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We rowed out of Newlyn harbour at 6 in the morning and out on to the open sea. This is the first time that either of us has ever rowed outside sheltered waters. We rowed togehter for 4 hours as we needed to get a good way towards Lands End before the tide turned. Quickly the other boats who were with us became dots on our very close horizon and we could only see them on when we and they were on the top of the moderate swell. The boat felt extremely stable in the water and handled short coastal chop and swell really well which is more than can be said for the crew.
After 4 hours rowing we had passed Lands End and had taken the lead from the other crews when a pin holding the steering mechanism sheared. Anton stopped to mend it and lasted two minutes before he was sea sick. With sea sickness taking it's toll and the lack of two good nights sleep Anton retired to the cabin for his first experience of sleep on the open sea.
I continued rowing for another couple of hours before the steering broke again and I stopped to fix it. Within 30 seconds of trying to concentrate on the small pin of the steering mechanism I too felt extremely sea sick and was heaving over the side. We swapped places and Anton began rowing again. We were finding extreme difficulty in holding the desoired course to the Scilly's as there was a strong Southerly breeze and this coupled with the highest spring tide of the year combined to push us North.
After 11 hours of rowing we had been swept 15 miles North of tthe Scillys and and called up the support boat on VHF to give us a tow. All the other boats were in the same situation and gradually the support boat took us all in tow. It took another four hours for us to reach St Marys harbour on the Scilly's during which we both tried to catch up on some sleep.
It was dissapointing we had not made the Scilly Isles under our own power but the real purpose of the row was to experience open sea conditions and get used to handling the boat in open water. With the choppy conditions, lack of sleep and sea sickness we certainly had experienced what it was like to be out at sea in such a small boat.
Despite the debilitating unpleasantness of the sea sickness it confirmed to us both that we could work together as a team and that Anton would officially become my new rowing partner for the race.
After 4 hours rowing we had passed Lands End and had taken the lead from the other crews when a pin holding the steering mechanism sheared. Anton stopped to mend it and lasted two minutes before he was sea sick. With sea sickness taking it's toll and the lack of two good nights sleep Anton retired to the cabin for his first experience of sleep on the open sea.
I continued rowing for another couple of hours before the steering broke again and I stopped to fix it. Within 30 seconds of trying to concentrate on the small pin of the steering mechanism I too felt extremely sea sick and was heaving over the side. We swapped places and Anton began rowing again. We were finding extreme difficulty in holding the desoired course to the Scilly's as there was a strong Southerly breeze and this coupled with the highest spring tide of the year combined to push us North.
After 11 hours of rowing we had been swept 15 miles North of tthe Scillys and and called up the support boat on VHF to give us a tow. All the other boats were in the same situation and gradually the support boat took us all in tow. It took another four hours for us to reach St Marys harbour on the Scilly's during which we both tried to catch up on some sleep.
It was dissapointing we had not made the Scilly Isles under our own power but the real purpose of the row was to experience open sea conditions and get used to handling the boat in open water. With the choppy conditions, lack of sleep and sea sickness we certainly had experienced what it was like to be out at sea in such a small boat.
Despite the debilitating unpleasantness of the sea sickness it confirmed to us both that we could work together as a team and that Anton would officially become my new rowing partner for the race.
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