and also having some time before flying home to properly reflect on what we have achieved and what I have learned along the way.

Natalia

Physically – 10
Mentally 9 – amazed that this journey’s end is so close. It’s been an incredible 9 months and now is the time that I will begin to reflect on what lessons have been learnt and what positives I’ll take with with me back onto land.
Medically 8 – still have my blistered lip (hasn’t healed for 3 months!), 2 pressure sores (one on each bum cheek), palms of my hands still peeling, unbelievably itchy rash on both forearms.
Health 10
Sea Sickness 10
Group 10 – after clearing the air with LP and Ems, I feel like we are a fiercely united team once again and can’t wait to row into Cairns with these 3 fantabulous women!
Boat & Equipment 9 – batteries doing much better but having been used to certain charging ease of camera equipment and personal music devices etc, it’s a shame to end the journey working off one battery and not two.
Sleepiness 9 – generally speaking I’m feeling alert and awake during row shifts. Sleeping well in the cabin despite the extreme heat.
Boat routines 8.5
Keeping you up at night: Hoping we arrive in time (by the 25th) so my parents don’t have to change their flights.
How prepared are you for land: I’m still focussing on taking it shift by shift as anything can still happen, but I’ve started reflections on the journey and projections for our arrival. Seeing my parents and the relief our arrival will give them and then thinking about how I may feel. Overwhelmed is definitely the overriding emotion that I sense I will experience.

team

Laura

Physically 6 – currently I have issues with a couple of ribs, my left hip and left side of my lower back but anti inflammatories, stretching and directing some treatment from the other girls, is helping. My hands are also in bits!
Mentally 8 – starting to feel quite overwhelmed with the realisation of arriving into Cairns and to not have to step back on to Doris again.
Medically 7 – The skin on my hands is shredding off and causing salt sores where there’s cuts.
Health 8 – the condition of my skin and nails is poor, looking forward to some fresh food and rest to allow things to heal.
Sea Sickness 10
Group 9.5 – there’s been lots of sharing this week and awareness that everyone is in a different head space so openly discussing it has helped to provide awareness of how we respond to one another.
Boat & Equipment 8 – battery 2 is fully charged back up now but reluctant to charge up battery 1 without having to return to rationing usage of equipment. With just a few days left, decided to stick with working off the full battery as it has plenty of capacity for our needs. In the meantime we will continue to handpump once a day to reduce the load on the electric water maker.
Sleepiness 8 – really frustrating at night time as gobbledegook has been on a high this week in at least one session per night. Otherwise bright eyed and bushy tailed in the daytime regardless of having just 3-4hrs.
Boat routines 9 – team are working well together and focussing on their roles, but changeovers at night time and keeping the boat moving is an ongoing improvement.
Keeping you up at night: the overwhelming feelings of emotion when we reach land, see our families and get a sense of what we’ve just achieved.
How prepared are you for land: I’ve been thinking of reaching land since I stepped on in April, so I’m ready but I’m preparing myself for the onslaught of emotion. I have prepared my diary plan for the coming day/month/ 6 months post arrival to aid in my transition back to work and the reintegration to focus on the next goal of Rio in August.

Meg
Physically 10
Mentally 9 – beginning to get very reflective, and thinking about the experience that I have had on Doris. I also am apprehensive and excited for our return to the UK, and where my life will take me next.
Medically – 8.5 – pressure sores on each bum cheek. Salt sores on under thigh, bum cheeks and bum crack. Think that these have flared up again from constant sweating, also the two days when we couldn’t wash due to a lack of fresh water. Rash on both inner elbows, again potentially from salt. Hands, especially fingers and thumbs claw handing.
Health – 10
Sea Sickness 10
Group – 10 – I can’t imagine not sharing my waking (and sleeping) moments with these girls when we are back on land.
Boat & Equipment – 8 – due to our battery issues, we have not been able to charge all of our devices, email and also phone people.
Sleepiness – 6 – falling asleep on the oars is no longer a rarity! This morning LP caught it on camera!
Boat routines – 10
Keeping you up at night: Nothing! I can’t stay awake at night!
How prepared are you for land: I’m currently doing lots of visualisations of what our arrival into cairns is going to look like, and feel excited to see my family. However I am trying to stay in the moment and enjoy these final experiences as the things we are seeing now, we might not see again. I also know that crossing the Great Barrier Reef is going to be one of the toughest challenges so I am focusing on the mental preparation for that.

UPDATE:
– We saw a boat last night and Nats spoke to them on the handheld VHF radio…in a Scottish accent. It was highly amusing.
– We currently have 130 miles to go!
– Nats spoke to the Universe two days ago and asked very nicely for 48 hours of good speed. The Universe took her very literally and on the 49th hour, our speed seems to have dropped.
– Megs faced one of her biggest fears…and got her legs waxed in the aft cabin by a very happily pain inflicting LP.
– Ems is a water pumping machine.

The team x

together

Share:     

Leg 3, Day 70 – My wife

Laura Penhaul By

Day 70 – My wife

Last but by no means least, the final cog that has kept this journey moving and the person who brings the sparkle and glitter that makes us all smile, I am of course talking about Miss Natalia Cohen. Natalia to us is mainly known as Nat, Nats, Natty, in addition for me, she’s my wife, my pickle but one thing she is not, and that is NataliE (take note!).

As with all the girls, i’ll start from the beginning with Nats as it sets the scene of what’s to come and the impact she has had. Nat had applied at the same time as Izz, Lizanne and Megs after seeing the article on Escape The City.com. Alongside her application Nats had come highly recommended from a good friend Dave Cornthwaite. Dave is a well esteemed adventurer and has completed a number of expeditions so is well established in what works well or not so well in a team dynamic, so to have his recommendation went a long way. Nat had been part of a sailing crew with Dave, travelling from the west coast of America to Hawaii, so also an added bonus that she had experience of the Pacific seas. On meeting Nat for the first time at Bisham I remember my judgemental first impressions, wearing a sparkled jewel next to her eye and over hearing some of her conversations, I remember thinking that she was a very ‘earthy’ and spiritual person which at the time I would have said was very different to me! However throughout the day she exceeded my judgements; with Alex he reported how she’d rallied everyone together to shout words of encouragement and support when she wasn’t being tested, when she was being tested herself, she zoned in and focussed, digging deep and drawing on her own stubbornness to get the best result possible. When Nat was with Ems she had been comfortable to be open and honest about what makes her tick and really listened to others. When with me we immediately had a very open conversation and I recall Nats saying afterwards that she had felt a connection between us, obviously an insight she had greater than I about how our relationship would blossom. It went without saying that on that day Nat would be selected to be tested on the Brecons.

On the Brecons Nat dug deep when she struggled with her feet and knees through the 36km slog in the wet and cold (conditions which are her worst nightmare!). Regardless though she always tackled everything with a smile and a sense of humour. Nat wasn’t worried about hanging out at the back of the group, with anyone else that was struggling she would offer encouragement and moral support and without realising it she brought a lightness and cheer to the group. It is this trait that is one of many skills that Nat has, she brings out the best in anyone and taps into the inner child we all have. At the end of the Brecons it was clear that her personality shone and there was no question that she had to be part of the team.

Since being on the boat I have learnt of Nats life story and it is one that epitomises living life to the full. She has never let an opportunity go nor lived with any regrets, she treasures her family and will give her heart and soul to the people she cares about. In every era of her life it has been about the amazing people that she has met and for Nats, meeting new people and learning about their lives, is what brings her joy.

On the boat Nats’ energy and positivity hasn’t faltered. For me personally she has brought out my kid side, she has made me laugh until I cry on nearly every rotation, she doesn’t judge and is someone who makes you feel comfortable and confident in your own skin.

image1

As you’re well aware, Nat and I have had a handful of disagreements if that, which are often related to my Cracknell moments or as strong minded individuals, at times when we both believe we are right in our opinions. Although the 3 spats we’ve had have been rather spectacular as we’re both quite fiery people, we have such a mutual respect that we don’t allow it to linger. We express things openly and honestly, ensure we’ve resolved it, finish on a hug and move on, with a tendency to start laughing about it a day or two later. Our relationship I can only imagine can be likened to a marriage and i have been known to share that if Nat was a man then I’d want to marry her! She has been my confidant, my wingman and has helped me to develop in more ways than one, giving me advice when I’ve needed it or teaching me to stay in the moment when I drift off into projecting and planning my life. Without any question, I can safely say that this row would not have been the same by far without Nats in it. She has taught us to stay in the moment, to savour the experiences and to draw on humour when you least expect it.I can’t imagine ever having rowed this ocean without her and I can’t imagine now never having her in my life as a true friend.

I’ve given a short summary of each of the girls in this team, but I know I’m not great at expressing in words the true emotion that I feel. To Nats, Ems, Izz, Lizanne and Meg, thank you for making this row a reality, thank you for making this the most memorable journey and experience of my life.

Update:
On a beautiful, tranquil sunrise this morning, having finished narrating the film Notebook to Megs on the oars, I was suddenly nearly thrown off my seat by what felt like a punch to the side of the head. Slightly dazed, Megs thought I’d hit myself with my oar, but alas, the pungent smell of fish, the scales left on one side of my face and the fat flying fish the size of a small bird, laid out cold on the deck, was all evidence to show that I had received the best hit to the face of this whole row. Normally the fish flounder on the deck for a good couple of minutes, but I think my head was like hitting a concrete wall for this little one.

Otherwise great news that our batteries are charging up nicely thanks to our Solbian solar panels and the help from Victron. We are remaining careful with our usage though so that we ensure all essential equipment can be used and charged effectively on the boat all the way to Cairns. So still some handpumping of the manual water maker until the final couple of days. To think, this time next week we will hopefully be with our families, have showered, slept in a clean bed, be wearing clean clothes and have eaten a feast of food! So excited!

Share:     

Leg 3, Day 69 – 3rd leg Meg

Meg Dyos By

Day 69 – 3rd leg Meg

From April 19th 2015 my role within the Coxless Crew physically began. Having met Nats and Ems twice, Izz once and Laura a handful of times, I had become third leg Meg, and had committed to undertaking the challenge of rowing the third leg of the journey from Samoa to Cairns as a part of a team I barely knew. The leg where the girls would be the most tired, the leg where they would have been at sea the longest and the leg that took these girls to the finish line. It was daunting, and as they rowed out of San Fran, I felt physically sick, sitting at work on my laptop, and watching the pink dot begin to move, knowing that when I next saw them, it would be my turn to row out of a marina with them.

On land, I ran the info@coxlesscrew.com email answering questions that people asked, from ‘what oars are you using’ to hearing stories of people who had been affected by breast cancer. To say the least, I felt overwhelmed. I hadn’t even seen Doris’s oars, let alone know what they were made of! As leg one progressed, and the girls on the ocean faced the waves and the hardships that ocean life had to offer, myself and Lizanne faced training for a challenge I’m not sure either of us knew the extent of what was fully involved – through sports psych with Keith we tried to prepare our heads for the ocean, yet the realisation of what we had signed up for could only be fully appreciated when we saw land disappear out of sight and we were on the ocean.

I managed to Skype the girls in each of the stop offs. With words escaping me of all of the questions I had prepared to ask, I was constantly worried that they might not think I would be a good member of the team, and instead general chitchat and laughter unrelated to what the ocean would hold for me occurred. The girls encouraged me to ask them questions, but I had thousands! Wary of asking the same questions as everyone else, I laughed to myself as there were no words that could sum up the emotions I felt. Excited, scared and completely in awe of these women. How could I be a part of this team?! I very much worked on the mindset that I would take everything in my stride. Learning about the ins and outs of Doris, and rowing a part of the Pacific Ocean would be a process – for now I needed patience and to focus on training my mind and my body.

15.11.1LSOS-SAMOA02

Upon Lizanne’s departure onto Doris, and Izz’s arrival onto land; seeing Lizanne enter the world of the ocean, and hearing from Izz that it was ‘awesome’, I felt closer to a member of the team who had spent weeks at sea with LP, Nats and Ems. This gave me a huge insight into what life was like on Doris. Yet in all honesty you have to see it to believe it!

Integrating into a team, that has just spent 6 months together at sea on a 29 foot rowing boat is a daunting task! It wasn’t one that could fail, as I would be getting on a boat with three of them within the next 10 days. In my mind I so wanted to jump up and down, organise a party and dance the funky chicken in excitement for the girls arrival into Samoa. Yet Keith had advised me to stay calm and go easy for the first few days as the girls were going to be tired and might want space. I felt a member of the team because of the work that I had done on land, but upon seeing the girls row into the marina, I couldn’t have even began to visualise that I would ever feel the way Lizanne looked with the girls on Doris, a fully fledged member of the team. Yet here I am, day 69 feeling as if I have been here for a lifetime. It has been a learning journey, and the girls couldn’t have made me feel more at home. They have shared in my emotions from being scared at big waves, to moaning at my sore bottom despite the fact that these are feelings that they first experienced many moons ago. I feel extremely lucky in this leg to have felt a small bit of what each of the legs have had to offer, different hardships to different joys. All I know, is that when I look up at the roof of the aft cabin and see the Coxless crew logo, it takes me back to my original application for the row. I didn’t for one second ever think that I would be in this cabin right now, writing this blog, and rowing a part of the Pacific on Doris! My love for each of these girls cannot be described in words and the idea of reaching land is a fifty fifty split of excitement versus not wanting this bubble to pop.

Update: what an evening we had! On our sunset shift, me and LP saw a family of what we thought were reef sharks coming up to the stern of the boat. At the same time in the sky on one side of Doris there were upto thirty boobies dive bombing into the water, different sizes and colours, all fishing for a feast, and twelve frigates above us also searching for their supper! In addition we have also seen a sea snake in the water. Let’s hope the abundance of wildlife continues into the Great Barrier Reef.

Oh, and by the way, we have just hit 199 miles! Cairns we’re a coming!

Share:     

Leg 3, Day 68 – All for one and one for all

Natalia Cohen By

Just as a heavy downpour of rain can clear the air, a sharing of feelings and opportunity to be completely honest with someone can be a huge weight off your shoulders. I’ve been dealing with some of my own frustrations over the last few days.

As well as all the obvious challenges an expedition of this nature presents, the one that I’ve been thinking about recently involves the fact that LP, Ems and I have lived the same 24 hour day, every day for the last 9 months. The fact that we’ve been in a confined space, sleep deprived, dealing with our own personal mental and physical challenges, in an extreme environment with no privacy and no escape sounds like most people’s idea of hell, yet, on the whole, what has amazed me completely, is that we’ve actually dealt with life out here on the almighty Pacific in a wonderfully supportive, compassionate and humour filled way.

We constantly get asked how we do it and ‘honestly’ how do we really get on? Do we drive each other crazy? How can four women together not want to kill each other?

I think everything worked out perfectly for this row. The fact that we had three of us rowing the entire route and then three different team members joining us for each leg of our journey was vital to the success of project. For the purposes of this blog, I am going to be talking more about the relationship between the three of us that set off from San Francisco in April 2015 and will be rowing Doris into Australia in what we hope to be January 2016. I have affectionately nicknamed us the Three Musketeers and I don’t think some married couples know each other as intimately and completely as we do!

The Three Musketeers have had an impressively strong and healthy relationship during their time at sea. That’s not to say that at times there hasn’t been miscommunication, misunderstandings and simple difference of opinions (some of you may well remember the instant noodle incident!) We are human after all and although I have nothing but respect and admiration for these incredible women, we needed some variation. The injection of the other musketeers along the way to help us fight the challenges that Oceania has thrown at us have been invaluable. Izz, Lizanne and Meg have all brought their own unique magic to the boat and the team and the change in team dynamic that has come with each of them has been indispensable to the sanity of the Three Musketeers.

As we slowly make our way across the Great Barrier Reef towards our destination, I think we underestimate how different everyone’s headspace can be regarding the same event. Although everyone is itching to get to land, I am still savouring the simplicity of life and the connection to the ocean. I am determined to end this adventure as I have endured it, with a positive and mindful attitude and embracing every moment fully wherever possible.

My frustrations of late were sparked by the need to express some emotions I was having and speak out openly and honestly as on a personal level I don’t want to end this journey with any negativity or anything left unsaid. Every cloud has a silver lining, and so as we continue to have to pump water during our rest shifts, a perfect opportunity arose for me to air these feelings directly with both Ems and LP as the three of us were out on deck at the same time.

Ems was frustrated by our progress and her inability to single handedly control Doris on our sunrise shift. I could sense her despair and upset and could see her angrily yanking the steering and aggressively plunging her oars into the water. I reminded her of the fact that we can only control the controllable and that hopefully next shift things will have changed. I then suggested that she releases her frustrations by writing them down and therefore letting them go and not giving them any power (which resulted in her blog). Amazingly, that afternoon, we received an email from Keith suggesting the same.

My main frustration with Ems lay in the fact that I didn’t really know what I could do to best help her. If she wanted me to distract her, help bring her back to the moment or just leave her for a while to rant at the ocean. During our heart to heart on the deck under a relentless sun, I asked that if the same situation happens again in the future she will tell me what the best or most appropriate course of action for that moment would be, so that I don’t feel so helpless and can possibly help shift her thoughts from negative ones to positive ones.

The issue I wanted to raise with LP was different. We have always had a special connection. We are like family and with that closeness comes the ability to push each other’s buttons easily. I felt that over the last few days we had become incredibly reactive to each other. Whether it was something she said to me or I said to her, both of us would instantly react and it was upsetting me. The thing was, that I couldn’t really put my finger on why it was happening, but all I knew was that I didn’t want it to continue into our final days and we needed to make an effort to make it stop.

After an hour of sharing emotions, thoughts, opinions and facts, we all had a hug and……I’m now ready to enjoy the ride into land (however long it takes) with all 5 of my warrior women and amazing team mates happily and firmly in my heart x

DA_COX_KYLIE_013

*———— ‘One for all and all for one’ ————*

Share:     

Leg 3, Day 67 – Frustration

Emma Mitchell By

It is 6.30am and I am dragged from a too deep sleep by the rowers outside waking us up for our first row shift of the new day. It is already hot and stuffy in the cabin and I can’t wake up enough to speak to Nats who is in there with me while I pull on my smelly, salty rowing kit and drag myself out on to the oars. I am steering. LP hands over to me telling me that we are still in a strong southerly current and that constant steering is required to zig zag towards our destination. Nats and I start rowing at 70%. It is time to start pushing ourselves in every session as we need to reach land before we run out of food or hit any bad weather. Holding a good course is especially important at the moment as we approach a narrow gap between reefs. After half an hour we are still not able to get our speed above 1kt and I am getting increasingly frustrated with this and the steering which is swinging around by up to 100 degrees in a few strokes. I want to get to Australia. Our parents are there waiting for us and we have been out here far longer than we ever expected. We row hard, at 90%, for two lots of 15mins, legs burning, the water feeling like concrete. It makes at most 0.2kts difference to our speed. This feels like so little that it is hardly even worth the effort but it is at this point where we need every little bit of speed or extra mile so we do the second 15mins.

The end of the two hour shift approaches. Usually this would mean retiring to the cabin for two hours, getting some well earned food and then having a stretch out and rest. However today I need to stay out on deck in the sunshine which is already burning despite it only being 8.30am and make water for an hour using our hand pump. Our batteries are slowly charging up but we still don’t have enough power to run our electric water maker and there is no way of knowing how much longer we will need to be hand pumping. I get off the rowing seat and into the water making seat, drop the tubes over board and start pumping. My arms and shoulders are burning and I have to change arms every few minutes. After a while I get into a rhythm and it becomes almost therapeutic and the bonus is that I get to spend time with LP and Megs who I am not on shift with. We manage to have a giggle and the hour passes.

It is time to swap places with Nats who comes out to make water while I head inside for some food. By the time I have made food and eaten half my rest hour has disappeared and I still have to write a blog. I have barely started when it is time to don the sweaty kit and return to the oars. This time we manage to hold a speed just over one knots for most of the session. This is a relief but at this point in the journey with following winds and a south westerly current we should be travelling much faster at around two knots. None of us can understand why despite the fact that we are working so hard we are still crawling along. However a good opportunity arises for Nat, LP and I to be together on deck while LP makes water and share our frustrations and reflections on our 9 month journey and how to make our last week or so a positive experience.

Again instead of heading to the cabin at the end of the row shift I am back on the water maker. The midday sun is draining me of any remaining energy and I am feeling jaded to say the least. I pump continuously and a tiny trickle of water emerges from M-ROD. By the end of the hour I have only just filled a single water container. However the song game passes the time and provides entertainment and we are all glad that nobody can hear us sing out here.
Another short hour of rest races by, sweating and trying to finish my blog while eating a chicken korma. Then it is back to the oars for another shift where the ocean feels like treacle and I wish I couldn’t see the deck repeater which shows our speed and direction. At the end of the shift we have moved less than two miles closer to Cairns and I am feeling dispirited. Making water with the hand pump is slow so we don’t have enough water for a proper wash. A quick rinse of the bits and pits and wipe off of the worst of the salt before heading to the cabin for our first sleep shift.

The cabins are unbearably hot after a hot day and the sun is still pouring in. Nat and I split up so that we have a bit more space to sweat in and I head to the forecabin. I lie on my towel and try to employ mindfulness to relax but I know that I will never sleep in this heat. I try to lie as still as possible and rest my muscles. Eventually I start to drift off and almost immediately LP is opening the hatch and calling me. It is time to row. Again.
The salt sores on my bum hurt and I can’t find a comfortable way to sit and the salt in my clothes is making me itchy. However the sun is setting and it is my favourite time of day on Doris. The temperature cools to a comfortable warmth and the light is beautiful. The sun sets in a glow of orange behind us and the sky in front of us glows pink with grey clouds. The beauty still takes my breath away and all of a sudden I’m not in such a rush to get to land. Even our speed seems to have picked up a little.

The second sleep shift is much cooler and I am quickly snoozing happily. It feels like only seconds before it is time to drag myself awake again but it is cool and not splashy so I don’t even have to put on my crusty jacket. Our speed has slowed to less than 1 knot again. The current is stronger or we are more tired and we have to push hard through the pitch black night. The wind has picked up making it hard to hear my rowing partner so there is minimal conversation as a distraction so we eat ginger nuts to cheer ourselves up.

Third sleep shift next and it feels like I haven’t even closed my eyes before Nat is nudging me to get moving and get dressed. The final night shift is always the worst, I am sleepy and time seems to drag. We fall asleep for the final time and when we wake the sun has risen and a new day has begun.

It’s been 9 months and ocean rowing hasn’t become any easier. I will never take fresh water or sleep for granted again but I have learnt a lot about myself and how not to let the frustration take over. I couldn’t imagine doing this on my own and it is the strength and support of our team and the sharing of our frustrations and tears which has got us all through this. Despite the tough times I feel sure that it is not the frustration but the magical moments on the Pacific with these special girls which I will carry with me forever.

Share:     

Leg 3, Day 66 – Don’t count your chickens

Laura Penhaul By

Day 66 – Don’t count your chickens

You’d think that with just 300nm to go and with the end in sight, that the home straight would go quickly and calmly. Well, we should know by now that for us this would never be the case. It was only recently that Keith had emailed informing us of how most accidents happen with close proximity of home, so a message to stay vigilant and ‘on it’ all the way until we step on dryland.

swell

If anyone reading this was following us in leg 1, you will be aware of a problem we had when water was found to have got in to our battery and charging electronics locker during a storm. The ingress of saltwater caused corrosion which consequently led to the charge controllers overheating and failing, which in essence meant no recharge facilities for our batteries. This resulted in an 800nm detour to Santa Barbara in order to fix the problems, before we left again for Hawaii. Thanks to Victron (our battery sponsors) and Tony (our support manager), Doris was well fixed and preened before setting off for Hawaii and again for Samoa.

Typically, Nat had only mentioned this week how she felt that maybe this leg would finish the same way it started, her thought was in reference to how this leg had started from Samoa; good speed with prevailing winds, of course I had interpreted it to mean how the whole journey had started and subsequently told her not to jinx it! Well too late! She was partly right, as signs showed that the last week may reflect the first week fiasco we had after leaving San Fran. A few days ago, I noticed one of the batteries was showing to be at a much lower voltage than it should have been and on investigation I discovered an error light on one of our battery system monitors. On testing the batteries with a volt meter I established one of the batteries was in a poor state of charge so I started liaising back and forth between Tony and Victron to establish what I need to do on the boat to test what needed to be tested. Unfortunately the conclusion to all the tests was the batteries were very low on power which left me with no option but to switch everything off apart from the chart plotter (shows our navigational charts, Position etc.) AIS (to indicate other boats in the area and inform them of us) and Echomax (a radar reflector for large cargo ships to pick us up on radar) all three for safety. On checking an hour later, the batteries were depleted still further, therefore I made a decision to switch everything off and resort to back up navigation, i.e. handheld GPS and magnetic compass with the view to only switch on the nav light and AIS if we spotted a boat in the distance. Unfortunately the battery terminals in the handheld GPS had corroded and it didn’t work (last tested in Samoa), but luckily we have the Navionic chart app on our phones, so we’ve used that for the last couple of days for keeping track of our course and location. We’ve also had to resort to using the manual hand-pump water maker aka M Rod – a mechanical reverse osmosis desalinator, as without electronics we can’t make water through the electronic Schenker desalinator. MRod involves sitting out on deck and Hand pumping. There’s a long tube in the sea water which the water is sucked up and then as you pump it is drawn back and forth through a filter. To put it in perspective, our normal water maker makes 30l of water Per hour, on the manual pump, we make just 3litres per hour. It has been knackering! Having to finish a 2hr row session, then sitting out on deck in the sweltering heat under the blistering sun for another hour, then swapping with your team mate, then returning to row positions for another 2hrs of rowing. I must say it’s been joyous for the last 2 days! If our shoulders and arms hadn’t had enough of rowing for 9 months well the manual water maker has certainly topped it off.

watermaker

Thankfully the sun is shining and the batteries are coming back to life, so hopefully it won’t be much longer until we can get our electronic water maker back on!

Update:
Day 65 meant we got to watch a couple of videos that Izz had put together for us and amongst it was a huge surprise to see one from my hero, Chrissie Wellington. I can’t thank her enough to see her smiling face and words of encouragement from someone who has achieved so much, was a real motivation. Perfect timing! Also a highlight for today….. We were interviewed by CNN! Sarah Moshman did a great interview with them yesterday and they followed it up with a sat phone call to us all today. We all got to chat and share our story of why we’re here, what it’s like and what we’re looking forward to when we reach Cairns. They’re also hoping to speak to us again when we reach land, how exciting!

 

Share:     

Leg 3, Day 65 – The Freaky Wave

The Team By

Day 65 – The Freaky Wave

We’re aware that many of our followers aren’t on Twitter and so we want to share with you some of the awesome cartoons that The Freaky Wave have been doing EVERY DAY since about half way through the second leg! Here are a couple of our favourites. You can see them all on twitter (@thefreakywave) or more on their website: www.thefreakywave.com

Thanks for the support! =)

chocolateCP5K8dJXAAQ9Q_QCVdO65tWwAEOjWdblisters day61 day63 day64 day65 emotions fishnchips johncairns partygames rowthru turtle window

Update: last night LP and Megs were on the oars under a blanket of incredible stars when suddenly at 10:15am UTC a massive shining green light that travelled like a shooting star for a good few seconds zoomed across the sky! It left us completely mesmerised. We are thinking that it could possibly have been a meteorite and flew at approximately 120 degrees south east in the sky. If anyone has any ideas what this could have been we would love to hear them! In other news, we are still rowing.

Share: