Atlantic crossing in row boat. https://youtu.be/npqrztAJ0-4

[johnyhask]

Hi all.
First I must say how much I've learnt from lurking about and asking questions. Even had the bottle to start a thread myself lol.

My mid life crisis was an Atlantic Ocean row.
For anyone thinking about sailing across the Atlantic and worried if your boats big enough or that you have enough experience this might help your mental preparations.
We rowed it in a wooden 20ft row boat. It took 7 weeks when we were actually predicted to take 3 months. I can't embellish how big the waves were as there are experts here lol. I do add a meter or two whenever I do a talk though (40ft artistic licence).

I'm in the process of buying an Oceanis 411 to live aboard. I've hardly ever sailed but always been my dream and never owned a boat bigger than the 20ft rowboat. (I've just retired from 28 1/2 years as a British firefighter and with a little bit of rent from my property along with a firefighter pension I'm pretty much self efficient) and it's my dream to one day sail the same route I rowed from la Gomera to Barbados and beyond. I dream about the Galapagos and watched every programme and video about them. As well as all the information I've found on here.

Really had the ocean bug all my life and was never going to be fully happy on land.

We were lucky enough to have our videos professionally edited and were on prime time TV which helps with sponsorship as I am kayaking the Amazon next.

Please have a look if interested and would love to see some comments, good or bad and answer any questions.

Would love to get in touch with other Oceanis 411 owners too I want to learn as much as possible about the boat. And if anyone's in Cardiff (Wales UK) please look me up for a coffee and a sail.

https://youtu.be/npqrztAJ0-4

Peace and love
Johny

[johnyhask]

By the way. I'm the chubby one with the beard [emoji23]

[Tayana42]

Wow. Congratulations on an epic journey. That was quite different than my experience rowing single sculls on flat water for an hour or so of exercise. And welcome aboard Cruisers Forum. If anyone has questions about rowing their dinghy I guess you are the man to answer.

[johnyhask]

Thanks but that was the only time I ever rowed. Never before and not since lol. Though it's on my bucket list to solo row the same boat across in a year or two. Going to concentrate on sailing and getting settled aboard as my next adventure. :-)

[Kelkara]

Hey Johny, good job on the Atlantic crossing, and have fun with the big boat.

Originally Posted by johnyhask

as I am kayaking the Amazon next.

Unless you're planning a "source-to-sea" expedition including the upper Andean reaches of the Apurimac, this is a much lower level of commitment than an Atlantic rowboat crossing!

I paddled the (short) Colombian coast of the Amazon last year in a home-made folding kayak. The most important thing you can do here is to learn as much Spanish/Portugese as you possibly can. The people are friendly, but the trip will be make-or-break depending on your relationship with the local villagers/fishermen, so a bit of chat really helps ... and you won't hear much English spoken outside the tourist towns. The kayaking is a doddle, there's even a current up to 5-10km/h pushing you in the right direction - although you will attract plenty of curiosity. It should be an awesome adventure going all the way downriver!

[johnyhask]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Hey Johny, good job on the Atlantic crossing, and have fun with the big boat.



Unless you're planning a "source-to-sea" expedition including the upper Andean reaches of the Apurimac, this is a much lower level of commitment than an Atlantic rowboat crossing!

I paddled the (short) Colombian coast of the Amazon last year in a home-made folding kayak. The most important thing you can do here is to learn as much Spanish/Portugese as you possibly can. The people are friendly, but the trip will be make-or-break depending on your relationship with the local villagers/fishermen, so a bit of chat really helps ... and you won't hear much English spoken outside the tourist towns. The kayaking is a doddle, there's even a current up to 5-10km/h pushing you in the right direction - although you will attract plenty of curiosity. It should be an awesome adventure going all the way downriver!

Fantastic adventure [emoji1303]. Nice pics too. Adds another exciting element the Gav that you did it in a home made kayak well done and thanks for the advice. Not going to attempt from source too many scary rapids lol. But we are walking from the Pacific coast to probably Nauta. Then kayaking before the river becomes the Amazon so we can claim the full river. We have designed and building from scratch sleep aboard kayaks with solar power so we won't always have to rely on coming ashore. We'll be able to tow each other through the night in turns similar to ocean rowing shifts. But yes integrating with the local culture whenever possible. I've been out on expedition to the area around Santarém and alter du choa in the Brazilian Amazon and made loads of contacts and have become good long distance friends with several. I'll be on to you for more tips before I go for sure lol [emoji1303]
Thanks
John

[johnyhask]

Originally Posted by johnyhask

Fantastic adventure [emoji1303]. Nice pics too. Adds another exciting element the Gav that you did it in a home made kayak well done and thanks for the advice. Not going to attempt from source too many scary rapids lol. But we are walking from the Pacific coast to probably Nauta. Then kayaking before the river becomes the Amazon so we can claim the full river. We have designed and building from scratch sleep aboard kayaks with solar power so we won't always have to rely on coming ashore. We'll be able to tow each other through the night in turns similar to ocean rowing shifts. But yes integrating with the local culture whenever possible. I've been out on expedition to the area around Santarém and alter du choa in the Brazilian Amazon and made loads of contacts and have become good long distance friends with several. I'll be on to you for more tips before I go for sure lol [emoji1303]
Thanks
John

Oops typo sorry *Gav meant *fact lol

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by johnyhask

But we are walking from the Pacific coast to probably Nauta.

Well that's going to be quite an epic in itself! I didn't know that there were roads/tracks that far into the jungle ... doesn't most traffic move onto the river quite a bit upstream than Nauta?

I don't know when you're going to find time to sail your new boat!

[johnyhask]

There's no roads or official trails but have read adventure blogs and it has been done. Failing that we'll put into the river further upstream. The important thing is to do coast to coast completed under our own power by boot or by boat lol. (And a little bit of current maybe[emoji12])
But yes concentrating on the boat for the next 12 months and trying to learn as much as possible. Finding it all quite bewildering. Even trying to find the right sail boat was a mission in itself.
All good fun tho. And learning loads thanks to forums like this and talking to people like you on here. Great stuff [emoji1303]

[greybeardloon]

Hey Johny, you guys are awesome, not sure about the Christmas attire though.. Good luck with the sailing. I've found the RYA courses useful and making a lot of mistakes and learning from them in my own boat. There's nothing quite like flying along on a close reach though- feeling the boat come alive. Hope you find it.