Diary
3 Dec 2007
Catastrophe! In the blink of an eye it’s all over. We are now on El Hierro and retired from the race. Feeling numb, but also relieved that Andy is alive and physically fine. We swapped shift at 7 am just as it was promising to get light. I got into the cabin to rest but for some reason decided not to listen to music on this occasion. Maybe I was so tired I thought I wouldn’t need a distraction from the sea sickness this time. I was asleep within seconds but was disturbed by a sound similar to a squawking seagull. I though it was odd but put it out of my mind and tried to return to my slumber. Then I heard it again and again. It must have been interspersed with my dreaming as I then imagined it was Andy shouting. I awoke a little and looked out of the cabin door and asked Andy what the noise was but he didn’t reply. In a sort of auto pilot mode I moved to the door and opened it to see why he hadn’t answered me. I looked at the familiar deck scene and struggled to identify what was different. Then it dawned on me, Andy wasn’t there! I was instantly fully awake and a slight surge of panic engulfed me. I looked out and around but could see nothing. How could he not be on the boat? We had started wearing our life jackets around midnight and diligently clipped them onto the jack stay on the deck due to the rough conditions. I shouted for him but got no reply. Then as the boat rode the peak of a big swell I caught a sight of the fluorescent markings of a lifejacket in a trough probably about four waves away.
What to do, what to do? My mind was racing as the panic increased. How could I row to him when we hadn’t made a dent in the mileage all night? I would undoubtedly be going against the current , waves or wind, if not a combination of all three. Should I activate the EPIRB? Should I make a Mayday call on the VHF radio? No, there was no time. The only way Andy was gong to get rescued was by me in this boat. We were too far away for anyone else to get to us in any useful timeframe so I had to get to him. I jumped into the rowing position and started the attempt by turning the boat 180o so as to be heading in the right direction. This was an epic. As the waves kept lifting the boat it lurched from side to side and the oars failed to make any good contact with the water. Eventually though it was now pointing the right way. Where was Andy now though? I had to wait for the right wave sequence to catch a glimpse of him but to add to the problem I obviously now had my back to him! I rowed with all my might. Adrenaline must have surged through me though, as the boat did start to move. I closed the gap between us and tried to plan where to come alongside him. 20 minutes or so went past in the blink of an eye and felt I was sufficiently close to throw the grab line. I shouted to Andy to let him know I was there and I felt a great relief as I saw him try to swim backward as we had been trained to in our sea survival course. I jumped up from the rowing seat and ripped the grab line from its Velcro fasteners. I hadn’t used one before so wasted valuable seconds puling the rope from the holder. In that time Andy had been pushed away from the boat, or the boat away from Andy, but was probably still within range of the rope. I threw it as hard as I could. It landed within inches of him.
“Grab the rope, grab the rope” I screamed. Andy flapped around with his hands in search of the line but within seconds was out of range.
“Make a mayday call, make a mayday call” Andy shouted. I replied I’d set off the EPIRB instead but he was adamant I should use the VHF. I jumped into the cabin and lifted the red protective flap covering the distress button on the radio. I pressed it and was given the visual message to keep it depressed for 5 seconds for activation. What a crap design I thought. I wouldn’t have lifted the bloody flap if I didn’t want to press the button and I didn’t have 5 seconds to play with. I waited anyway, and then grabbed the handset. I made a panic stricken Mayday call that was fortunately received I think by the Woodvale office in La Gomera . I was asked for my position but as I looked to my A.I.S I was shocked to see it had stopped working. What a time to pack up! As I scrolled through the pages on the navigation system I told the voice on the other end of the radio of my new predicament. Fortunately they had the forethought to say he would get the last tracking system fix for me. I was also told to go to channel 6 and speak with the support vessel. I thought this was a bit odd as 16 was the distress channel and I was definitely in distress. I switched to channel 6 and made a radio check but received no reply. I instantly returned to channel 16. At the same time the navigation system page with the boat’s position flashed up. I sent the Mayday message again, this time with the position. As soon as I released the pressel, another voice came over the radio. It was Margret from the Atlantic Jack team. She sounded very calm and went into a Mayday Relay call. She also seemed to have a good insight into what must have been going on as she made the point to Woodvale that it appeared that the man overboard didn’t wasn’t tethered to the boat. This is possibly why I as originally told to go to Channel 6 from the emergency channel as they may have thought Andy was still attached to the boat.
With Cath having taken control of the communications, for which I and Andy are eternally grateful, I jumped back on deck to see where Andy was. I couldn’t have been in the cabin on the radio for more than a couple of minutes but in that time Andy had been pushed much further from the boat. I leapt into the rowing position and again turned the boat through 180o and started to row with all my effort once again. Whilst in the water, Andy had no way of seeing me so actually had no idea if I was coming for him. All he could see was the water and the sky. He was only wearing shorts and a t shirt, and although the water here is much warmer than that around the UK he was by now getting very cold. He would also be acutely aware that any land based rescue was going to be a long time coming. With his life jacket on he wasn’t going to drown but the longer he was in the water the chances of his surviving the cold the shorter the odds.
This time as I closed the distance between us I decided that rather than trying to get alongside him I would just aim straight at him. If I hit him with the boat I was unlike to kill him as his life jacket would provide some protection but I would stand a far greater chance of getting hold of him. However, the sea had different ideas and by the time I got close to him he was pushed to the side of the boat close enough for the throwing line again. As I got up from the rowing position and grabbed the line I decided I’d throw the weighted bag end this time, however as I threw it I managed to let go of the whole thing! I was still close to him though, so I shouted for him to start swimming to his right (bear in mind he is swimming backwards), then left, then right, then straight back! It didn’t seem to matter what we were doing, the sea had different ideas and kept moving us in different directions. But just then, he was within an oars length of the boat. I grabbed an oar and thrust it to him screaming at him to grab it. A couple of lunges and he had it. Thank god. I pulled him to the boat and grabbed his hand. I tried pulling him aboard but the lifejacket was preventing him from clearing the gunnels. I grabbed one of the many knives we had stowed which allowed us to always be in arms reach of one and slashed the inflated part of the jacket.
As soon as Andy was on board we worked quick to get him into dry clothes and into a sleeping bag in the cabin. I radioed Woodvale to let them know he was safe on board but that the support vessel should still make its way to us in case there were any enduring medical issues to deal with.
Andy went very quiet in the cabin. I took up the rowing position and returned us to our course. I kept the cabin door open so as to try and maintain communication between us to try and keep him alert. He was very tired however, and it proved difficult to keep him awake. I got the stove up and running and got the some water on the boil. Just then the sea sickness came back as I wasn’t either rowing or lying down! I wretched violently over side right next to the cooker. The cooker was swinging violently in the waves banging against the cabin door. Great, I thought, I’m now going to get scolded! I made Andy a warm soup and tried to get a conversation going but he was very lethargic. He was obviously hypothermic and in shock but I was more worried about his mental state. His pulse was fine at 72 from his wrist so I assumed his blood pressure was also fine. His temperature was 36.8 but he seemed very distant.
After a while he asked me to call Sharon, his wife, to let her know what had happened. I think it was then that I knew that this had affected him considerably and that there was a very good chance he was unsure about continuing with the crossing. Earlier I had asked Woodvale not to let anyone know about the incident as I knew that once the families became involved there would be far greater influences and interactions in play. Andy had to make the decision to let Sharon know about the incident, no one else. So, when he asked me to let her know I knew things were bleak. I called Sharon and explained the situation letting her know he was safe. They then spoke for a short time. Of course, as soon as Sharon came of the phone to Andy she called Gloria, my wife, so I had to explain once again how come she was hearing information 3rd hand – something I get into trouble for a lot!
After the call, I told Andy that whatever decisions he was thinking about making should be done without any concern for me. He had to make his decisions based on what was right for him and his family and nothing else. I obviously hoped we would get going with the journey but instinctively knew the chances were thin. I looked at the alternatives, would I do it with someone else or even alone if Andy decided not to continue. I had ruled out the solo option well before arriving in La Gomera as it wasn’t something I had geared myself up to do, nor if I’m completely honest within my capabilities. There was still the option of trying to find someone else but probably impractical at this late stage especially as there are a number of pre-requisite qualifications required by all rowers leaving the Canaries.
Andy’s thought process was quite rightly going along the family route. He felt that it would be unjustifiable to continue whilst leaving his wife in constant worry that he had fallen over board again. Although we can all comprehend these concerns what none of us can really understand is quite what must have been going through his mind whilst drifting away from the boat into the unknown. So, whilst extremely disappointed in the way the challenge has turned out, I can fully accept and respect his decision.
I am very sorry for to all of our fantastic sponsors and supporters for the trip to come to such a short conclusion. You were all as much a part of it as we were ourselves and will therefore be equally disappointed. All I can offer is my unending thanks for your generosity both financially and in spirit that made the whole venture a possibility in the start.
To the charity, I apologise for failing to deliver on our expected contribution. We do still hope to some support but it will obviously be far far less then we hoped.
Finally, I am deeply sorry that we could not have been as resilient as the children who undergo the organ transplant surgery and associated medical care on a day to day basis. Our small foray into the unknown pales into insignificance compared to what you constantly deal with and I had sincerely hoped that we might have been able to give you a distraction albeit for only a couple of months.
So, how did Andy fall over board? Well, as with most things it was down to a very minor incident. Although the waves were quite fierce at that time we were taking precautions to ensure safety was a prime concern. As a result we wore our life jackets connected to the jack stay throughout the night. When Andy took up his rowing shift he took the jacket from me and got into position. However, the strop was twisted so he unclipped from the jack stay to free it before re-clipping it. However, due to his tired state he failed to ensure it was actually connected. A little while later he needed to go to the toilet and whilst positioning himself was simply washed overboard by the waves without a strong point to hold him steady.
Our support is now with all of those other teams out there still battling through to Antigua. We wish you all God speed and a safe crossing. We would also like to offer our sincere thanks to all of those who have been so very helpful and supportive to us since our incident. Thanks to all of those at on support vessel Sara, Woodvale , PA Freight and the La Gomera and El Hierro harbours for reacting so quickly to secure Titanic Challenge and plan her safe return to England. Thanks to the very kind English / German couple (no names for fear of incrimination!) who escorted us to a hotel on El Hierro and provided us with very useful information about the island. Finally, but certainly not least, our deepest thanks to Jane, Charlotte, Matius, Harry and Judith from the ‘Yachty’ community currently in La Gomera for providing food, shelter and extremely good company whilst we planned our return to the UK.
Jim
2 Dec 2007
Well we are off and away now. Still can’t understand why people do a sprint start for a 3000 mile race! We were really lucky with the weather to start. The choppy sea’s outside San Sebastion stayed calm and allowed us all to make good distance. We have settled into the 2 hour on / 2 hour off regime early rather than row as long as possible as a pair before going into singles. As soon as we did, I made my way into the cabin but found myself outside throwing up within seconds. It was absolutely amazing how quickly the sea sickness kicked in once I came off the oars. Exactly the same happened to Andy an hour later. However, we found that as long as we lay down in the cabin straight away without sitting up and distracting our minds with music from our iPod’s then we were ok. I was also fine whilst rowing although Andy started to suffer whilst on the oars in the dark.
It was an amazing night. No sodium light to interfere with the view of the stars meant that the view was nearly crystal and promised to get better as we went on. The weather changed drastically though. After a flat calm sunset an easterly wind picked up and progress became extremely slow. Large swells and waves roked the boat violently from side to side meaning the oars kept snatching in the water, if they found the water at all. It was very frustrating. Trying to keep a reference point either in the shape of the distant land or the Big Bear constellation to ensure we maintained course became difficult but it was easier than looking at the compass rose. We averaged a mile every two hours. We were keen to maintain course to the south of El Hierro though without being drawn to the false safety of the coast. All we need to do now is get past the island and head south west’ish!
Jim
23 November 2007
We finally got to row the boat!! It all happened so fast that one minute I was tying off the steering lines for the rudder the next I was in the marina water headed straight for the harbour wall. Managed to hit it hard so it now knows who's boss! More damage! Thankfully there aren't too many walls between here and Antigua.
Spent four hours rowng today and sorting out our oar lengths and seat heights. Everything seems to be coming together finally.
We will be out quite a lot over the next few days so should have some video soon.
Jim
20 November 2007
Arrived in La Gomera on Friday last week. The boat had already arrived and was sitting on a platform in the marina. Unfortunately she had sustained some damage getting here so we are trying to sort that out at the moment.
We've started fitting the final few items to the cabins and deck and have loaded most of the rations. Its going to be a tight fit for everything - and we thought we were going light!
La Gomera is a quiet place. The local dogs seem to rule the place and don't mind leaving their mark everywhere. Won't miss them at sea.
We've met a few of the other rowers. They are a good bunch, but needless to say when you get a lot of very focused and determined people together in a group there will be a lot of differing opinions!
Hope to have some photos for you soon
All the best
Jim
4 November 2007
Well the boat is en-route to La Gomera and we are soon to follow – on the 16 November.
Finances are still in a poor state and we really need to raise money for the charity now as this whole escapade never started with either Andy or myself having a dream of rowing the Atlantic. Our sole reason for doing it is to raise money for the charity and not to fuel our ego’s so please, please support us by pressing the ‘Donate now’ button and giving anything you can – no matter how small.
I spent the week hijacking a conference dinner in Newcastle where we managed to raise £3000 from the diners. Thank you all very much, especially Mia for being so active in getting people to participate. The following night both myself and Andy attended the dinner very kindly arranged by Sonic Communications. Special thanks to Dave, Mike and Shireen for all playing an absolute blinder. Everyone who I have spoken to since have said it was a fantastic night. We are still awaiting the final figure but again it will be a few thousand pounds. Again our thanks don’t do justice to the selfless generosity of the organisers and attendees.
FOR ALL OF THOSE AWAITING THE RESULTS OF THE ROLEX RAFFLE THE WINNER WAS MR RALPH ENGLISH – He very kindly sold it to another dinner guest who very kindly donated money to the Great Ormond Street charity as way of payment – this may seem odd to some of you but Paul’s son underwent major surgery at GOS and he owes them a huge debt of thanks.
Andy attended a water maker course last week and as a result we have ordered a spare pump as we have discovered that this is the weak point after a submersion. (Hoping not to get submerged really but better safe than sorry!)
Apart from that we have been getting the last few odds and sods (that are obviously horrendously expensive) to fully comply with the race rules. Although to be honest we are not really convinced of some of the utility of the items. Ah well, we are happy to be await convincing.
I doubt I will make another entry until we arrive in La Gomera now but keep an eye out as you never know.
Jim
15 October 2007
A hard weekend getting the boat prepared for shiping back to England and then onto the Canaries.
Not all of the equipment on order got through the postal strike so our baggage for our flights will be a bit heavier than planned!
We did get the Thrane and Thrane 33 through from AST though so I managed to make a 28 Volt PSU for the system. It means taking two additional batteries (I can hear the other crews gasping in disbalief at the extra weight!), but we are very keen to get video and still footage out during the crossing.
Whilst taking the boat up to the shipping company today I could really feel the difference in the weight now it was nearly fully laden - not sure I'm looking forward to trying to row it out of the harbour for the first time!
Anyway, plenty of admin still to take care of, not least raising MONEY. If you havent already done so please donate now to help us realise the aim of this project - money for the Children's Kidney Fund of Northern Ireland.
All the best
Jim
07 October 2007
Its been a busy time since my last entry but equally frustrating. We've had an ongoing drama with the rollock pins and have had 3 sets sent through to us but unfortunately all have been un useable for one reason or another. The main problem this has caused has been the fact that we have not been able to put the boat in the water and conduct any trials and tests with it as without the rollock pins we cannot row the boat!
On the upside I appeared with Ben Fogle on a UTV TV interview with the boat outside Carrickcraft, who incidentally have been fantastically supportive with equipment and advice. Moore Brand who manages Carrickcraft has jumped at the chance of supporting our expedition and we are really grateful for his fantastic contribution.
Thanks to Ben Fogle for taking time out to give some advice on both boat layout and the crossing itself. Although we only had a few minutes to chat I did glean a few pieces of useful information.
Andy came over to Northern Ireland this weekend expecting a 36 hour training session on Louch Neigh but unfortunately due to the ongoing rollock pin saga we had to make do with fitting out the cabin of the boat. Not quite what we expected to do this weekend but nevertheless a very important job that needed doing.
So time is moving on now. We need to get the boat shipped back to England in just over a week and then the next time we meet it will be in La Gomera in November. It certainly looks as though the first time we put the boat in water and row it will be in the Canaries! Not quite the intention when I first visited Mark Perry in Penryn back in April but I think I always had a sixth sense telling me that would be the case. Spooky!
Anyway, apart from the boat issues we've had the final set of race rules from Woodvale so we have got a few things yet to get hold of that have either been added to the earlier revisions or are just specified in more detail in this latest iteration. One of the biggest problems will be getting hold of all of the cotents of the medical pack but hopefully we will get it sorted before shipping the boat in a weeks or so's time.
We are still desperately in need of funding, mainly for the charity, but there are still a few outstanding bills and equipment to cover so please try and help out where you can. Spread the word as much as possible and encourage people to join our trek - albeit from the comfort of their armchair.
22 September 2007
Well things are moving on a pace now. We finally have the boat in Northern Ireland and have managed to start putting some personal touches on her.
We've also had a bit of press coverage from the Irish News and have had an article published in the paper (but unfortunately you need to subscribe to view it!) and a small clip posted on their website - http://www.in.tv/news226.php - which is free!
Unfortunately I have to go to America on business next week which will put us back a little but we are set for a TV appearance on UTV shortly after my return so keep tuned.
We now desperately need to raise money for the charity so if any of you have any cunning ideas please let us know, but in the meantime keep passing the word about the event and the website to help promote the whole thing.
Jim
16 September 2007
Well its been a really frustrating and disappointing weekend. After visiting Woodvale on Thursday and being guaranteed the boat would be up at Newark on Saturday we received a call from Simon at about 1 pm that day to say he had a couple of problems and that it wasn't going to be ready.
Unfortunately for Simon I lost my laid back attitude to it all at this stage and had to take a much firmer stance on the situation. We had a very strained conversation which resulted in Simon staying in Devon to continue working on the issues and then meeting us outside Devizes the next day (due to traffic jams changing our RV a number of times). We finally got to see the boat and it was obvious an enormous amount of work had been done in the previous 24 hours. Although this was good to see it did beg the question of why it was all left to the last minute.
The boat is now planned to be transported to Antrim by PA Freight on Tuesday evening so we are expecting to have it with us by Wednesday afternoon. I would think that any further delays would result in some rather ... well lets not go there!
Whilst in Newark we attended the transportation briefing that was planned and managed to get some questions answered. However, due to the earlier developments we weren't in a socialising mood and did not stay for the BBQ.
Hopefully my next entry will be posted with far higher spirits and with some photos of a more personalised boat - possibly even on water!
Jim
13 September 2007
Well a whole month (and a half) since my last entry and in some ways it doesn't feel as though too much has been accomplished!
However, looking back we have done a fair amount. On top of getting fitter each day with longer and longer training sessions on the indoor rower or swimming pool we have just finished our Ocean Yachtmaster (Shorebased) course. That means we have now completed all the mandatory RYA courses.
We visited Woodvale today where Fay has been left to look after the place on her own whilst Simon and Amanda swan off to Tenerife for a jolly! She's doing a great job though as our boat was looking very nice - see latest photos. We have been promised it will be on the water at Newark on Sunday ready to go. Thats good as she is getting transported to Northern Ireland on the 17th September where we have a month to get her the way we want her for the challenge.
Sponsorship is coming along slowly. Moore Brand form Carrickcraft has shown great interest in supporting us and is looking into equipment options. Donnelly Brothers Misibushi Garage have kindly fitted a much needed tow bar to our car to allow us to transport the boat between storage and water.
Hopefullly our press coverage will start from next week as we will have the boat available for photo shoots and TV coverage. Keep your eyes peeled!
31 July 2007
Visited Amada and Simon at Woodvale on Saturday and got an update on the boat.
They were very conscious of the fact that we had been delayed due to Mark leaving the company and have promised to put it at the top of their priority list.
It was a very good meeting and I got a good feeling from the visit. I've managed to get some pictures of the boat in its current state. It looks as though there is a lot to do but Simon thinks it should be ready in about 3 weeks.
We are still waiting for a few of the sponsors to release their funding but everything is looking very achievable at the moment.
I'm also now VHF radio and sea survival trained!
Jim
22 July 2007
Bad news this week. Mark who was fitting our boat decided to part company with Woodvale and let me know that the first fitting stage had not been implemented.
Amanda from Woodvale has however assured me that it will still be finished for us on the planned date - end of the 2nd week in August. I'll be visiting the boat next Saturday so will have some photos for the website then.
I'm off on my sea survival and radio operators course this week.
Good news is that we nearly have enough money to pay for the complete fitting of the boat so hopefully we will really get it by mid August.
15 July 2007
Well, started the RYA courses last week. I am now officially medically qualified. Away on my sea survival and radio operator courses the week after next.
Money for the boat coming in slowly. Lots of verbal donations - please send the money if that's you!
Pam Ballantyne phoned to see how we were getting on, and seems keen to promote our challenge once we take possession of our boat.
We also got offered an EPIRB from SIMAC via Micromill this week - thanks chaps.
Andy managed to break his foot this week so his training will take a hit for the next 6 weeks or so. No sympathy please!
May 13 2007
Its been a stressful few weeks, hence the lack of updates to the diary! Fortunately that period is now over and the Titanic Challenge can move forward.
Unfortunately Jonny has had to withdraw from the challenge but an old friend of mine has stepped up to take on the row.
His name is Andy Lothian (and his bio is now available for you to see). He's a great guy who has a wealth of endurance event history to bring to the party. Unfortunately, none of his experience relates to rowing!
Sponsorship is coming along, albeit slowly, and phase one of the boat fitting is under way (photos to follow)! Also we should have a bank account available for donations from the website very soon.
All the best to you all
Jim
April 16 2007
I visited Mark Perry of Woodvale today at his workshop in Penryn. It was a really useful visit and we agreed the majority of the fittings for the boat.
Our boat should be with him in about a weeks time already built and ready to be kitted out. We've decided to spend a little extra and go for the really reliable stuff for that extra peace of mind.
There are a few photos from his workshop in the gallery to give you a feel for how the boat will take shape.
We are planning to get the boat back from Mark in the middle of June. That will give us enough time to row from Northern Ireland to Scotland a few times prior to shipping it off to the start line in October.
Sponsorship is our main task now. We will be in the Belfast newspaper the Sunday Life next Sunday so intend to try and rally true Northern Ireland support from then on. Hopefully we will be able to publish the article on this website!
Jim
