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! :)

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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. ;)

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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.

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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. :)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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Ocean Rowing: Sarah Completes Indian Ocean Row!!!

We've been following her progress for months, and today it's official. Sarah Outen has completed her solo row across the Indian Ocean, and reached Mauritius today at 8:27 PM local time. She rowed up onto the shore to greetings from friends and family and in triumphant style. You can read more about the finish on the most recent posts on Sarah's blog.

Sarah set out from the town of Freemantle on the western coast of Australia back on March 31st, and now, more than four months later, she has completed her quest to become the first woman, and youngest person, to ever solo the Indian Ocean. Along the way she faced a number of hardships, including killer storms, high winds, weeks alone at sea, and having her boat rolled in the middle of the ocean. But through it all, she remained upbeat and her dispatches always seemed pleasant, confident, and positive.

I want to send my congratulations along to Sarah on a job well done. That was one heck of an effort, and I'm glad to see she completed the crossing safe and sound, and none the worse for wear it seems. I'm sure we'll have more updates soon, as she is no doubt looking forward to a hot shower and a fine meal, not to mention a long sleep on a comfortable bed that doesn't move beneath her.

Welcome to Africa Sarah!

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Ocean Rowing: Catching up with Roz and Sarah

It has been some time since I checked in on Roz Savage and Sarah Outen, each of whom are still out on an ocean, in pursuit of their dreams of a solo crossing.

We'll start with Roz this time out. She's continues to make great progress towards her goal of reaching Tuvalu on this, the second stage, of her trans-Pacific row, which began last year when she completed the first part of her journey by going from San Francisco to Hawaii under her own power. If everything stays on schedule, next summer she'll finish the journey, going from Tuvalu to Australia.

Reading Roz's dispatches from out on the water over the past few days have been brutal. Strong winds from the southwest have been blowing in her face and have prevented her from making much progress, and at times she's dropped anchor just to hold her position or to limit her losses. In fact, earlier in the week, when she hit the dreaded "doldrums" she faced 15 miles of negative drift in one evening alone. Pretty disheartening to work all day to make progress, drop anchor at night, only to discover you're further way from your destination when you get up the next morning. But to her credit, Roz always seems to keep a positive attitude, and the appearance of a beautiful sea turtle and a whale shark along side her boat this week have helped to bolster her spirits some.

According to the RozTracker, she is now 60 days out from Hawaii and has covered more than 1900 miles of her 2600 mile journey. She's also taken approximately 805,000 storkes of the oars along the way.

Jumping over to the Indian Ocean, Sarah is plugging away, and inching ever closer to her destination of Mauritius off the coast of Africa. Over the past couple of weeks, Sarah has increased her hours at the oars each day, and as a result, her forward progress has been great. She now has less than 500 nautical miles to go before she hits the beach, and becomes the first woman and youngest person to solo row across the Indian Ocean. The weather report says that she should expect great weather for the next week or so, which means that her progress should be good.

You can follow Sarah's progress on her own tracker, which currently has her closing in on the final destination. It seems that if everything stays on track, she should be coming home in the early part of August, which is good, because according to her blog, she's running desperately low on chocolate bars.

Watch for more updates on these two very soon. It won't be long before I'll be announcing their return to land.

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Ocean Rowing: Roz and Sarah Suffer on the High Seas

Our two favorite British rowers continue to pursue their goals on separate oceans, both making progress, but suffering in the process.

We'll start with Sarah Outen, who I haven't checked in on in a few weeks. She's still out on the Indian Ocean, and steadily making her way to her final destination on Mauritius, where she'll become the first woman, and youngest person, to row across that body of water.

Sarah has now been out on the water for 90 days, and the past few have been interesting to say the least. Yesterday, she wrote in her blog that she would like to see some sharks out on the high seas, and while she still hasn't had that happen, she did have a couple of whales stop by for a visit today. A few days back she also marked a milestone of sorts, passing the 80º East mark, and edging ever closer to dry land.

It hasn't been all sunshine, whales, and landmarks however. On Thursday, Sarah was facing some of the roughest, most dangerous seas she has experienced yet, the worst of which rolled her little row boat, the Serendipity, and sent her flying overboard. Luckily, she was still roped to the boat via lifeline, but in order to get back onboard, she had to unhook herself, untangle it from the gate for the oars, and scramble back on board. Scary stuff to be sure. But Sarah took it all in stride and remains upbeat, despite suffering a broken oar, sprained wrist, and the loss of a couple of seat cushions, which my have the longest lasting effect on her journey. She is safe though, feeling well, and making outstanding progress at the moment.

Switching over to the Pacific, Roz Savage is more than 1150 miles into the second stage of her trans-Pacific row. She completed the first leg last year, going solo from San Francisco to Hawaii. This year, she'll be completing the leg from Hawaii to Tuvalu, with an eye on finishing the journey next year, ending in Australia. When she's done, Roz will be the first woman to row solo across the Pacific, covering some 7000+ miles in the process.

Life hasn't been a bed or roses for this British rower either. When she isn't dealing with choppy seas, she's rowing naked in the rain. And if that wasn't bad enough, she's also been attacked by flying squid, which inexplicably flew from the water onto the boat. Today's wonderful blog post answers all the burning questions you've had about ocean rowing, including her "bucket and chuck it" method of going to the loo.

To keep tabs on Roz's progress, check out the Roz Tracker, which now has her at nearly 36 days at sea, and having rowed more than 494,000 times.

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New Speed Record Set Crossing Indian Ocean

Sarah Outen continues her solo struggle across the Indian Ocean, but a new speed record has been set crossing that body of water by a team racing in the Indian Ocean Rowing Race.

According to TheOceans.net, part of the Explorers Web network, a team of six men and two women from the U.K., Belgium, and the U.S. managed to row 3,132 nautical miles in just 58 days, 15 hours, and 8 minutes. The journey got underway on April 28th from Geraldton, Western Australia and ended today when the team reached Mauritius. In the process, they broke a record that has stood for 38 years.

While this team is now home safe and sound, there are plenty of other racers still out on the water as part of the Indian Ocean Rowing race, which is the fist of its kind to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. More teams are expected to arrive within a few days, but solo and tandem racers could take another month and a half to reach the finish line. You can check out all the teams still out on the water by clicking here.

Congrats to the rowers on this very cool new record.

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Rowing The Indian Ocean: 75 Days Out for Sarah!

It's been awhile since I checked in on Sarah Outen the 24-year old U.K. woman who is attempting to become the youngest, and possibly the fastest, person to ever row solo across the Indian Ocean. Sarah has now spent more than 75 days out on the water, and continues chugging along like a machine.

The latest entries into Sarah's blog keep us up to date with what's been happening in her world, which mainly consists of long days at the oars, surrounded by nothing more than a big sky over head and ocean water as far as the eyes can see. Yesterday, that unbroken horizon of waves actually brought Sarah her first signs of life in many weeks, as for the first time since about a week after she set out, she encountered another boat in the form a large cargo ship heading in the opposite direction. Our intrepid rower stopped to wave hello and acknowledge the larger vessel, which was kind enough to stay out her way, but there was no indication that anyone on board saw her and they did not acknowledge her on the radio either.

It hasn't been all sun and fun for Sarah however. She had spent the better part of the past week rowing to not lose ground, but still managed to have negative drift push her eastward for several days. Big storms in the Indian Ocean were causing issues all over the place, and the winds and surf were not working in Sarah's favor. Happily, those poor conditions seem to be behind her now, and she is once again making forward progress.

When she set out, Sarah estimated that it would take roughly 100 days to cross the ocean from Australia to Mauritius, covering 3100 miles in the process. However, checking her progress on her tracker it seems that she still has a very long way to go, and it seems unlikely that she'll reach her destination in the next 25 days. Still, I know she's going to keep plugging away, and she'll give it everything she's got.

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Rowing The Indian Ocean: Sarah Crosses 90º Longitude

Polar Explorers go off in search of the elusive 90º point. In their case, it is usually the end point of their expedition, as when you reach 90º north or south, you're at the respective Pole. But for Sarah Outen, who is in the process of rowing across the Indian Ocean, 90º is a completely different type of milestone.

Earlier today, Sarah crossed to the west of the 90º longitude on her 52nd day out from Australia. She is attempting to become the first woman to row across the Indian Ocean, and the youngest person to do so. She's also hoping to make the row in record time as well. If everything continues to go as planned, she'll finish her journey in Mauritius, off the coast of Africa, in another 50 days or so, give or take a week.

If she's going to set a new speed record, she'll need better weather than she's had recently. Storms battered her little boat, dubbed the Serendipity, the past few days, and Sarah was confined to the cabin for more than 40 hours. During that time, she also lost 18 nautical miles to negative drift, something that North Pole explorers can relate to as well. The intrepid 24-year old says she's not ashamed to admit that it was one of the scariest nights of her life, being stuck in the boat while the storm raged around her. The fact that she hasn't seen another boat in 36 days, didn't exactly inspire confidence either.

Still, today she seems in great spirits, having achieved this milestone, and she is moving ahead, each day bringing her a bit closer to her goal. While she does have a long way to go yet, each of these little tests that she over comes inspires her to row just a bit stronger.

Sarah also took a moment to send a shout-out to Roz Savage, who is preparing to set out this weekend on the second stage of her journey across the Pacific. I'll be writing more about that one once she gets underway.

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Ocean Rowing Updates: Sarah Still Going, Olly Reflects

A couple of quick updates on some of the major ocean rowing efforts that I've been following lately, starting with Sarah Outen who continues her row across the Indian Ocean. Sarah's now been at sea for roughly 38 days, and progress is good so far. She is attempting to become the first woman to row across that stretch of water, and in the process become the youngest, and fastest, person to do.

In today's blog update, she discusses her daily food intake explaining how she has created little day bag, with roughly 5000 calories each, which contain everything she is to eat during that given day. She also notes that she's packed away some other goodies to give herself a treat and break up the monotony as well. She also breaks down when and what she eats throughout the day, while she continues to row, row, row her boat. This is an interesting read for those that are into the logistics of a long distance expedition such as this one.

Our other intrepid rower we've followed throughout the spring is Olly Hicks, who landed back on dry land in New Zealand a little more than a week back. You may recall that after making extremely slow progress in his attempt to circumnavigate around Antarctica, Olly elected to call it quits for now, while he reevaluates his plan and examines ways to engineer his boat to track better in the unrelenting winds of the Southern Ocean. In two recent posts on his blog, Olly reflected on his adventure, disappointed that it came to an end so soon, but determined to press on with the project in the future. He also notes that he is shipping the Flying Carrot, his boat, back to the U.K., which was a cheaper than paying the $92,000 tax to leave it in NZ. Olly also sends along his heartfelt thanks to everyone who followed along and cheered for him as he gave it a go.

Finally, get ready for Roz to head back out on the water. Roz Savage will be setting out soon on the second leg of her row across the Pacific. She completed the leg from San Francisco to Hawaii last year, and in the next few weeks she'll set out from Hawaii for Tuvalu. Expect more on this next week, but Roz has been in Hawaii for awhile now, and busily preparing.

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Dispatches From The Pirate Coast

No, the headline for this post is not the title of the next Disney movie starring Johnny Depp. Instead it is a description of the latest round of dispatches on Jon Bowermaster's website, as his friend Dennis Cornejo, a filmmaker and marine biologist, travels through pirate infested waters off the coast of Somalia while running a passenger vessel, devoid of passengers from Tanzania to Egypt.

When the ship set out, Dennis thought it sounded like a good idea of he stayed on board to get caught up on a backlog of work while it slowly made its way up the East African coastline. That was before the increased pirate activity following the dramatic rescue of Captain Richard Phillips by Navy Seals a few weeks. Now the entire region is buzzing with activity, and Dennis sailed right into it just a few days back.

So far there have been three daily reports from the Pirate Coast. On Day 1, Dennis writes about the preparations the ship has made to combat any pirates who may see it as a potential target for highjacking. He also talks about possible security measures that would be taken should a pirate attack occur.

On Day 2, he gives another update, noting that everyone was on edge, waiting for something to occur. There is a security team onboard to try to protect the vessel and make sure that everything goes as it should, and it is interesting to hear the measures that they are taking to remain safe and undetected.

Today is Day 3 and the ship is actually running a course that is close to the Somali coastline, which seems like it would be the scariest place to be, but according to Dennis, the Captain showed him a map that indicated that most of the attacks actually occur further from land, and they are making better time through the region by following the coast.

It'll be a few more days until the ship is completely out of danger, but so far so good. Be sure to check out Jon's blog for updates tomorrow to make sure everything is going as planned.

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Rowing The Indian Ocean: Sarah's Off! Again!

After first setting off back on March 16th, but having to be towed back to shore just a week later, Sarah Outen is once again back on the water, and making her second attempt to row solo across the Indian Ocean.

Sarah set out from Fremantle, Australia, just as she had on her pervious attempt, on Tuesday, and expects that it'll take her roughly 100 days to complete her journey to Mauritius, off the coast of Africa. In between, she'll be rowing as much as 12 hours a day, and continuing to battle big waves and inclement weather, both of which were an issue for her early on in the first attempt.

Before setting out, Sarah wasn't above having a little fun first. For April 1st, she and her team released some photos of her loading an outboard motor onto her boat, and made a blog post that she would be carrying a lot of fuel to power it, just in case. Of course, it was all an April Fools Day prank, and the young Brit got back underway sans fuel and motor.

You can once again follow along with Sarah's journey through daily blog posts from her support team in Australia, as well as track her movements on the GPS tracking page. Godspeed Sarah. Stay safe and paddle strong. Hope this second attempt is a successful one.

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Ocean Rowing Updates: Olly Rows On, Sarah Back on Dry Land

A couple of quick updates today on the two major ongoing ocean rows that I've reported on recently.

First, the big news is about Sarah Outen, who is hoping to become the first woman to row solo across the Indian Ocean. She set off a week or so back from Fremantle, Australia with her sights firmly set on reaching Mauritius, and doing so in record time. She also hoped to become the youngest person to ever achieve the crossing as well.

According to her blog however, that quest will be delayed a bit. It seems that the electrical systems on Sarah's boat went out and she was forced to call for a tow back to land. But fear not, while the boat is being examined, Sarah says she'll restock her supplies, rest up, and prepare to head back out onto the water as soon as she can. She's not quite done yet.

Meanwhile, her fellow countryman, British adventurer Olly Hicks, continues his attempt to circumnavigate Antartica by row boat as part of the Virgin Global Row challenge. After a slow start, that included a week of basically standing still, Olly seems to really be in the groove now, and making solid progress as he rows south and east, to drop below New Zealand before heading out across the South Pacific.

Olly continues to update his daily blog as well, with insights into his day to day life aboard the Flying Carrot. In a recent post he laments the build up of barnacles on his beloved boat, saying they only serve to remind him of how slow he is moving, saying that at times he feels like "little better than drift wood with lights and music!" He's also endured some foggy days of late, which hasn't brightened his mood much, but he seems focused and intent on just taking things one day at a time, happy to be making positive miles.

If everything continues to go as planned, Olly should reach South Georgia around June, where he'll take a break from the water, wait out the winter, and then continue on his way. All told, the expedition is expected to take 18 months to complete.

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