Sally and Sarah's ocean row - 90 days at sea
Apr 22, 2004 19: 43 EST
Skipper Sally says “I knew we were in trouble the moment our knickers, pegged to the mast, started flapping in completely the wrong direction!
The last week has been awful, the wind and waves are coming from the south or south east sending us north. To compensate we’re having to breach the boat, the oars barely scoop the water, it’s wet, tiring and makes for very little progress. We’re feeling exhausted mentally and physically. With only ten degrees to go to get to Barbados it’s depressing when the only distance we’re making in a day is ten minutes, and we’re in the best position! Najojo, Kenneth C and Moose must be struggling. We’re having to row together 24hrs a day to stay in the same place so as a solo rower they must be finding it really tough.
I’m writing this in the cabin as the rain hits the roof, sounding like the inside of a tent on a typical British summers day. We’re on our para-anchor drifting very slowly backwards, it seems the Great Peg Sacrifice of 2004 didn’t have the desired effect, did you lot throw your pegs in ‘a body of water’ or did you just opt for the washing machine?! I’ll find out from you soon enough!
The tuna can sense the smell of despondency and are flocking around the boat, we counted fifteen at one point, all hoping we make a mistake or decide we’ve had enough and take the plunge!
Mum and I have been talking a lot, analysing our feelings. Why am I so upset when we don’t do a good distance? Why are we so concerned that people at home will think we’re doing something wrong? Even out in the ocean the demons get you. The anxieties and worries of a lifetime magnify like the vastness of the sky and the never-ending view of the sea.
We’ve concluded whatever happens we made the right decision at the right time. We’ve done our best and that’s all we can do. We’re NOT GIVING UP!! We WILL cross this ocean even if the weather doesn’t change and we end up in Florida eating the stuffing from our sleeping bags!"
Mother and daughter team Sally and Sarah Kettle have been out rowing the Atlantic ocean for a little more than 2 months now. Sallys first row was with her boyfriend Marcus Thompson (Tommo). They raised money to highlight the need for research into a cure for epilepsy and as Tommo suffers from the condition.
The couple had to retire from the race after 6 days due to sea sickness which brought on Tommo's first seizure in over 2 years. That's when Sally called on her mom Sarah to replace Tommo:
"When Sally first phoned me from the boat asking if I could take Marcus’s place I couldn’t believe my luck! I packed some baked beans and some rice cakes and caught the ferry from Tenerife to La Gomera the next morning. I organized my home and my husband Steve. He has already employed a friend’s daughter to do the ironing and feed our pets. The ladies I work for as a gardener have been really fantastic and they’ve given me permission to have the time off."
Tommo is back in Brighton readjusting to a life without ocean rowing and the women will be the first Mother and Daughter team and only the second all female team to row the Atlantic: We don’t intend to win; in fact we know the only record within our reach would be the longest time spent crossing the Atlantic, which currently stands at 111 days!"
Ocean Rowing Society Atlantic Rowing Regatta ORSARR 2004 takes place to celebrate the 35th anniversaries of the first East-West solo ocean row by John Fairfax and first West-East solo ocean row by Tom McClean; and 33rd anniversary of the first Atlantic East-West double row by Geoff and Don Allum.
Sally and Sarah are team pink, Calderdale - The Yorkshire Challenger.
Image of Sally and Sarah Kettle courtesy of the Ocean Rowing Society.
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