Back in April when I began my quest to set a record around the Farallon Islands, I thought of the row with wistful romanticism. I am going ‘far alone,’ I would say looking out to sea. After two attempts gone awry, I have started calling the row the F Record! A weather window large enough [...]
I am in Oprah magazine, July issue! Here's the full article - OPR070118WellWhere_lo
Click here for Part 1. The Coast Guard arrive. Their boat is big and steel and this concerns me. There are three crew plus the driver. The crew are busy readying fenders and without any radio communication the boat veers towards me. They can not be wanting to come alongside, says the voice in my [...]
Wednesday was going to be THE DAY for my 2nd attempt to set a new record rowing around the Farallon Islands. Then it wasn't THE DAY, so I committed to moving a sailboat. Wednesday, 7AM I wake up and instantly know there is no wind. Except I have committed to moving a sailboat... We move [...]
Last week I joined the 63ft ORMA trimaran Paradox for her delivery up the coast from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to San Francisco. Captaining boats like this was my pre-rowing life. The trip was a blast from the past and what a blast upwind it was! The sailing was wetter and colder than I EVER [...]
I looked out my kitchen window at 6AM and saw fog. This wasn’t unexpected. The weather was, essentially, unstable. The forecast for the Farallon Islands was good, great even. The question was, could I get away from the clutches of land to take advantage of it? My row to the bridge was more arduous than [...]
Tomorrow - Tuesday 24th April - I will venture out the Golden Gate and head for the Farallon Islands, to set what could be (subject to ratification) a new Guinness World Record. Paul Chinn from the San Francisco Chronicle will be at the San Francisco Yacht Club at 7AM to photograph my departure. The weather [...]
My Record Attempt is 100% go! go! go! for TUESDAY THIS WEEK!! Departing from the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco, I will row some 70-75 nautical miles, solo and unsupported, clockwise around the Farallon Islands, passing beneath SE Farallon and rounding North Farallon before rowing back to the Golden Gate Bridge. On record, no [...]
After a tough start to the year, I have finally turned a corner! Last week I rowed to the Farallons Islands. 70.2 miles total in 48 hours, with the ships and the whales and the sharks!!! I recommend a comfy chair and a fresh brew to read the theee ‘Snakes & Ladders’ blogs on how [...]
Click here for Part 1 I got back on the oars at 04:48 and rowed for a while and then checked the time. It was 05:08. I rowed for another stretch and looked left towards Ocean Beach to check progress. Time? 05:25. Sometimes you just want to arrive, like ta-dah! But rowing, paddling, walking… these [...]