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I've been following Sarah Outen who's rowing across the Pacific as part of a 'round the world by human power' trip.
She had to give up her last attempt after a typhoon wrecked her boat.
Anyway, she's been at sea since the end of April and her most recent tweets made me think.
[i]Happy Socks loved the surfing this morning. Great workout and lots of fun.[/i]
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[i]Rough and bouncy and not much fun. Chimpy going a bit ape.Trying to keep him calm. Waves crashing all over the boat.
Capsized this afternoon.Hope not many more.
Have horrid sense we have lost the rudder.Have2 wait4 calmer seas to check.
Rudder definitely gone. Will make steering harder and course wobblier, I imagine.[/i]
I'm pretty firmly in the 'go for it' camp. I think the psychology of it is fascinating. Reading about her being stuck in the tiny cabin for a week due to rough weather makes you realise that the biggest challenge is mental, not physical - I can't imagine spending 4 months in a space the size of a hiking tent.
Clearly modern technology probably helps with the feelings of isolation etc but I don't think it takes anything away from the challenge.
So, should we pleased that someone else is rowing across the Pacific and telling us what it's like so we don't have to or is the whole venture just silly.
(she's @sarahouten on twitter - have a look at her timeline - it's fascinating)
Incredible mental challange. the documentary about the guy who tried to row the southern ocean in a kayak is amazing. He died doing it. At times he was in the boat, with the top on, in force 10 storms, for days on end.
I'm glad that there are people in the world with the motivation, time, money and skill to do these things. I've always been in awe of explorers, old and new, anyone who steps into the unknown or generally does something which is so committing.
I think that some people can go too far with their challenges, to be honest. Surely you can find something a bit more interesting to do that's just as hard?
I think that some people can go too far with their challenges, to be honest. Surely you can find something a bit more interesting to do that's just as hard?
Yeah, someone should have told Sir Chris Bonington to take up Rubik's Cube 🙂
I know what you mean though, some people become completely fixated on the most bizarre (to me anyway) goals.
I does fill you with a sense of wooooowwwww to read about it and watch the video's I love the thought of doing it but don't think I would enjoy doing it if that makes sense. And good luck to her going out and doing something she's passionate about.
One of my ex-rowing crew mates did the Atlantic row, hoping to set a new record (in a pair). They had a very hard time - sickness and struggled with the mental side of it. In his words, it's an event that has very little to do with rowing.
As for Sarah, well if she wants to do it, fair play to her. Not something I'd facny.
I'd rather cycle round the world. Imagine the stuff you'd see.. other than just waves and the odd bird.
[i]I'd rather cycle round the world.[/i]
she is doing that - just rowing the bits you can't pedal over 🙂
[edit] she's already cycled 10,000 miles - once she finished the Pacific she's going to cycle 3000 miles across Alaska and Canada in the winter and then row 3000 miles across the Atlantic. She hopes to be home in the Autumn of next year.
Who is Chimpy? Either she has a pet with her or has started a Life of Pi type relationship with imaginary creatures.
It does put feeling a bit knackered after a 25-mile ride into perspective.
Nothing like this but I've done some fairly long sailing trips on relatively little boats (32' usually). Even at that size, your world feels very small when you can just see sea and sky for 2 weeks+
I found that I didn't really enjoy the journey but did enjoy the achievement - I never looked forward to the trips themselves but I definitely looked forward to having completed them.
It's her 'inner chimp externalised' probably best that she explains it!
[url= http://www.sarahouten.com/day-127-chimpy/ ]http://www.sarahouten.com/day-127-chimpy/[/url]
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One of my ex-rowing crew mates did the Atlantic row ... in his words, it's an event that has very little to do with rowing
To be fair, a track pursuit rider might feel the same way about cycling round the world.
Not that I'm likely ever to do either, but good to know there are people out there who are 🙂
She's nearly there;
[i]
2am.Escort boat should be en route.Rowing cold.4 miles offshore as make4 RV point 8miles away.Tired + wired.[/i]
Must be a bit emotional after 150 days at sea.
That is both extraordinary and daft.
And totally awesome. What a woman!
Still 4 miles from the end. Not been her day.
Riding around the world wouldn't be anything like the same challenge imo.
Finished late last night;
[i]HAPPY DAYS.Rowed into bay NE of Cone Island in mist and rain.Japan to Alaska-what an amazing,beautiful,brutal row.Big grins.[/i]
She'll be glad to be able to stand up indoors I suspect after 5 months in this;
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Inspirational stuff.
Great that there are still people around who are prepared to take on the really big challenges most of us just dream about.
Chapeau Sarah you have my undying admiration.
@warton - that was a hard film to watch, it was shown at HVAFF a couple of years ago and there were very few dry eyes - a case of singular obsession winning over his life with his wife and young son - heartbreaking stuff, esp the last radio messages to the NZ Coastguards.
She looks happy in a 'thank goodness that's over' way 🙂
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There's nothing silly about adventure.
Bloody good luck to her.