Ocean Rowing: Roz Shares Her Top Five Ocean Moments

It has been awhile since I posted an update on Roz Savage, who is now on the 99th day of her row across the Indian Ocean. The famed ocean rower set out from Fremantle, Australia back on April 13th, and after working out a few issues with her equipment, she was soon off to conquer another massive body of water. According to her wonderfully insightful and well written blog updates, progress has been good, although there have been some rough days here and there. Strong winds and ocean currents can make these types of journeys very frustrating, and at times, Roz can row all day just to end up back where she started.

To celebrate her impending 100th day out on the water, Roz made a special post to her blog today. Having already crossed both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, and now well into her Indian Ocean crossing as well, she has accumulated a lot of time out on the open water. During that time, she has also been witness to a lot of amazing things, which she shares in her "Top Five Ocean-Tastic Moments." The list includes such highlights as her encounter with "flying squid" on Stage 2 of her Pacific Row and close encounters with Whale Sharks on that same voyage.

At the moment, it is impossible to know how far along Roz is on her current voyage. In order to avoid pirates in the Indian Ocean, she has elected to not publish her GPS coordinates or report too much on her progress in general. You can read about her decision to do this in a previous blog post, and it makes perfect sense for her to play it safe in these dangerous waters. A few days back however, she did reveal that she is at the half-way point of the journey, which was a call for a small celebration at least.

Extrapolating from that piece of information, we can estimate that Roz will reach her final destination sometime in early November. She is expected to make landfall near Mumbai, India, where she'll enjoy a little time on dry land. At least until she's off on a planned second crossing of the Atlantic next year. Clearly this girl enjoys her time behind the oars.

Ocean Rowing: Indian Ocean Rower Rescued While Roz Stays On Course

The Indian Ocean has been the site of several ongoing attempts for rowers to cross that body of water, and while some are continuing to make progress toward their goal, others have come face to face with the harsh realities of life out on the water.

Take for example Irish rower Keith Whelan, who was forced to abandon his attempt last week after his boat was stuck by a giant wave off the coast of Australia. The 29-year old was below deck at the time, and fell, striking his head on a bolt in his cabin. The bolt cut the side of his head, and while he wasn't knocked unconscious,  he was worried about exposure and possible infection.

With that in mind, Whelan made the decision to end his trip, and called home to the U.K. to let his support crew know he was pulling the plug. They then alerted Australian authorities who put out a call for help, which was answered by a freighter passing through the region. He was then picked up and taken back to land.

Reportedly Whelan was quite upset that he had to end his journey early. He was rowing across the ocean to raise funds for the Keep a Child Alive organization, which works to assist children and families that are struggling with AIDS/HIV, and it was tough for him to give up on pursing that goal. Also, for some odd reason, he was making the row completely naked. Presumably, he put some clothes on before he was picked up by the cargo ship.

Meanwhile, Roz Savage is continuing her attempt to cross the Indian Ocean, despite the fact that her GPS chart plotter died on her last week. She has a back-up GPS device of course, but this one had been with her on most of her journey across the Pacific Ocean, and it was a constant companion that counted down the miles to the her final destination.

In true Roz fashion, she seems very upbeat and happy with her progress, although some days are more challenging than others. When the winds and currents are working against her, sometimes all she can do is row all day just to stand still. As of today, she is 41 days into her journey, and still has a long way to go, but this is old hat for Roz, who has already conquered two other oceans.

The four person crew aboard the Indian Runner 4 are also still out on the water and hoping to complete their objective of crossing the ocean in record time. They've now been rowing for 53 days, and the plann is to reach Mauritius in less than 68 days, which would establish the new record. With 884 miles still to go, that is going to be a tough hurdle to overcome, but it appears that the crew is well on their way to completing their epic Indian Ocean crossing.

Ocean Rowing: One Indian Ocean Row Ends, Another Resumes

It seems the Indian Ocean is the source of all kinds of interesting news at the moment, with a couple of challenging rows just getting underway and another recently coming to an end. This is the season for those kinds of aquatic adventures on that great big body of water, where rowers scheduled their journeys around cyclones and monsoons.

We'll start with the fantastic voyage that ended last week, when Erden Eruç became the first person to row from mainland Australia to mainland Africa via the Indian Ocean. Erden reached Angoche, Mozambique on April 20th after setting out from Madagascar where he took shelter during the stormy season.

Successfully crossing the Indian Ocean is just the most recent step in Erden's great Around-n-Over adventure which is a human powered circumnavigation of the globe. He has been riding his bike and rowing his way around the globe since 2007, and has now crossed both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Along the way, he is also climbing six summits as well. He has already knocked off Denali and Kosciuszko in Australia, and now that he has made landfall in Africa, he'll make his way to Kilimanjaro as well. Following that climb, he'll hit the road once again, crossing Africa on his bike before rowing the Atlantic.

While Erden's great Indian Ocean adventure has come to an end, Roz Savage's is continuing. As I mentioned last week, Roz was towed into Geraldton, Australia for a few minor repairs and adjustments to her boat before she hits open water, where small issues can become BIG problems. Eager to get back underway, Roz set out from Geraldton again on Saturday and made good progress on her first few days back on the water. Yesterday however, she noticed an issue with her solar panels charing the onboard batteries, which in turn power the boats electronic devices, Roz's laptop, sat phone, and so on. So, she once again elected to pull into shore for a very quick fix. This time, it would be at the very last port of call before facing 4000 miles of open ocean.

With the latest repairs taken care of, Roz can now get down to what she does best – rowing oceans. Hopefully the next time I post an update, she'll be well on her way to adding another big body of water to her resume.

Ocean Rowing: Roz Back On Land, Hopes To Resume Soon (Updated!)

Ocean rower Roz Savage had to put a temporary halt on her attempt to row across the Indian Ocean a few days back thanks to an equipment failure. She is back on dry land at the moment, and hurriedly working to correct the problem, with an eye on returning to the ocean by as early as this weekend.

While Roz had rowed some 350 miles, due to ocean currents and winds, she was still just 100 miles out form her starting point in Fremantle, Australia, when her automatic desalinization unit malfunctioned. That device is an ocean rowers lifeline, making fresh water daily while out on the ocean. Without it, she faced a very long trip during which she would have to use her hand pump to clean the water manually, which would take upwards of two hours per day. Not a great proposition when still have more than 4000 miles and months at sea to go.

In her twitter feed, Roz says things are back on track, and the weather is looking good, for a weekend re-launch of the expedition. Repairs to her boat are nearly complete and it looks like she should be ready to hit the water, this time setting out from Geraldton. Hopefully, this time everything will go as expected.

Update: Just a quick update to this post to correct a simple mistake. I heard from Roz directly last night, and she told me that her desalinization unit hadn't malfunctioned just yet, but that the locker in which it was kept was taking on water a bit too regularly. She indicated that her return to shore was a preemptive move to fix the problem on her boat, and seal the locker more fully, before heading back out onto the water. She also mentioned that she hoped to get back underway at 10 AM local time Saturday morning.

Good luck Roz, we're all pulling for you!

Ocean Rowing: The Indian Runner Is Off!

This morning, Team Indian Ocean 3100 set off from Australia and are now out on the open water, where they'll attempt to set a new record for crossing the Indian Ocean under human power. The team, consisting of James Kayll, Ed Wells, Tom Kelly, and Ollie Wells, now faces 3100 nautical miles of rough seas as they attempt to finish their expedition in under 68 days.

According to their most recent blog post, the boys hit rowed out of Geraldton, along the east coast of Australia, this morning at 6:30 AM local time. Their boat, the Indian Runner, is 29-feet in length and features two oar stations, allowing two men to be rowing at all times. The hull features a carbon fiber shell, and there is room aboard to store all of their food and supplies. A water maker will purify sea water for the team, who will consume up to six liters per day, and solar panels on the roof will power all of their gear, including a satellite tracking system that will keep us informed of their progress.

The team is also competing in the Indian Ocean Rowing Race, perhaps the toughest ocean rowing competition in the world. The race's 3100 mile course ends at the island of Mauritius. Considering that there are only two boats in the race however, and the other one is a two person affair, the only thing they're competing against is the clock. To win that battle, they'll need to reach the finish line in 68 days, 19 hours, and 40 minutes.

Ocean Rowing: Roz Caught On Video Prior To Launch

A few days ago, Roz Savage set off on her next big ocean adventure, this time taking on the Indian Ocean on a 4+ month, 4000 mile long journey. She's been at sea for a few days already, and for the most part, it is going as planned. Today was a bit of a struggle, with the high winds pushing her backwards, but by using her sea anchor and paddling to make up lost ground, Roz ended up back where she started, which is all you can ask for on some days out on the water.

Before she left Freemantle for the open ocean, Roz filmed a video, which you'll find below. It shows the start of the journey, with Savage meeting with local press and receiving well wishes before she rowed out of the harbor and started the very long, and difficult, journey to Mumbai, India. The video does a great job of showing you what it is like on the boat, just how big it is, and the challenges of getting it moving. For anyone who hasn't seen Roz in action before, this is a good place to start.

Ocean Rowing: Roz Is Off, Won't Be Alone On The Indian Ocean

As I mentioned a few days ago, Roz Savage set off this morning from Fremantle, Australia for Mumbai, India in her 23-foot long rowboat. She'll now spend upwards of four months at sea, covering over 6300km (3914 miles), as she traverses yet another ocean. The 43-year old Roz is once again using her rowing efforts to raise awareness about global climate change and other threats to the health of the oceans.

The Indian Ocean is just the latest aquatic challenge for Roz, who has already successfully rowed across the Atlantic and the Pacific, which she accomplished in three stages. The Indian is the last of the "Big Three" that she has yet to conquer, and it brings its own unique set of dangers, including notoriously bad storms, massive waves, and the threat of pirates. Due to the last of those threats, Roz is keeping her whereabouts a bit more secret this time out, and isn't giving clues as to where she'll arrive in India.

It turns out she won't be the only one rowing the Indian Ocean this year. Four adventurous young blokes are also preparing to set out on their own rowing journey. The members of Team Indian Ocean 3100, James Kayell, Ed Wells, Tom Kelly, and Ollie Wells, hope to set out later this week as well with the hopes of setting a new speed record for crossing this challenging pond. Their route will cover at least 3100 miles and they hope to complete that journey in less than 68 days.

According to their latest blog post, their boat, the Indian Runner 4, has cleared quarantine and they hoped to be taking her out for sea trials and an overnight on the water before they set off. With that out of the way, and the boat fully stocked for their journey, they'll get underway when the weather permits. The team is also setting out from Fremantle, which is the preferred launching point for Indian Ocean adventures.

Good luck to both Roz and Team Indian Ocean 3100. We'll be following along!

Ocean Rowing: Roz Prepares To Row Another Ocean

After conquering the Atlantic and the Pacific, ocean rower and environmental activist Roz Savage is preparing to hit the open water once again. This time she has set the Indian Ocean as her goal, which when successful, would give her the triple crown of ocean rowing.

If all goes according to schedule, Roz will set out from Fremantle in Australia on Wednesday morning local time, and turn her boat towards Mubai, India. The route is roughly 6300km (3914 miles) in length and will take an estimated 4.5 months to complete, with the notoriously rough seas of the Indian Ocean working against her.

That isn't Roz's only concern however. She faces the very real threat of pirates in the Indian Ocean, which isn't deterring her in any way, although she is taking steps to remain safe. For instance, on her other rowing adventures she used a tracking system so that we could follow her progress along the way. No such system will exist on this journey, and she's remaining mum on her final landing destination to help keep the pirates off her track.

One thing that hasn't changed with her Indian Ocean adventure however is Roz's determination to get her environmental message out to the masses. Spending nearly a year of her life out on the ocean has made her keenly aware of the health of those waters and of the planet in general. That has made her a tireless advocate for protecting our planet and doing what ever we can to aid the environment. She even launched her Eco-Heroes initiative as a grassroots way to get people involved.

Even after adding the Indian Ocean to her resume, Roz won't quite be done rowing just yet. Her website lists another Atlantic crossing, from New Jersey to London, as part of her plans for 2012. Beyond that, we'll have to wait and see, but clearly there she loves a good challenge!

Is It Time To Put An End To "Adventures" On The Indian Ocean?

Jon Bowermaster has posted a really thoughtful and interesting piece on Gadling today that declares that it is time to end Indian Ocean adventures. That's a very bold statement from a man who has spent plenty of time on the world's oceans, including the Indian, but Jon's message makes sense, and should serve as a warning for those sailing those treacherous waters.

What spurred Jon to write this piece is the recent high profile pirate attacks in that region. We've all been well aware of the pirate activity off the coast of Somalia for a number of years now, but the recent taking, and subsequent killing, of four Americans a month ago, has brought the subject back to the forefront. Just days later, a Danish ship, with three children aboard, was captured, making worldwide headlines as well.

According to the article, there are now more than 800 hostages being held by the pirates, who are conducting weekly raids on ships in the Northern Indian Ocean. They have mostly preyed upon shipping and oil vessels, but have begun to attack private yachts with increasing frequency of late, which has many wondering why anyone would sail through those waters to begin with.

Jon notes that he is someone who encourages what he calls "an adventurous life," but reminds us that we need to take caution and think things through when we set out on our adventures. There is a fine line between being adventurous and being foolish, and sailing into those dangerous waters is probably falls more on the foolish end of the spectrum.

So what do you think? Do you agree with Jon when he says that is perhaps best if we avoid a significant portion of the Indian Ocean for now? Should sailing, and maybe rowing, adventures in that area of the world be postponed or even cancelled? There is little doubt that there is significant risk attached to sailing the ocean in general, but adding the real threat of pirates to the mix is just asking for trouble.

Personally, I'm not one to tell someone they shouldn't go on an adventure, but I have to agree with Jon. It is  important that you be smart when embarking on what ever adventure you choose, and while some inherent risks are involved, why invite more trouble than you have to?

From London to New Zealand via Jetski!

Kiwi adventurer Jeremy Burfoot has started a 32,000km (19,883 mile) journey that will see him go from London to New Zealand, entirely on a jetski. The 51-year old airline pilot got underway yesterday outside the Parliament Building on the River Thames, and will now spend as much as 12-hours a day on the back of his machine, until the voyage is complete.

Making the journey to raise awareness of the fight against cancer, Burfoot will now travel through the waterways of Europe, passing through the Suez Canal, and around the Arabian Peninsula, then down the coast of India before heading out across the open ocean to Australia. Once he hits Oz, he'll once again hug the coast, before zipping over to his homeland, and eventually ending in Auckland. He says that he expects to face severe weather, sharks, and pirates, in addition to mechanical problems, on his journey, which he hopes to complete by November. 

Burfoot is no stranger to long distance journeys by jetski. Back in 2005 he also circumnavigated New Zealand on one of the small watercraft. But this is a completely different level of adventure, and he'll be tested to the limits over the next few months as he makes what could be a record setting journey by jetski.

This past weekend, while in the Florida Keys, I had the pleasure of riding a Waverunner on two very separate and distinct rides. Both of those were a great deal of fun, and the jetskis that I rode were fast, powerful, and easy to maneuver. But the were also tiring to ride and got a little wild in the rougher waters, at times causing you to skip across waves like a flat stone on a pond. I can say that it was way too much fun to explore the Keys on one of these machines, but after two days of riding, my body was feeling it. I can't imagine what this guy will feel like after weeks of 12 hours of day riding. 

That said, this still sounds like a cool way to go! :)

Solo Sailing Update: Abby's Home, Wants To Sail Again!

Yesterday Abby Sunderland finally arrived back in the U.S. after meeting up with her brother Zac on the appropriately named Reunion Island on Saturday. The teen sailor, who lost her ship to a storm in the Indian Ocean back on June 10th, took the opportunity to fully address the media for the first time, says that she is not done sailing, although she has other things in mind for her immediate future - namely getting her driver's license.

Abby used her forum with the media yesterday to set the record straight on a number of issues, describing the storm in more detail and correcting some misconceptions about what happened. She said that the storm was not an especially bad one, and was what she expected being in the Southern Ocean during the winter. She also said that her boat, the Wild Eyes, was not knocked down as was reported widely in the media, including here in this blog. Instead, a rogue wave hit her boat as the storm was actually dissipating, and it was that wave that snapped her mast, stranding her at sea.

Abby reiterated that she is very proud of her accomplishments despite the outcome, and that she does plan to attempt to circumnavigate the globe again, but not for a couple of years. Instead, she wants to get back to normal life, going to school, hanging out with friends, and so on.

Meanwhile, Abby does have a new brother, as her mom gave birth to Paul-Louis Sunderland, who weighed in at 8 lbs., 9 oz, yesterday morning. The child is the 8th of the Sunderland kids, and was named for the French captain who's fishing boat came to Abby's rescue. There is no word yet when Paul-Louis will begin his circumnavigation attempt. ;)

More Sailing Updates: Two Expeditions Coming To An End

With all of this talk about these young girls making their solo circumnavigation attempts, it's sometimes easy to forget that there are some other great sea borne adventures that have been taking place, two of which are coming to an end today.

First up, Reid Stowe, who I've mentioned a few times in the past, is about to finish up his 1000 Days at Sea Expedition. He's actually been at sea for 1152 days, and will be pulling into New York harbor sometime today.

The goal of the expedition was to demonstrate the possibilities of making a journey to Mars, and when he began the voyage, he was hoping so simulate the conditions that astronauts could possibly face if they were on a prolonged journey. That was more than three years ago, and at long last, he'll set foot on land once again today, where he'll be greeted by hundreds of well wishers, including Soanya Ahmad, who began the journey with him, but was forced to leave after 305 days due to debilitating sea sickness. Turns out that she was also pregnant, and would later give birth to their son. Since that time, Reid has spent more than two years alone at sea.

I'll bet he'll be happy to be back on land tonight.

Meanwhile, jumping to the west coast, a few days back I posted an update on the Around the Americas Team, and how they were closing in on their final destination as well. Turns out, today will be the day for them to return home as well. The crew of the Ocean Watch should reach Seattle sometime this afternoon too, bringing an end to their 13-month circumnavigation of North and South America that saw them navigating their way through the Northwest Passage. This amazing journey has never been completed before, and while making the voyage, the crew took water samples and recorded all kinds of data to help us to better understand the impact of global climate change on the health of our seas.

I want to take the opportunity to with both Reid and the Ocean Watch crew home. Your two respective journeys have been tremendous to follow.

Solo Sailing Update: Abby On A Slow Boat To Somewhere

A few days after being rescued in the Southern Ocean, Abby Sunderland remains aboard the French fishing ship, the Ile de la Reunion, and is currently bound for the Kerguelen Islands, a small chain located in the Indian Ocean. After that, she'll be transferred to another boat, and for ten more days she'll be making her way to a small island near Madagascar. After that, it is still up in the air, but she is slowly making her way home.

It appears that Abby's journey is over, and the Wild Eyes will not be repaired as was previously thought. The boat has been left adrift in the Indian Ocean, while her captain departed on the large fishing ship, where she has been sending updates to her blog from time to time. There isn't a whole lot to report really, just that she is happy to be headed home, and grateful for all of the efforts that were put in to rescue her. She has sent out a number of thank you's to those that scrambled to ensure that she was alive and well. Abby hasn't spoken to the press at all yet, although they have apparently been trying to reach her about the ship, but the French captain and his crew, have been running interference for her, and so far no one has gotten through.

Meanwhile, Abby's family has responded to some of the criticism that has been leveled their way in the past few days. In a post on her blog, they have written a response to the claims that Abby was sailing too far south, and across the Indian Ocean too late in the year. They also address the rumors that they were filming a reality television series called Adventures in Sunderland.

Yep, you read that right. Apparently at some point there was a reality television series in the works about the Sunderland family, which consists of mom and dad, and seven kids, although an eight child is due any moment now. The press got wind of this show a few days back, and that has fueled speculation that the whole solo sailing journey that Abby and her brother Zac have undergone is purely for monetary gain. Perhaps the parents were even pushing them into it or at the very least, allowed them to go so they could make money. But the deal apparently is long dead, and there is no show in the works. In fact the studio involved is even in trouble for failing to pay back taxes, so at this point, it seems the rumors of a television show are false. What the future holds is still a mystery.

Finally, the Australian Search and Rescue team was hoping to get the word out that they did everything the could to help Abby, including chartering a commercial jet to fly over her last known position, and despite all of that, they are not asking the family to pay for any of the efforts. Apparently the word on that hadn't been widely reported, and the Aussie government wanted the world to know that they didn't put a price tag on helping save Abby. Good to know. And I'd expect nothing less from the wonderful people from Oz. :)

Abby is Safe!!

Another update on Abby Sunderland this morning, this time with good news! It is being widely reported by many sources that the 16-year old is safe and sound aboard her boat, although the Wild Eyes has suffered some damage, the extent of which is still unknown at this time.

A search plane was scrambled out of Perth, Australia this morning (local time) to conduct a flyover of Abby's last known position, and the boat was spotted from the air, upright and but with her mast broken. All of her rigging was also down and the sails, which were damaged in the storm, are dragging in the water, leaving Abby adrift in the Indian Ocean.

Rescue ships are already en route to lend a hand, but they are not expected to be on the scene until tomorrow at the earliest. For the NBC News Report, watch the video below.

I'm sure many of you, who have followed Abby's progress like I have, a relieved to hear that she is safe and sound. The teenager has quite the story to tell, and I can't wait to hear the details. But for now, I'm glad she is alive and well.

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

Update on Abby Sunderland #2: Zac Speaks To The Press

Abby Sunderland's brother Zac, who sailed solo around the world last year, has spoken to the press, and the video has been released on YouTube. He updates us a bit on the situation, but really, we're all still waiting for news on Abby's condition. Clearly the family is staying confident and upbeat, hoping for a communications failure, and not a serious accident with the boat.

There has been some talk of a plane flying out to the area to see if they can spot Abby's boat, the Wild Eyes. Her remote location makes it impossible for a rescue helicopter to go out and rescue her, but a survey plane could possibly get us news on what is happening. Meanwhile, the rescue ships are steaming their way to Abby's last known position, but it'll be a day and a half before they can get on scene.

More as it becomes known. Thanks to The Adventure Life for the tip on the video.

Update On Abby Sunderland

A quick update on Abby Sunderland, who I posted earlier is feared lost at sea. The ABC News story that I linked to earlier has been updated with a bit more info, with word from Abby's brother Zac.

Apparently, Abby's boat has an beacon that will go off if it sinks more than 15 feet below the surface. That alarm, fortunately, has not gone off yet, which gives us hope that she's lost communications, and the boat may be stalled out, but still in one piece. The story also says that there are rescue ships already en route, but due to the remote nature of where she is at, it will take 40 and 48 hours for the two boats to arrive on the scene.

Those are very long hours for Abby's friends and family back home, so keep your fingers crossed. There is hope that she will be found, safe and sound, although a bit water logged. The family seems to be remaining upbeat at the moment, and they know Abby's capabilities better than anyone. She also has plenty of survival gear and emergency equipment with her on the Wild Eyes, and is capable of surviving at sea.

I'll post more as it becomes known. As I said earlier, this is a quickly developing story at this point.

World Oceans Day: Save Our Planet, Save Ourselves

Today is World Oceans Day, and considering what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico at the moment, it seems fitting to stop and reflect on what we are doing to our seas, and how that effects the rest of the world.

We've known for some time that the health of our oceans has a direct impact on the health of the rest of the planet. The oceans are the engines that drive the air currents and weather patterns that have long term, and lasting effects on the environments around us, and yet we seem to have neglected them for too long. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a depressing example of how we have treated the oceans as a dumping grounds, and it is scary just how much crap has accumulated out there. All of that garbage is contaminating and killing off fish at an alarming rate, and yet we seem powerless to do anything about it.

Of course, the massive oil spill that has been going on for more than six weeks in the Gulf of Mexico is just another example of how poorly we have treated the oceans. The oil that has been spewing out of that hole in the Earth has has created an environmental disaster of unprecedented proportions, and we're now told it will take years to clean it all up. Worse yet, today we got the news that the oil is not just on the surface as we had first believed, but is now being found in low levels under the water as well. Meanwhile, endangered turtle species, untold numbers of fish, manatees, birds, and other creatures are all at risk, as the oil continues to spread further eastward.

Environmentalists keep telling us that we need to change our ways. That our lifestyle is destroying the planet. But that is, once again, very short sighted. We're not destroying the planet, we're destroying ourselves. The Earth has survived far worse than what we can throw at it, and the sooner we realize that, the better we'll be. A better, more healthy, and environmentally sound approach to our own lives will lead to better, more healthy world as well. It's as simple as save our planet, save ourselves.

Ocean Rowing: The Science of Rowing An Ocean

Ever wonder how the ocean rowers, such as Roz Savage or Sarah Outen, manage to cross vast bodies of water, spending weeks at a time at sea, alone, and completely self sufficient? Then Popular Mechanics has just the article for you. The story takes an in depth look at exactly what kind of gear and equipment you need to successfully cross an ocean under your own power.

Popular Mechanics actually takes a specific case study by checking in with Katie Spotz, who is currently rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, and recently reached the halfway point of her voyage. In fact, they even have an audio interview with Katie, conducted via satellite phone from the middle of the Atlantic, who says that she is doing well, and that the weather is being very cooperative thus far.

Perhaps even more interesting than the interview itself however, is the information on all of the high tech gear that is aiding in the voyage. Pop. Mechanics looks at everything from the shape of her boat, to the route that she chose, and the ways she powers her gadgets while at sea. They touch on her food and water supply and the communications systems she has in place to stay in touch with the team back home.

All in all this is an interesting piece that helps to explain just how these long distance rowers manage to exist for all those days out on the ocean. Like all expeditions, there always seems to be a way to get things done.

Ocean Rowing: Speaking Engagements For Roz and Sarah

For several months earlier this year we tracked the progress of Roz Savage and Sarah Outen as they both rowed solo across different oceans. Roz tackled the second leg of her trans-Pacific row while Sarah became the first woman to ever row solo across the Indian Ocean. Now, both women are back on dry land and preparing to share their experiences with upcoming speaking engagements. Ironically enough, both of them are speaking on the same evening, but the events are separated by, you guess it, an ocean.

Sarah will be the first to speak by virtue of the event taking place in the U.K. She'll be at The North Wall in Oxford, where for the first time she'll talk about her experiences out on the water. The event gets underway at 7:30 PM on October 19th, and is expected to last roughly two hours. All proceeds from the event will go to support Sarah's charities, namely Arthritis Care and Arthritis Research Campaign. If you're in the area and want to stop by, you can get tickets here.

Also on that Monday, October 19th, Roz will be in Washington D.C., where she'll be giving a lecture at the National Geographic Live! center. Her chat begins at 7:30 PM as well, and tickets are available by clicking here. Roz will be discussing her row across the Atlantic from a few years back, while supporting her new book Row the Atlantic, which hits book stores tomorrow. To find out more about Roz's appearance, click here. She'll be appearing as part of a three-part Quest for Adventure series, which will also include others who prefer to propel themselves around the planet through the use of an oar.

Wish I could make either event. Anyone planning on going?