The Boat

The boat was built in 1997,  made from plywood and sheathed in GRP, she is 23ft (7.1m) long by 6ft (1.9m) wide and weighs in at 750kg (1650pounds). Originally designed for two, her previous owner converted her for solo rowing, there are two watertight (hopefully) pods at the stem and stern of the boat (front and back). The stern pod is where I’ll sleep – it also houses the electronics, navigation system, radio and essential items.

The forward pod will store food and emergency repair gear, rope, spares for the watermaker etc. Oars apparently get quite a bashing, previous rowers have completed rows with oars taped together with gaffer tape! As the row can take up to 3 months to complete and there are no shops en- route, everything you need you take.

Equipment

The electronics on board are powered by (2) 90watt solar panels housed on the roof of the stern pod – these supply the 2 batteries that feed the navigation, radio and watermaker, this is one of the most important pieces of equipment as it turns sea water into drinking water.