PADDLING, PERSEVERANCE, AND COURAGE
>>
SPHERE
#42
2017
22
next two years to select, train and guide
the chosen 20.
In contrast to the students, he knew what
he was doing. He is the world record holder
for rowing solo across the Atlantic (35 days
and 33 minutes) and his company is the
world leader in ocean-rowing expeditions.
When he accepted the project, he also
brought an accomplished student to work
with the Chinese students – Molly Brown,
the youngest girl ever to row across the
Atlantic, at the age of 20, during the
summer of 2016. As a fellow young person,
she could connect to the students and
provide inspiration they could relate to.
The students went on a physical and
mental crash course including all the skills
they would need to survive on the open
water. Swimming, rowing, navigation,
seamanship, first aid, weather planning
and forecasting were the obvious skills that
would be needed. However, it also included
less obvious open-ocean life skills, like
cooking on board without setting fire the
boat. Changing clothes on board without
getting soaked, leading to life-threatening
hypothermia in the winter conditions.
Eliminating personal waste without making
an unholy and unhygienic mess.
Working with Chinese students was a first
for Mr Pitcher – and he loved it. “Working
with Chinese students has been unique and
absolutely delightful.” Starting from level
zero meant extra work, but it was made
easier by the unquestioning work ethic,
often rare in the West. “They were new to
rowing and had to be taught. It was great to
see them growing from Zero to Hero.”
LIFE ON BOARD
There were, in fact, two boats: a men’s
boat and a women’s boat. This enabled
more students to participate and preserved
some sense of modesty in the close
quarters required. They were shadowed by
a command boat that was in VHF contact
and “never more than a couple of miles
away” – a long way, it seems, if disaster
struck. The rowers had to be ready for a
man overboard or rogue wave at all times.
They were trained on identifying and
staying away from commercial shipping
lanes where a huge container ship would
never see their two tiny blips on an open
and unforgiving ocean.
The two boats had their own names,
of course.
Hannah
was the men’s boat
and had a name that hearkened to the
university’s links to the Technion – Israel
Row rower row! Physical training is a must (left) as are survival skills (right), including navigation.
SURVIVAL SKILLS ON BOARD
Swimming
Rowing
Navigation
Seamanship
Weather
planning
First aid
