Locked up below in his solitary cabin - Ollie doesn't want to be disturbed. Inside the damp darkness, he types away at his PDA: "Ah well, there goes record day! I like this simple life perhaps I should become a monk!" Image live over Contact 3.0 courtesy of Ollie.
Emmanuel Coindre on a 2001 row. Last year, he became the first person to row an ocean 4 times - twice in both directions. But it hadn't been a smooth ride. Emmanuel capsized his row boat outside the coast of US in 2003. He called from his sat phone requesting help sitting on top of the boats hull. Image courtesy of Coindre's website.
"Hello, where is my boat?" Teddy at ExWeb's office in New York a few years back, trying to locate his boat confiscated by US Navy in the wake of 9/11. This time, Teddy will set out from Australia instead - on Sunday.
The eight "fours" - the Dutch and British crews left US at about the same time as Ollie and has arrived Europe. Ollie - the only solo rower - is not nearly close to land. Live tracker over Contact GEO.
LINKS
|
Lonely riders out at sea
Posted: Jul 28, 2005 05:34 pm EDT
Records all around the north Atlantic have turned Ollie a bit sour. The eight "fours" - the Dutch and British crews left US at about the same time as he did - yet Ollie is not nearly close to land. Locked up below in his solitary cabin, Ollie is not to be disturbed.
Inside the damp darkness, he types away at his PDA: "Ah well, there goes record day! I like this simple life perhaps I should become a monk!"
Lonelier than Space
In fact, Ollie is lonelier even than the Astronauts currently counting foam up in Space:
Writes Ollie: "Days like this the North Atlantic is a cracking place to be - even in a little red rowing boat. Thought I'd caught a good fish but hauled in a big bunch of yellow seaweed instead. Very calm black night, cannot see where the sea meats the sky & the stars are reflected in the water so its like rowing through space - very ethereal."
"The planes out here are often so high that you can't see them, just hear them. Lots of phosphoresscence. Absolute silence, except for some dolphins splashing around."
Other big oceans, other lonely rowers
Ollie is not alone on his solitary quest though. On Thursday/Friday Teddy is moving his boat from Perth to Carnarvon, and if weather is good he leaves on Sunday, July 30th.
Ukrainian Teddy Rezvoy tried Ollies route already 2 years ago - but didn't get far. In the wake of 9/11, a series of surreal events put and end to his quest just outside of New York:
-"Unzip your sweater!" yelled the Navy boys at poor Teddy as their black zodiac circled his yellow rowing boat. "Turn around, spread your legs, hands on your head!". Teddy tried to oblige balancing in the stormy waves off the North Atlantic coast.
US Navy dove under his boat, confiscated all his weapons - the pocket knife and the flares - and then lifted Teddy onboard altogether. Before he could spell out "I'm not a terrorist" in broken English the game was over and his boat was gone. (Check the full story in the links section).
Emmanuel
September 10 last year, French Emmanuel Coindre cut the finishing line out at sea off Cape Ushant 45° 57/N and 5° 03 00/W, in a crossing of 62 days 19 hours and 48 minutes. With that, he became the first person to row an ocean 4 times - twice in both directions. But it hadn't been a smooth ride.
Emmanuel capsized his row boat outside the coast of US in 2003. He called from his sat phone requesting help sitting on top of the boats hull.
This time, Emmanuel is rowing away, solo, in the South Pacific. Today's dispatch reports:
"Since I rose this morning at 04H30, I rowed during 18 hours. Drizzle has turned into a beautiful sun. On the menu today: Traditional cuckoos (cold, Japanese dish)."
Teddy Rezvoy will attempt to row Indian ocean East-West in his boat "Ukraine." The row will be dedicated to the memory of the fellow-oceanrower Paul McCarthy, 30. The Aussie Squadron Leader was killed soon after completing a missions to treat victims of the tsunami. Paul died in a helicopter crash enroute to Nias where he had volunteered to help the victims of the earthquake. Paul and Theodore rowed the Atlantic at the same time in 2001.
Emmanuel Coindre started his attempt to row the Pacific W-E from Choshi, Japan to San Francisco 34 days ago.
Oliver Hicks departed on May 27 from Atlantic Highlands NJ intending to reach England in 62 days or less, thereby breaking the USA-Europe solo Atlantic record. Oliver is the youngest rower (23) to attempt the 3,000-mile crossing.
|
