Photo: Nick Leggatt/Row4Ocean
DAKAR TO PARAMARIBO – 2305nm
Row4Ocean – World Record Attempt to row 2305nm. Africa to South America. Port of Departure: Dakar, Senegal, Africa – Port of Arrival: Paramaribo, Suriname, South America.
Team: Patrick Bol, Lewis Knollman,Andrew Ruinoff, Matt Wilds.
Tough and Tenacious
Day 22 – 05 January 2019
At 1300 UTC January 05, 2019, Row4Ocean was just over 800nm from the finish of epic row across the Atlantic Ocean. After battling boat breaking problems on New Year’s Day, there has been more drama on the high seas as ‘Year of Zayed’ broke her rudder again! It was the same problem that was detected on New Year’s Day. The make-shift pin which now attaches the rudder to the rowing boat sheered once more and the rudder dropped into the sea. The team sprung into action, deploying the sea anchor on the evening of January 04.
Pilot Whales in the Atlantic (Nick Leggatt/Row4Ocean)
“The rudder came off,” confirmed Patrick Bol from on board ‘Year of Zayed’. “We used other parts of the boat to produce a fix for the problem. This has become an amazing experience, we have encountered many problems but we are absolutely determined to finish the challenge.”
“They have made a better jury rig, only to find that the autopilot was damaged, too!”commented Nick Leggatt from on board the sailing yacht Supertramp, which is shadowing Year of Zayed. “By then it was pitch dark and they were exhausted so they lay to the sea anchor all night and resumed work this morning. The problem was a bent tube at the outer end of the morse cable which controls the rudder angle under autopilot. It took the better part of the day to straighten it sufficiently that the autopilot could function again. In the mean time the delamination issues on the bottom of the rudder stock were also found to be worse than initially realised and so the bottom of the rudder stock has now been beefed up with carbon plates bolted on either side. They team got underway again at sunset this evening, and will obviously monitor the repairs closely!”
(Nick Leggatt/Row4Ocean)
The tough tenacious team of four are determined to finish the challenge and the good news is that the weather forecast, supplied by team sponsor StormGeo, is promising good wind from behind, enhanced by bigger waves to accelerate their speed towards Paramaribo, Suriname. With thanks to Inmarsat Global and communications project manager Xtra-Link for providing the satellite connection.
The ROW4OCEAN team will be sending regular reports from the Atlantic Ocean via satellite link.
Stay up-to-date with the #Row4Ocean expedition by following their activities directly on:
Website – Row4Ocean.com
Instagram – @row4ocean
Facebook – Row4Ocean
