Funny - best plans often get flummoxed - I can see beans and bulgar wheat flying everywhere. And when you get full of your self - grin - there’s nothing like a flying fish trying to soar up your bum to put things in perspective. That said - Go Katie, Go! Ocean rowboats are good for one thing and one thing only: rowing. Anything else is awkward at best, especially cooking. |
| With stove in hand, I was hit by a wave, slid off my seat, and beans and bulgur went flying in every which direction. |
| The more competitive and goal-orientated Katie has emerged and left the laid-back version behind. |
| Maybe the motivation stems from finding out that I am making better progress than some of the big, burly men rowing solo across the Atlantic at the moment, too. Read more at rowforwater.com |
| My passion for water began the same time I learned about ocean rowing, in literally the furthest place from my hometown in Cleveland, Ohio: Melbourne, Australia. It was in Melbourne that I learned about the water crisis as they were experiencing extreme drought. The facts are startling; over one billion or one in six people are without safe drinking water. |
But there is hope. The solutions are available and often very cheaply. For as little as a $30 donation, one person can gain access to safe water for life! There is no cause that speaks louder to me — water is the source of all life! |
Trying to swim from Cuba to USA once captivated public - but row the Atlantic alone - Pure moxie to the tenth power! Time to dance a little dance with Katie at her halfway point - you go girl! 1,230 miles away from the nearest land, 36 days without seeing another human being, and I just might be in one of the most remote places on the planet aside from the North and South Pole. |
So how does it feel to be smack dab in the middle of an ocean? Well, it’s the same limitless sky, same deep blue waters, same endless horizon, while sitting in the same bright yellow rowboat. But today, no sunset or wildlife could be more exciting than seeing the half-way point tick by on my GPS. Read more at rowforwater.com |
Living on a rowboat there is little more to do than row, but every week or so it is important for me to check the bottom of the boat for slime and barnacles. If I see any growth, I simply scrub it off, making for a slightly faster ride. |
| I thought around midday would be the perfect time to jump in and inspect the hull. |
| I grabbed my snorkel, mask, and scrubber and took a quick look into the water. I started to dangle my toes in the water |
| nother glimpse and … there it was. It was deep in the water |
| it certainly did not look friendly with green spikes. |
As I was rowing along into the early evening, I felt it again; a loud thud and the whole boat shook. Peering over the side, there it was. Times eight. It looked like they were on a mission, the way they were swimming so quickly and closely to the boat. To me. Two hours of circling around and bumping into the boat. |
All the more amazing that she is doing it and is still able to manage ironic humor about it, as well as wonder. | rowing an ocean. This is not just about easy, breezy days in the sun, gracefully cruising along the ocean |
| Think of your worst hair day, multiply that by ten, and expect to see that in the mirror every morning |
| Medical tape will become your new best friend as you play doctor and tape yourself back together every night |
| Winds may push you eastward, meaning those hard earned miles are now lost |
| And then, there is that one blister that seems to always want to remind you that its there |
But I don’t need anyone to read this and come away feeling sorry for me – pity isn’t welcome here. For where there is a will, there is a way and I have been able to work with these opportunities to practice patience. I honestly would not trade this experience for the world and feel so lucky to be here, bad hair days and all. Read more at rowforwater.com |
Focus and purpose can be very freeing! Rowing for Water for all on the planet. Today has been one of those days where time just floats on, as it should. Every hundred decisions I make on a daily basis on land has already been made being at sea as well as the thousands of little decisions over the length of this journey. There is no questioning what I will be doing, where I will be going – my sole responsibility is to keep on rowing. |
In so many ways, I am a world away, but do not be too jealous of this simple life. Soon enough I will be stumbling my way through the “real world”, yearning to be the observant one yet again. |
Whew - long way to row for a drink of water. She’s learning a lot and much that others can learn from. | Break it down. You don’t row across an ocean in a day so it’s important for me to break it down into daily, sometimes hourly, goals and focus on that one step ahead. If I lose sight of that one step, I can become overwhelmed by the magnitude of the challenge. |
| Understand the real challenge is me. The only thing that holds me back is me and it’s not about what happens but how I chose to react. |
| So often I can think and feel that things are happening “for”, “against”, “to” me. Things are just happening and I can choose to accept it or put up the fight.Read more at rowforwater.com |
Amazing story. I have seen the night sky from where she is and yes - it is truly amazing and then understandable why the ancients were so fascinated with the night sky! Reminder - here trip is to highlight need for fresh, clean water across the globe. Two weeks at sea with sun-tan, blisters, a few bruises, and I’m finally beginning to feel like an ocean rowing gal! I’ve quickly learned how to cook a meal while being hit by waves, how to wash my hair with 10 oz of fresh water and, more importantly, how to fit 5,000 calories into my body on a daily basis (and it turns out the latter has proved to be the most difficult). |
Now that I’m adjusted to sea life, I have been doing more night rowing which has been a real treat. The stars are amazing! It’s just so humbling to be such a tiny speck in the blue. Read more at rowforwater.com |
Katie is rowing across the Atlantic from Africa to highlight need for fresh water in much of the world and misuse of water for everything but drinking and edible crops. | Around 10:45 GMT on January 3, 2010, Katie set off from Pier 2 at the Port of Dakar in Senegal. Just over a day into the voyage, Katie is doing better than anyone could have hoped, having safely rowed herself away from the coast and now making good progress into the heart of the Atlantic Ocean. |
Thankfully, that’s not the last we’ll hear from her until she reaches Cayenne. In due course, Katie will be writing blogs and tweeting from her satellite phone (she’s already sent a couple yesterday). She also has a tracking beacon on the boat, which is currently transmitting her position hourly – a map will be placed on this website very soon. Read more at rowforwater.com |
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Rowing Atlantic: Go Katie, Go!
