A milestone month....

Date Posted: 28/05/2013

It has been a month since Sarah Outen left Choshi, Japan in her rowing boat, Happy Socks to make her second attempt to row solo across the North Pacific Ocean. After a mini false start (the winds just kept blowing her back into the marina), she made it out to open water. And it’s safe to say that it has been a pretty eventful journey already – a real month of milestones!

To have spent her first month at sea is, in itself, a huge milestone for Sarah but perhaps even more significantly, she has rowed past the point where, last year, she and Gulliver were hit by the Tropical Storm that ended her first attempt to cross this ocean. This was a big day and a real boost to morale, so Sarah rightfully celebrated with a favourite of hers – a Gin and Tonic! What’s more she reached this point almost 10 days faster than she had on her first attempt. A fantastic achievement.

She has also rowed more than 1000 miles from shore. But the rowing has been far from easy. In fact she has spent quite a few days holed up in the cabin with storms raging outside. The waves have been so large that she has had her first capsizing, another milestone, albeit a rather less pleasant one. But Happy Socks did her job and righted herself beautifully. All credit to the team at Global Boatworks.

She has experienced every kind of weather – from stormy days to beautiful sunshine through to eerie sea fog. There have been tears, there has been laughter. She has played music, listened to poetry and enjoyed the tale of Winnie the Pooh (her favourite book). The wildlife has been exceptional.

And of course the 26th May was Sarah’s 28th Birthday - the second birthday that she has celebrated on the Pacific Ocean.

It has, as we said, been an eventful month and yet she is barely a quarter of the way through this row. So, here’s to what the coming days, weeks and months have in store.....

Find out more about Sarah’s epic journey here

And she's off!

Date Posted: 27/04/2013

After a week of examining the weather systems in minute detail, Sarah took the advice of weather forecaster, Lee Bruce and prepared to leave Choshi Marina. By the evening of Friday 26th she was ready to go with a planned departure of 9am (Japan time). On Saturday 27th April 2013, Sarah and Happy Socks headed out surrounded by crowds of well-wishers. Unfortunately, it was a short-lived attempt as the winds blowing into the marina made it impossible to leave.

Her second attempt at 15.33pm (Japan time) was successful as the winds had died down and she rowed out of the marina with a huge beaming smile across her face.

Over the last 48 hours, it has been a mix of good and bad. Most importantly, Sarah has been helped enormously by the winds which have pushed her onto the Kuroshio current, allowing her to make many miles with little rowing. However, she has been affected by nasty bouts of seasickness, making her weak and unable to eat or row. The seasickness will pass as she becomes accustomed to the waves and as the wind dies down but, for the time being, it is something to be endured.

Follow her progress here

And she's off...

Date Posted: 14/05/2012

This is an epic 4,500 nautical mile journey across the world’s largest ocean and will mean between 150 and 200 days alone out at sea. Only two men have previously rowed solo across this northern route from Japan to North America.

This North Pacific row is part of Sarah’s wider, two and half year expedition, “London2London: Via the World” that will see her cycle, row and kayak a continuous loop of the planet – that’s over 20,000 miles. She is sharing her stories along the way through her website and social media to hopefully inspire young people to follow their dreams and believe that anything is possible. She is also hoping to raise £100,000 for her four chosen charities – CoppaFeel!, The Jubilee Sailing Trust, MNDA and WaterAid.

Sarah, who has a fear of deep water, says of the row:

“The North Pacific will be the most gruelling part of my whole London2London expedition. Physically and mentally, I expect to be exhausted most of the time – the distance, the solitude, the weather conditions and my complete isolation will make it hugely challenging. In spite of the challenges and dangers ahead, I still can’t wait to get out there.”

She adds: “I am an ocean girl at heart and love being so close to the water and living to the rhythms of the wild. The energy out there is magic and the dynamics so exciting. I am hoping for some special wildlife moments and hopefully not too many storms. But I am especially looking forward to the sunsets and the stars.”

Sarah will be rowing completely on her own and will be 100% self-sufficient, taking all her food with her on her 7metre customised rowing boat, Gulliver. Also on board will be a desalination machine, with which she can convert seawater into drinking water.

She will have a full suite of communications equipment on board, which will allow her to do interviews, blog and tweet while out on the ocean. She will also have an iPod for music, a Kindle for books and will be tracked live using GPS technology. Everything will be charged using the on-board solar panels.

Ocean dangers

While out on the North Pacific Ocean, Sarah will be faced with a whole host of dangers every day, from exhaustion, dehydration, hypo- and hyperthermia to collisions with other ships, capsizing and drowning.

Sarah explains:

“Out on the ocean the biggest danger is from shipping – my boat is so tiny that it is difficult for larger vessels to see me. Landing on the west coast of Canada will also be a huge challenge and probably the most dangerous part of the whole journey. At least if I roll at sea there is little chance of me crashing into anything. But perhaps the greatest challenge comes from being solo out there as I have to be everything to myself and manage every situation as best I can. Sleep deprivation and rough weather can make that incredibly tough.”

This is, however, not Sarah’s first ocean row as in 2009 she became the first woman and youngest person ever to row solo across the Indian Ocean from Australia to Mauritius.

London2London: Via the World – the story so far

World-renowned explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes says of Sarah and her London2London expedition: “Sarah will face dangers on a daily basis, which only the hardiest could tolerate. But I’m sure she will succeed and confirm that she is an adventurer and expeditioner second to none.”

On 1st April, 2011, Sarah set off on her London2London expedition from London’s Tower Bridge and in her kayak, Nelson travelled down the Thames and across the English Channel to France. She then jumped on her bicycle, Hercules, and cycled over 10,000 miles through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, China and then back into Russia’s wild Far East.

Sarah then used Nelson and Hercules to paddle and cycle her way over 1,000 miles to Japan via the remote island of Sakhalin.

She has spent the winter in Japan and has now set off on her record-breaking North Pacific Ocean row, after which she will again take up Hercules’ saddle and cycle 3,000 miles from Vancouver to Nova Scotia, through the harsh North American winter.

The final major leg will involve Sarah rowing home to the UK across nearly 3,000 nautical miles of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Nobody has ever rowed this combination of the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans in a single journey, solo or otherwise.

Dame Ellen MacArthur says of Sarah and her expedition:

“When I first met her, I knew that Sarah was a very special person with fire in her belly. I wish her good luck for London2London: Via the World, I think it’s a fantastic project particularly working with young people to inspire them and to teach them all about her journeys.”

For details on how to donate to Sarah’s chosen charities, simply go to the Charities section of Sarah’s website: Sarah Outen

BRITISH ADVENTURER, SARAH OUTEN, READY TO HEAD OFF ON A RECORD BREAKING SOLO ROW ACROSS THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN

Date Posted: 12/04/2012

JAPAN TO CANADA: 20th APRIL 2012 WILL SEE BRITISH ADVENTURER READY TO HEAD OFF ON A RECORD BREAKING SOLO ROW ACROSS THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN

From the morning (JST) of 20th April 2012, young British adventurer, Sarah Outen (26) will be on standby, ready to embark on her record breaking solo row across the North Pacific Ocean from Choshi in Japan to Vancouver in Canada.

This is an epic 4,500 nautical mile journey and will mean 150 to 200 days alone at sea. Only two men have previously rowed solo across this expanse of water and so, if successful, Sarah will become the first woman ever to complete this treacherous row.

Sarah, who has a fear of deep water, plans to leave Choshi Marina in Japan on the morning (JST) of the 20th April, 2012. Sarah will be rowing completely on her own and will be 100% self-sufficient, taking all her food with her on her 6.75m customised rowing boat, Gulliver. Also on board will be a desalination machine, with which she can convert seawater into drinkable water. She will have a full suite of communications equipment on board, which will allow her to do interviews, blog and tweet while out on the ocean. Everything will be solar powered.

This record-breaking row is part of Sarah’s wider, two and half year expedition, “London2London: Via the World” that will see her cycle, row and kayak a continuous loop of the planet – that’s over 20,000 miles. During this expedition, Sarah is hoping to raise £100,000 for her four chosen charities – CoppaFeel, The Jubilee Sailing Trust, MNDA and WaterAid.

This is not Sarah’s first Ocean row as in 2009 she became the first woman and youngest person ever to row solo across the Indian Ocean from Australia to Mauritius.

London2London: Via the World – The story so far

Sarah set off from London’s Tower Bridge on 1st April 2011 in her kayak, Nelson, and travelled down the Thames and across the English Channel to France. She then jumped on her bicycle, Hercules, and cycled over 10,000 miles through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, China and then back into Russia’s wild Far East.

Sarah then used Nelson and Hercules to paddle and cycle her way over 1,000 miles to Japan via the remote island of Sakhalin.

She has spent the winter in Japan and is now about to set off on her record-breaking North Pacific Ocean row, after which she will again take up Hercules’ saddle and cycle 3,000 miles from Vancouver to Nova Scotia, through the harsh North American winter.

The final major leg will involve Sarah rowing home to the UK across nearly 3,000 nautical miles of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Nobody has ever rowed this combination of the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans in a single journey, solo or otherwise.

Find out more here. Sarah Outen London2London: Via the World