Introducing another new team member

Over the past year we have been kindly been given the use of a 110 Landrover to tow the boat (see previous posts re low ratio gears and diff lock!) but with the prospect of journey to Cornwall and a couple of other events I thought it was time to invest in some serious boat pulling wheels.

For weeks I had scoured the internet for a suitable Land Rover for the purpose but ot no avail. the only ones i could afford on my ocean rowing depleted budget were so old it would have been foolish (and very slow!) to attempt to use them for such a long towing or is it rowing trip.

Eventually I gave a gave up on buying British and settled on looking for a Toyota HiLux Surf. These vehicles are Japanese imports and are based on the same vehicle that Top Gear tried to drown, blow up etc. but did not succeed. So one Sunday afternoon saw me travelling to High Wycombe to look at several 15 year old specimens. After rejecting four of them following test drives and visual inspection I finally settled on a metallic red one with a large dent in the front wing. As part of the deal the seller included a new front wing that he had already ordered and would get it posted to me!

I am now the proud possessor of a 15 year old Japanese import Toyota Hi Lux 3litre auto diesel together with a spare wing. I know very little about cars however hoped that the reputation of these (almost cult) cars would prove true and that it would tow our boat the 400 miles to Penzance the following Friday.

Help -Rower wanted!

Following Richards withdrawl from the race team I (Mick)have been searching a new partner who will be foolish enough to spend two months with me in a small boat on the open ocean. After drawing a blank at the local asylums I decided other tactics were needed.

I reasoned that the best place to look for a rower was at a rowing regatta, we were already booked to display the boat at Peterborough rowing Regatta. With 750 crews (approx 1000 rowers) entering over the two days there would surely be someone who would be interested, in fact I would probably have to beat them off with a stick.

I hit on the plan to put a large sign on the side of the boat with the words

Atlantic Rowing Race 2009

Crew Member Needed

(Go on, you know you want to do it!)

Day 1

Saturday arrived, with scorching weather and with a prime position just up from the finish line where rowers by the score werewalking past I thought that it would be no problem finding a partner. Many rowers stopped and talked and said they admired what I was trying to achieve but it was not for them, many were volunteered by their mates in their asbsence (who needs friends like that!).

A couple of others stopped and said they might be interested but after 10 hours of standing by the boat I went home despondent with no real interest.

Day 2

Sunday was another scorching day and again hopes were high but again many stopped to say how they were interested in what I was doing but none wanted to take part! After refreshing my deoderant (well perhaps I smelt or something and that what was putting potential partners off) I continued to canvass unsuspecting rowers.

By 5pm after nearly 20 hours with no real interest I had almost decided that it was time to leave, however not one to give up easily I thought that I would stay to the very end of racing.

At approximately 6.30pm I was approached by a long haried, sweaty, lycra clad rower from Cantabs Rowing club in Cambridge who stated that he had been trying to get talk to me all weekend but had always been busy talking to people. He stated that the thought of rowing the Atlantic was really inspiring and that it was the sort of thing that he would perhaps like to do in the future. We has a pleasant 5 minute chat about the row in general he took a leaflet and off he went which I thought was a shame as he seemed like a pleasant chap who totally got what I was trying to achieve.

With zero rowers added to the team over the two days I headed home with the boat (no easy task when it is 27ft plus on its trailer and the large numbers of people leaving the regatta).

At about 9.30pm I was sitting at home consoling myself with a large glass of red when my mobile rang and the caller stated "Hi it's Anton the mad rower from Cambridge you spoke to at Peterbrough, I am really interested in doing the row! however I am holiday from tomorrow for ten days so will send you some details by Email so you can see who I am and what I do." I explained that there was little other interest and that I woul d be delighted to consider him. I explained that there was a training row to the Scilly Isles organised by race organisers in two weeks time and that if interested he should consider comimg along. Anton explained he was not back from the South of France until that weekend but would consider it.

Over the next 10 days we exchanged Emails and had a couple of phone conversations the upshot being that Anton would join the team and come along to the Scilly Isles row, which would mean him arriving back in the UK on thursday evening and then meeting me in Oundle at 5am on Friday for the long drive with the boat down to Cornwall.

Crew Change

18th July 09

It is with sadness that Richard has been advised by the medical experts that he should not carry on with the row. I (Mick)wish to say that without Richard I would not have had the confidence to get to where we are toaday and that I will be eternally grateful for the tremendous amount of work that Richard put in towards getting the boat and raising the necesaary funds to carry out the row.

Richard will still be involved in the row as a supporter and helper.

The search is now on for a new partner!