“That’s the biggest iceberg I’ve ever seen in these waters,” said Harry Spurrell, native Newfoundlander, as he took us on a tour of the icebergs around Torbay today. Mos and I were out in his speedboat to get up close and personal with the bergs that could impede our progress across the North Atlantic.

Yesterday I went out on a plane to check out the ice situation offshore. Despite a favourable forecast, Mother Nature decided to hide her icy secrets in an extensive layer of fog. After being in the air for over 5 hours, the only icebergs I was able to see were within half a mile of shore. Those further offshore were shrouded in mists and mystery, pending further visual investigation, I decided to do some research online.

Our present challenges started two years ago, long before I knew I would be doing this row, when a chunk of ice four times the size of Manhattan calved away from the Petermann Glacier in Greenland. It would be tempting to immediately attribute this breaking up of ancient glaciers to climate change, but I want to be sure of my facts before I do so. It does the cause no good to try and establish tenuous links between naturally occurring phenomena and the impacts of humankind. I haven’t had much time to research this (several years of postgraduate study would have been handy) but here is what I have managed to find out in a few short hours online.

“In response to the question: How abnormal is this event? Jason notes: “The August 2010 ice calving at Petermann is the largest in the observational record for Greenland” Falkner et al. (2011) scoured the observations and found no evidence of an event this large in scattered observations since 1876.”

“About 33 per cent of the Petersen Ice Shelf has eroded away between 2005 and 2008.”

“Issues may also arise if the ice islands make their way south into navigable waters.”

“In 2010, Greenland temperatures were the hottest on record. It also experienced record setting ice loss by melting.”

The consequences could be dramatic, and the next 10 years will be decisive. If the Greenland ice sheet were to melt, it is projected by scientists that it would create a 23 feet rise in sea level.

This map illustrates Britain if sea levels were to rise by 84 metres, i.e. if all the world’s ice melted. It would be nothing more than an archipelago of islands, with London relegated to the lost realm of Atlantis. This might sound far-fetched, but in 2009 scientists were predicting that the Arctic could become ice free within as little as a decade. (Do check out the video on that page, featuring polar explorer and all round good guy Pen Hadow.) The world has been ice-free before, and it could happen again. (More information and a climate animation here.)

This is uncharted territory for humankind, so by necessity there is a certain amount of guesswork involved as to the consequences – and the causes – of our rising temperatures. But how much are we willing to gamble with the future existence of our species while we make up our minds? The worst case scenario would make our present navigational travails seem supremely insignificant by comparison.

In the mean time, the OAR team is furthering their investigation by sampling the local Quidi Vidi beer, made from 25,000-year-old iceberg water!

On 15th April 1912, the RMS Titanic went down with the loss of 1,514 lives during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, the largest loss of life at sea during peacetime.

At nearly 883 feet long, the Titanic did not bear a strong resemblance to Bojangles, which measures 23 feet. Her rudder alone was 78 feet high – more than three times the length of our little Bo. On the one hand, being small could be an advantage to Bojangles if it statistically reduces our chances of making contact with ice. On the other hand, the Titanic was made of one-inch-thick steel, while Bo is made of a much thinner sandwich of foam between layers of carbon/kevlar weave. Our first waypoint is 45 N, 45 W, not so far from the site where the Titanic sank.

It was claimed that the Titanic was unsinkable, but Mother Nature has a way of making a nonsense of the hubristic claims of men. You can be sure that we will be very circumspect before launching ourselves upon a hostile North Atlantic.

We had hoped to leave on Monday, but the ice continues to be a concern. So for now we have decided to postpone at least until Saturday May 19th, while we continue to monitor the ice situation.

There is plenty on dry land to keep us busy. Boats seem to be perpetually a work in progress, so we continue to refine designs, tweaking scupper flaps, enhancing the oar lockers, adding a canopy to provide some shelter while we peel off foul weather gear so as not to track seawater into the cabin.

Meanwhile Naomi and I took a few hours off this afternoon to explore a bit of the north coast of Newfoundland. We left our lodgings with Harry and Diane Spurrell in sunshine, but the weather soon turned to rain showers and wind. But it was still beautiful. I’m actually very happy to have a bit more time to explore this very special place.

By the way, in case you didn’t know, Newfoundland is not pronounced NewFOUNDland, it’s NewfoundLAND. To get it right, say “Understand Newfoundland” so that the two words rhyme, and you’ll be close enough.

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The last few years have been relatively ice-free in Newfoundland, but this year is making up for lost time. Ice has been reported as far south as 44 degrees north, adding an extra hazard to the Grand Banks, which already included messy wave patterns and persistent fog.

Not for the first time, I am ruing the fact that rowers face backwards. This is going to make it hard to spot ice hazards ahead. Fishing boats going out at this time of year keep a spotter on watch at all times to avoid collision with bergy bits. We won’t have that option. We have been putting the word out locally, and are searching for a vessel willing to escort us for the first 150-200 miles of our voyage.

A bergy bit - small by local standards - lurks in Quidi Vidi Cove

The OAR Project is delighted to announce wunderground.com a silver sponsor. This is the world’s first attempt to row across the North Atlantic from St John’s, Newfoundland to Bristol, England, continuing to London via the inland waterways. Andrew Morris and Roz Savage will also be the first male/female team ever to cross the North Atlantic and aim arrive in London in time to celebrate the start of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Wunderground.com was the Internet’s first weather site and has become one of the largest weather data providers in the world. Weather Underground has created an interactive map that will enable web users around the globe to track Andrew and Roz’ progress across the North Atlantic, as well as view live weather conditions and forecasts, video updates and blogs.

We’re really excited to be lending our technological expertise help track the progress of this amazing project,” said Alan Steremberg, President and co-founder of Weather Underground. “Our interactive mapping capabilities will enable web users at home to follow the rowers’ progress and view the North Atlantic’s extreme weather conditions.

“We really wanted to be able to open up the world of ocean rowing to the general public” said Roz Savage from the OAR Project. “The interactive map will be a way for people to feel as if they are with us on the boat – without the seasickness! We are very grateful to Weather Underground for their support.”

To visit the interactive map, simply Follow the OAR

 ENDS

Weather Underground Press Office : Toby Skinner

toby@wunderground.com +1 415 983 2611

OAR Press Office: Alec Lom

alec@aleclom.com    + 44 7802 401302

High-resolution images are available on request.

Interviews with the team and sponsors can be arranged, please ask for details.

For further details, please visit www.oar2012.com.

Like our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FollowOlympicAtlanticRow

Follow OAR on twitter @oatlanticrow

Notes to Editors:

Weather Underground: The world’s first online weather service, Weather Underground is committed to delivering the most comprehensive, reliable weather information possible. Home to more than 20 million users and weather provider to partners such as Google, The Associated Press and CBS, the company’s state-of-the-art technology monitors conditions and forecasts for locations across the world. With more than 24,000 users contributing local observations from personal weather stations, Weather Underground is able to provide up-to-the-minute weather conditions for the most finely targeted areas. In addition to serving free online weather information to millions of unique users every month, Weather Underground delivers custom-designed weather page solutions to an array of businesses and media clients – both online and in print.

The OAR Project is a world first in ocean rowing. Andrew Morris and Roz Savage, both experienced ocean rowers, will cross over 2000 miles of the treacherous North Atlantic before continuing up the Bristol Channel and all the way to London via the UK’s inland waterways. They will set off by May 14th 2012 and aim to arrive in London in time for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on July 27^th.

Andrew and Roz met in 2005 when competing in same ocean rowing race from the Canary Islands to Antigua, albeit in different boats. For both of them, this was their first taste of ocean rowing and their journeys each sparked a sense of adventure that has remained with them.

Andrew Morris is a British entrepreneur with varied business interests including award-winning companies ranging in diversity from shipping to iconic motorbike manufacture. He also has a passionate interest in motor racing.

A latecomer to the life of adventure, Brit Roz Savage worked as a management consultant in London for 11 years. As well as the Atlantic, Roz has completed rows across the Pacific and Indian oceans. She has rowed over 15,000 miles, taken around 5 million oarstrokes, and spent cumulatively over 500 days of her life at sea in a 23-foot rowboat.

In 2010 Roz was named Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic. Roz is also a United Nations Climate Hero, an Athlete Ambassador for 350.org, and an Ambassador for the Blue Project.

In addition to this incredible North Atlantic rowing challenge, the OAR Project has created a unique education program, OAR Inspiring. Bringing a real adventure to life in the classroom, OAR Inspiring is designed to teach the positive aspects of endeavor, courage and challenge and encourage young people to broaden their horizons. Working in conjunction with the Rowing Foundation, a UK charity, the OAR Project is also raising money for an OAR Legacy fleet of rowing boats that will help young people from deprived areas get out on the water.

 Monday (14) now seems earliest possible departure date, say weather advisers

Icebergs, high ocean winds and treacherous weather conditions off the east coast of Canada have today delayed the launch of a world record attempt by two British rowers to cross the North Atlantic.

Cheshire-born Roz Savage and Andrew Morris, from Nottinghamshire, are in Newfoundland, preparing to depart on an epic 2,200-mile voyage, which will earn them a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the first mixed pair to row the route.

It will also be the first time in history that rowers have crossed the Atlantic and continued their journey all the way to London. Savage and Morris plan to row up the Bristol Channel and the River Thames, arriving in the capital in time for the opening of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Weather experts advising their expedition, named The OAR Project (www.oar2012.com), now say the earliest possible departure date is likely to be Monday (May 14).

Failing to hide their disappointment at today’s delay, the two rowers were philosophical about the meteorological warnings.

Roz Savage, 44, a clergyman’s daughter, who stands just 5 ft 3 ins tall and weighs only nine stone, said: “We need a little bit of west in the wind to help us clear dry land, and relatively light winds while we cross the notorious Grand Banks, where waves reaching the sudden shallows of the Continental Shelf can pile up into rough and messy sea conditions.

“For now the extra time on land is welcome, but if we are to arrive in London in time for the Olympics, we won’t want to wait for too long. Safety remains paramount, so we won’t leave until and unless the conditions are right. Better to arrive late than not at all.”

Speaking today from a vantage point overlooking St John’s Harbour, Newfoundland, crewmate Andrew Morris, 48, said: “We’re looking at having to face icebergs when we first set out. More significant are the ‘bergy bits’, lumps of ice floating just beneath the surface of the water that won’t be visible to us at night. At the moment the wind is also blowing the wrong way. Until the weather improves to a point where it is safe for us to depart, we’ll be staying on dry land.”

“When I arrived in St John’s, it was snowing and sleeting, with cloud level down to 60 feet. The weather is important but so is the water. If you go into the water at this temperature, there isn’t long to get back in the boat. We’ll be tied onto the boat at all times and are taking full survival suits as a safety precaution.”

Andrew added: “Roz and I are philosophical about this delay but we have to trust the judgement of the professionals in our team advising us on the conditions out there. While we wait, we are using the time to eat well and get as much sleep as we can, in the knowledge that the weeks ahead will surely make severe demands on our bodies and our stamina levels. We’re both looking forward to the trip enormously.”

The icebergs in Newfoundland will dwarf the duo’s boat, named Bojangles, when it takes to the water. It measures just 24 feet long and was delivered to Newfoundland by OAR Project sponsors DHL, the global courier service.

Many of their fans and supporters, equally disappointed by the setback, have signed up to “follow the journey” via an interactive map that has been specially set up, and which allows people to track the position and latest statistics: http://www.olympicatlanticrow.com/follow-the-oar.

Roz Savage later confirmed: “We currently do not have a confirmed departure date, but are unlikely to leave before next Monday at the earliest. Brisk winds from an unhelpful quarter will keep us in St John’s for a few days yet.”

Savage, and Morris, a father-of-two from Nottinghamshire, will brave perilous submerged icebergs, 30-foot whales, hurricane-force storms, thick fog, giant supertankers and 40-foot waves – all in an historic attempt to cross the treacherous North Atlantic Ocean.

The pair’s expedition motto is “Best of British”, which is part of a Foreign and Commonwealth Office campaign designed to promote all things British in the year of the Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. For more than eight weeks, the rowers will call a cramped, 24-foot, Kevlar Carbon foam rowing boat their home. They will row and sleep alternately around the clock, two hours on, two hours off, for 60 days in a bid to become the first male-female mixed-gender team ever to row across the North Atlantic.

No stranger to danger or taking her life in her own hands, Savage, despite her slight, diminutive physique – the opposite of what you’d expect from an international rowing athlete – is Britain’s most famous ocean rower and environmental campaigner, already a multi Guinness World Record holder, and the first woman in the world to row three oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

Together with Andrew Morris, known as “Mos” to his friends, a businessman from Newark, Notts, who is also an experienced rower as well as a motor racing enthusiast, she is due to set off from Newfoundland, on the East coast of Canada, rowing more than 2,000 miles and charting a course due east, heading for Bristol. Arriving on Britain’s west coast, in a unique and unusual last leg of their voyage, they will then continue rowing, navigating up the Bristol Channel, through the comparative safety of inland waterways including the Kennet and Avon Canal and the River Thames, and hope to arrive in London in early July, before the start of the Olympics.

As well as claiming a new Guinness World Record, the expedition, named The OAR Project, is also intended to raise the profile of two charity initiatives. The first is to raise money to buy a fleet of rowing boats for able-bodied and disabled young people, part of OAR Inspiring, an education programme to inspire and motivate British schoolchildren, many of whom have already signed up. The second is to support the British charity Plastic Oceans, which is dedicated to fighting plastic pollution worldwide, and whose Patrons and supporters include Roz Savage, Ben Fogle and Sir David Attenborough. Scientists have just issued a dire warning that there may be up to 27 times more plastic waste in the world’s oceans than previously estimated.

If they succeed, the duo will set two other records: they will become the first pair ever to cross the North Atlantic from Canada to the UK, and will also be the first crew to complete a trans-Atlantic row finishing in London.

Savage, who has been honoured as a United Nations Climate Hero, is also listed among the Top Twenty Great British Adventurers, and was named Adventurer of the Year by National Geographic in 2010.

Morris, whose two children are daughter Millie, aged 10, and son, Leo, 13, said: “I am rowing to inspire others. People can do things if they really put their mind to it and especially in this amazing Olympic year.”

Celebrity well-wishers, including Sir Richard Branson, fellow British adventurer, ecologist and environmentalist David de Rothschild and fellow trans-Atlantic adventurer Ben Fogle have all sent good luck messages. De Rothschild said: “Roz and Andrew rock! Literally! They’re inspirational and to those who will follow them across the high seas, their epic adventure will provide hope and a brighter future for many youngsters. That’s more than enough to get behind them and show them your full support!”

In a message to Mos and Roz, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, who with Per Lindstrand became the first to cross the Atlantic in a hot-air balloon in 1987, said: “You are both barking mad. But I suppose it takes one to know one.” Ben Fogle, who rowed the Atlantic with James Cracknell in 2005: said: “I wish Andrew and Roz all the luck in the world with the OAR Project North Atlantic Row”.

The dynamic duo Roz and Mos have launched their expedition under their new motto “Best of British” and, as they row towards the Olympic Games Opening in London, will be flying the flag for Britain across the Atlantic – literally, with Union Jacks emblazoned on their boat. They will be wearing snoods and caps sporting a “Rule Britannia” motif, supplied by leading British sports-kit manufacturer Crewroom, who also clothe British Olympians in the GB Rowing and GB Canoe squads. Roz and Mos’s diet will consist of meal packs featuring British dishes such as Lancashire Hot Pot and Full English Breakfast (see notes, below).

ROZ AND MOS – THE CHALLENGE

Fewer people have rowed an ocean than have been into space. Rowing an ocean is still listed as Number 1, out of ten of the “Toughest Athletic Challenges on Earth” – by TopTenz.net. The North Atlantic route has claimed the lives of the most ocean rowers to date. Five rowers have been lost at sea. The pairs ocean rowing record for trans-Atlantic crossing West to East is 55 days (New York to Scilly Isles) and it has stood for 115 years. If Roz and Mos complete their voyage, they will become the first mixed-gender team to row the North Atlantic and set a new Guinness World Record for that feat.

MEET “BO” – THAT’S “BOJANGLES” – ROZ AND MOS’S ROWING BOAT

A state-of-the-art ocean-rowing boat, Bojangles is designed to withstand the rigours and conditions of the formidable Northern and Southern Hemisphere ocean rowing routes. She’s constructed from a Kevlar Carbon foam sandwich composite, a similar material to that used in bullet proof vests, and is both extremely strong and very lightweight, with the bare boat weighing around 400kg.

A number of additional safety modifications have been made, including the laying of 50 kilos of lead along her keel. This effectively lowers the centre of gravity of the boat and makes her more resistant to capsize in large seas but crucially even more reliable in terms of self-righting were she to capsize.

Self-sufficient, with all the safety features of any comparable ocean-going yacht, Bojangles has all her systems run from a solar, rechargeable 12-volt, double-battery power supply. The crew’s fresh water requirements are provided by a Spectra water maker unit that creates 24 litres of water per hour.

Bojangles is a mould-built boat so she’s both hydro- and aerodynamic, which allows her to row fast and efficiently when conditions are favourable, and also to cope with the many adverse wind and ocean currents and conditions Roz and Mos will face.

The boat is a fully interactive satellite communications package, which will allow the pair to interact with supporters during the voyage. Solar-powered deck speakers will enable the crew to enjoy “in-house” entertainment while they row – provided the sun is shining. They will also be able to send daily blogs and photos of their journey to the world.

An interactive map, provided by sponsor Weather Underground, is available via the expedition’s website, www.oar2012.com. Supporters can track the live position of the boat, view her speed, the water temperature, current weather conditions, and so on.

Food for the voyage will be stored in 14 watertight compartments on board and comprises an a la carte “boil in the bag” menu, giving the rowers over 6,500 calories a day. Dishes on the menu will include curries, Lancashire Hot Pot and chili con carne.

There is only one bedroom, measuring 2m x 1.2m x 1m. There is no toilet. The rowers are taking a bucket.

Bojangles is named after the song “Mr. Bojangles”, which was originally written and recorded by American country music artist Jerry Jeff Walker for his 1968 album of the same title. Since then, it has been recorded by many other artists, including Robbie Williams.

MEET THE CREW – ROZ AND MOS

Roz Savage, age 44, 5ft 3in, British, born in Nantwich, Cheshire, grew up in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and has lived in Cambridge, London and Emsworth, Hampshire

Roz is an environmental campaigner and one of the most experienced ocean rowers in the world. She has rowed over 15,000 miles, taken around 5 million oar strokes, and spent cumulatively over 500 days of her life at sea in a 24-foot rowboat. She uses her ocean rowing adventures to inspire action on the top environmental challenges facing the world today.

Andrew Morris (aka Mos), age 48, 6ft 2in, British, from Newark, Nottinghamshire

An entrepreneur, Andrew is Managing Director of logistics group PA Freight and Allseas Global Logistics. His business interests are varied and he owns a number of award-winning companies that range across industries as diverse as shipping and iconic motorbike manufacture. He also has a strong interest in motor racing. A father of two, Andrew has stated the toughest thing about this challenge will be missing his children.

ROZ AND MOS – THE ROUTE

The boat has been transported overland to the port of departure, St John’s Newfoundland.

Departure from Newfoundland will carry the risk of icebergs and iceberg fragments or lumps of ice floating just beneath the surface of the water.

The crew will row through the infamous Canadian Grand Banks, an area of comparatively shallow Ocean. This was the scene of the film, A Perfect Storm.

Bojangles will be completely self sufficient on this journey. No support vessel will accompany the crew, who will be on their own. An experienced land crew will be on hand to assist, if required.

On arrival at the English Coast, the crew will make their way through the Bristol Channel and into the British inland waterways system. Travelling via rivers and canals, they will join the River Thames to enter London. En route they will pass a number of historic landmarks, including Henley-on-Thames, the home of British Rowing, and Dorney Lake, the Olympic Rowing Venue.

The inland waterways leg of their journey is expected to take approximately 14 days to complete.

ROZ AND MOS – THE ROUTINE

Andrew and Roz will endure a gruelling routine, rowing two hours on, two hours off, 24 hours a day.  Sleep deprivation will be one of the toughest challenges they face. After eating, checking in with base and making any necessary repairs to the boat, they will never get more than 90 minutes sleep at any one stretch. The shift from 2am to 4am is known as the graveyard shift so every evening they will have “happy hour” drinks and dinner (without the cocktails), where they will have a chance to spend time together. They will then alternate the graveyard shift.

ROZ AND MOS CHOOSE THE BEST OF BRITISH TO FLY THE FLAG

During the voyage, motto: “Best of British”, the crew will be flying the flag, using British equipment and supplies from British companies to support their expedition. Items include:

1.     The oars they’ll be rowing with are manufactured by British company Xcell Oars and Sculls, based in Windsor, Berkshire. Bojangles was also built in Britain.

2.     The rowers’ seat covers are provided by Easirider Lambswool Over Rugs and Sheepskin Seat Covers, and are manufactured at the company’s workshops in Northampton

3.     All the marine technology onboard has been provided by OAR sponsors and marine specialists Raymarine, based in Fareham, near Titchfield, Hampshire

4.     Yellowbrick, the GPS tracking device on board Bojangles that feeds back to the interactive map, is made by Yellowbrick Tracking Limited, based in Brentwood, Essex

5.     There is a full set of Admiralty charts and publications onboard, supplied by British company, Thomas Gunn Navigation Services from Aberdeen, Scotland

6.     Roz and Mos are wearing team clothing provided by technical sports-kit manufacturer Crewroom, based in Putney, south-west London

7.     The emergency locator beacons on Bojangles are being loaned to us by McMurdo, based in Portsmouth, Hampshire

8.     Most of the food on board is supplied by a small British company, Fuizion, based in Southsea, Hampshire. The rowers will be treated to a Full English Breakfast and locally sourced produce.

9.     Roz and Mos will have jars of Marmite on board, as well as Twinings teabags, a must on board, especially for tea-loving Mos. The company is based in Andover, Hampshire.

Notes to Editors

To request interviews, for more information about The OAR Project or high-res images please contact:

The UK Press team: Alec Lom, alec@aleclom.com, 07802 401302 and Rachel Smith,  rachel@oar2012.com, 07977 452 337

Project Manager: Naomi Coe, naomi@oar2012.com

Follow the OAR

Members of the public can follow the progress of the OAR via an interactive map that has been specially set up, and which allows people to track the position and latest statistics: http://www.olympicatlanticrow.com/follow-the-oar.

The official Olympic Atlantic Row (OAR) expedition site is www.oar2012.com

Roz Savage’s website is www.rozsavage.com

For official OAR Project photos see http://www.flickr.com/photos/67188758@N04

For photos of Roz Savage for free media use see http://www.flickr.com/photos/rozsavage

Visit the Plastic Oceans site on www.plasticoceans.net

Daily blogs and the latest still images can also be accessed from the OAR website, http://www.oar2012.com

Facebook: #FollowtheOAR

Twitter: @OatlanticRow. The OAR Twitter feed will be used as the first point for any OAR ‘breaking news’.

Support the OAR

Go to www.justgiving.com/OARProject and follow the instructions to make a donation. You can leave your own message for the crew and if you’re a UK taxpayer, The Rowing Foundation will be able to claim back GiftAid, and boost your support by 25 per cent. You can donate by credit card in Sterling, so even if you don’t live in the UK, you can still join in.

Donate by text – if you’re in the UK, just send a text message with the code OARP99 and the amount you’d like to donate (£x) to 70070. If you’re a UK taxpayer, follow the simple instructions on the text you’ll receive in order for The Rowing Foundation to be able to claim back GiftAid and boost your support by 25 per cent.

END

With thanks to the OAR Project’s sponsors: DHL, Napier Turbochargers Ltd., Raymarine UK Ltd., Sentinel Consulting and Weather Underground Inc.

Completed: 19       Incomplete: 33      Rowers lost at sea: 5

These are sobering statistics. A closer look at the numbers however, shows that the odds are actually pretty good.

Even though the Newfoundlanders have been more than living up to their reputation for friendliness and hospitality, in some quarters there have been mutterings about crazy adventurers heading out on hare-brained missions, only to fail and need rescuing to the great inconvenience, cost, danger, and understandable disgruntlement of the locals.

Later that day Mos, Naomi and I went to take a look at the ocean. Naomi drove us to the top of Signal Hill, at the mouth of St John’s Harbour. It was a beautiful day, with hazy sunshine and barely a breath of wind. As we stepped out of the car our high vantage point gave us an excellent view of the vast expanse of limpid ocean stretching away below us.

At first glance it was a gorgeous sight. With no white caps, the ocean looked almost inviting. But as we continued to look, it started to appear less friendly. A small fishing boat heading back to port laboured in the swell. Where the apparently calm sea met the land, it crashed with surprising force against the rocks at the narrow entrance to the harbour, sending up plumes of spray. Farther out to sea, a bank of fog stretched all the way across the horizon from left to right.

“Crikey,” said Mos. “Crikey. Gosh.” Which was quite restrained, I thought. Something less printable was going through my mind. Even on a perfect day like yesterday, the ocean’s power and size was inescapable.

The Good News

Having said all this, we have a better chance than most. Here are my reasons for not freaking out about our imminent embarkation upon the North Atlantic:

1. The boat: a lightweight kevlar boat with 200 pounds of lead in her hull to help stability, Bojangles has already proved her seaworthiness in challenging conditions during her 189-day voyage across the North Pacific. Mos now has the bit between his teeth and is working all the hours on Bojangles to ensure that she is even better prepared for this row. He is a real perfectionist. In this context, that is a very reassuring quality in a crewmate.

2. The crew: between us, Mos and I have logged over 580 days at sea, and covered over 18,000 miles. It is only 7 months since I got off the Indian Ocean, so my experience is still recent. Mos is 48 years old, and I am 44, so we are hardly hot-headed young turks. We both have a lot to live for – he has two young children and I have a place at Yale – and we will tap into that motivation when the going gets tough. Safety tops the list of priorities for both of us.

3. The team: two members of our support team have also rowed an ocean: program director Richard Mayon-White and UK project manager Rachel Smith. US project manager Naomi Coe is one of the most calm and competent people I have ever had the privilege to work with, and has been instrumental in getting us to the start line. Our weatherman Lee Bruce has weather-routed at least 10 ocean rowing voyages, including several out of St John’s.

But even so, I wanted to take another look at the statistics.

Only one pair has been lost at sea on the North Atlantic, David Johnston and John Hoare in the Puffin, who left from Virginia Beach in the USA in 1966. Cause presumed to be a hurricane. I read their book, The penance way: The mystery of Puffin’s Atlantic voyage, before I rowed the Atlantic. It seemed that they left before they were properly ready, forced into a race to beat Blyth and Ridgway who left at around the same time from Cape Cod.

The other three fatalities were all solos, one leaving from the US, two from Canada. Those two departures from Canada both happened in 1980, since when satellite phones, GPS, watermakers, improved weather forecasting and better boat design have all been factors in improving ocean safety. In fact, the Ocean Rowing Society differentiates between Historic Rows (pre-1982 and advent of new technologies) and Modern Day Rows (post-1982). As Gerard d’Aboville said of his Atlantic row and all ocean rows between 1896 and 1982: “We were like test pilots, but without a parachute”. Now, thank heavens, we have parachutes – or at least para-anchors.

Intrigued, with a very vested interest, in finding out what had happened to the other failed Modern Day Rows from Canada, I did some further digging:

Roy Finlay and Colleen Cronin (2000): towed back by Canadian Coastguard after 26 days. Roy Finlay had rowed the Atlantic E-W previously. Colleen had not rowed an ocean. They abandoned their attempt when headwinds and a brewing hurricane threatened progress. The winds subsequently changed for the better, but they had already turned back.

Matthew Boreham (1999): check out his website. Apparently abandoned due to delays in shipping.

Peter Bray (2009): rescued after 42 days when his boat capsized and failed to self-right. I’m guessing, but maybe the cabin hatch was open, or the boat was not correctly ballasted. Ocean rowboats are designed to be self-righting if capsized. It was his first ocean row.

Sean Moriarty (2011): rescued after 1 day 20 hours when his boat capsized repeatedly. Assuming that this article meant to say 15-foot boat rather than 15-metre boat, but is correct in saying 3-4 metre waves were responsible for the capsizes, it seem surprising that seas of this modest size could capsize his boat. With Bo’s greater size (7.1 metres) and lead ballast, I am sure that she will handle such conditions without difficulty. It was Sean Moriarty’s first ocean row.

Skandia Four (2002): recovered after 21 days when the rudder broke.

Pink Lady Four (2004): rescued after 38 days. Poor Peter Bray once again ended up in the drink when their boat broke in two in Hurricane Alex. It was also Jonathan Gornall’s second failed attempt. An ocean rowboat should not break, leading to speculation that the boat might have been damaged in transit, or overly modified from the original design, weakening its structure.

Conclusion

To put this in perspective, among the Modern Day Rows since 1982 there have been six successful rows from Canada (5 solo and 1 four) and six failed ones. Odds even. Of those six, two were due to capsizes, two to equipment failures, and two were voluntarily abandoned. The statistics are starting to look a lot better than they did at first. Bojangles was built by ex-marine Mick Dawson, and was built to last. Especially her rudder.

Better still, there have been no fatalities among the Modern Day departures from Canada – no doubt due to the valiant Canadian coasties, whom we sincerely hope, and conscientiously plan, not to trouble.

Latest News

We currently do not have a confirmed departure date, but are unlikely to leave before next Monday at the earliest. Brisk winds from an unhelpful quarter will keep us in St John’s for a few days yet.

To get the latest news from the OAR project, check us out on twitter @OAtlanticRow.

And please consider donating to our chosen charity, the Rowing Foundation, to help get more youngsters out on the water, or chip in towards our satellite phone bill so we can continue to bring you these blogs from the ocean.

Thank you!

The OAR team has been reunited in St John’s, Newfoundland, the port of departure for the OAR. We’re in the final stages of our preparations and all keeping a close eye on the weather forecast.

St John’s, Newfoundland

On the morning of Sunday 6th May, I got up at 4am to catch a flight to St John’s, Newfoundland, and arrived around 23 hours later. Sadly, my luggage didn’t, and is still wandering around somewhere in the system, but I live in hope. Luckily I’d put the really vital stuff into my carry-on. Forget underwear and wash bag – the vital stuff was the satellite phone and two brand new Optimizer Accesspoint units that will turn Bojangles into a mid-ocean wifi hotspot.

I spent most of yesterday afternoon getting it set up, with a few phone calls to OCENS tech support along the way, and now have it all working perfectly. I’ve managed to send emails from both of my iPhones (!) and my iPad. This is how I plan to blog from the ocean. Various other organisations will also be reposting content from my site from time to time, including One World One Ocean, United Nations Environment Program, TED, Mission Blue, and Fitocracy.

Bojangles Update

Yesterday I also spent some time at the garage workshop where Bojangles currently resides. Andrew (aka Mos) has the bit between his teeth on the boatworks, and is busy tying off the last loose ends on our trusty vessel. A few final fixes and enhancements have also been added to the job list. Reassuringly for me, Mos is a real perfectionist. Even the paintwork is being airbrushed into perfection, although in retrospect maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to wield an airbrush while he was wearing expensive designer jeans….

Last night we had a team dinner in St John’s. In attendance were Mos with his two children and his parents, Naomi Coe our project manager, Harry and Diane Spurrell  who are hosting Naomi and me, and Greg Jamieson who has been such an incredible supporter, connector and maker-of-things-to-happen.

To satisfy my curiosity, Greg ordered the moose soup just so I could see what it looked like. I confess to being just a little disappointed that it looked just like a chunky meat broth, and did not have a big pair of antlers sticking out of it.

ETD

We are now getting daily weather updates from our weatherman Lee Bruce with a view to determining our Estimate To Depart. It’s not looking too promising at the moment, for the next 5 days at least. We need a little bit of west in the wind to help us clear dry land, and relatively light winds while we cross the notorious Grand Banks, where waves reaching the sudden shallows of the continental shelf can pile up into rough and messy sea conditions. For now the extra time on land is welcome, but if we are to arrive in London in time for the Olympics, we won’t want to wait for too long.

Safety remains paramount, so we won’t leave until and unless the conditions are right. Better to arrive late than not at all.

Requests for Help

If there is by any chance anybody who is flying from the UK to St John’s in the next few days, please let me know. We already have a compass mounted in the bulkhead above the hatch to the aft cabin, a few feet from the rowing position, but being slightly optically challenged I’d like to have a Silva 70UNE compass mounted between my feet but haven’t been able to find a supplier who can ship it to arrive in Canada by 14th May – but we could arrange for it to be delivered to a UK address if there was someone able to personally courier it to us. Any help much appreciated.

We are also looking for a support vessel (or a relay of passing vessels) to accompany us for the first couple of hundred miles as we cross the hazardous Grand Banks. If you know of anybody who will be crossing the North Atlantic in the next couple of weeks, please let us know.

Bojangles has come a long way since her maiden voyage across the Pacific. Although still structurally sound, a lot of work has been required to get her ready for the OAR. Learning from experience, a number of improvements have also been made to her original design. Here’s just some of the things the OAR team have been busy working on over the last few months.

• Replacement of all cabin and deck hatches. These must be tightly sealed to keep water out of the food and kit stored on board.
• Installation of ‘blade socks’ – sealed waterproof compartments on deck to store the oars: Previously this had been a cause of water leaking into the storage hatches on deck.
• Sealing of all cracks, gaps and possible leaky parts: Bojangles is going to get very wet on the North Atlantic.
• Replacement of scuppers: These let excess water flow off deck, but prevent water being washed back in.
• Installation of custom designed ventilation system: Crucially, this must let air in when Mos and Ros are inside the cabin, but keep the water out.
• Installation of custom made mattresses and luxury interior storage pockets: With only two hours sleep at any one time, the OAR crew deserve a bit of comfort.
• Replacement of solar panels: We’re now using nylon bolts to hold these down. The stainless steel bolts in place on Bojangles Pacific journey may have been what contributed a fire on board when the solar panels short circuited.
• Installation of new marine electronics: Thanks to OAR sponsor, Ryamarine, the latest navigation and safety technology will keep Bojangles on course and hopefully out of trouble.
• Refurbishment of Spectra water maker: This will produce approximately 24 litres of water an hour.
• A good lick of paint: Using hard anti-foul paint should avoid the need for Mos and Roz to have to get into the water to scrape barnacles of Bojangles’ bottom during their two month journey.
• Construction of a specially designed wooden cradle to carry Bojangles across country to St John’s, Newfoundland, the port of departure for the OAR.

For photos of the OAR team working on Bangles, please click here.

Check out Bojangles in action, with thanks to OAR refit sponsor, Conceptua.

With grateful thanks to all the volunteers in San Francisco who helped work on Bojangles on the Hyde Street Pier;

Aleksey Bochkovsky, James Dilworth, Fred Eagle, Bryan Edwards, Maggy Frias, Dane Golden, Jay Gosuico, Mike Hammond, Angela Hey, Jonathan Killip, Alex Leviton, Bryan Mann, James Martin, Wesley Renas, Virginia Saylor, Ian Tuller, Kristen Walthour, Cam Webb, Elisa Williams, Gail Wolf, Heather Kearsley Wolf, Elizabeth Zamos.

And those who carried on the great work when Bojangles arrived in St John’s;

Theresa Dale, Bob Jamieson, Greg Jamieson, Judy Jamieson, Harry Spurrell.