Ocean Rowing: More on Roz's Arrival

Yesterday I posted that Roz Savage had completed her three-stage, three-year solo row across the Pacific Ocean. When I put that story online, she had only been into Madang, located in Papua New Guinea, for less than an hour, and there wasn't a whole lot of news about her arrival. Today, we have an update from Roz herself as she has posted a note to her blog.

Upon her approach it seems that she was a bit concerned about how many people would be there to greet her when she pulled into the dock. Turns out, she had nothing to fear, as there were more than 5000 people on hand to welcome her back to dry land. As she approached her final destination, canoes rowed out to join her, with locals dressed in traditional garb, and Roz was given a heroes welcome when she did finally reach land.

Interestingly enough, Roz wasn't allowed to officially enter Papua New Guinea until she had completed her paperwork for her visa. So instead, she spent the night aboard a luxury cruiser, called the Kalibobo Spirit while she waited for all of that to be sorted out. After getting a hot shower and a comfortable bed, she was up early the next morning, and they actually towed her boat back out into the water, and she rowed the final segment into shore and climbed onto the island, marking her official end of the row, despite the fact that she had arrived at that point the night before.

You would think that after more than 45 days at sea, Roz would be ready to get home and enjoy a break from this adventure that has consumed her life for the past five years. But instead, she'll be staying in Papua New Guinea for a month, relaxing, exploring, and giving talks on her ocean rows and the importance of environmental responsibility. At this point, I'd say she's earned a little R and R in a tropical setting, wouldn't you?

Congrats again to Roz on an amazing accomplishment.

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Ocean Rowing: Roz Is Done!

Major congratulations this morning to Roz Savage, who has just tweeted from Papua New Guinea that she has arrived in Madang, completing the third, and final stage of her solo row across the Pacific Ocean. In doing so, she has become the first woman to make that journey alone.

Roz's story is well known to regular readers at this point. Living in the U.K. back in 2001 she found herself working in a job she didn't enjoy and caught up on the daily grind. So, she quit that job and set out to put a little adventure back into her life. That included travel throughout the world, and running several marathons. But in 2006, she found her true calling when she rowed solo across the Atlantic in 103 days.

Not long after that, she announced her plans to row across the Pacific as well, and thus began a four year odyssey that was challenging and rewarding on many levels. In 2007, she set off in pursuit of her new rowing goals, only to abort the attempt a few weeks in, but undaunted, she returned in 2008, completing the first leg of the journey by rowing from San Francisco to Hawaii. In 2009, the second stage saw her traveling from Hawaii to Tarawa, where she returned in April to finish this final stage.

Now, the Pacific Row is done, and I'm sure she is ecstatic and relieved to have completed it at last. Over the course of this three year, three stage, journey Roz has become an outspoken environmental activist, and her message of protecting the world's oceans has become one of her primary causes. I suspect she'll now turn her attentions to that cause in an even bigger way.

I'm sure we'll hear much more about Roz's adventure soon enough. As I write this, she's barely been back on land a half hour. I'll post updates as they come in.

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Ocean Rowing: Roz Is Closing In!

Ocean Rower Roz Savage has been back on the water for 40 days, as she continues on her solo row across the Pacific, in this, her third and final leg of the journey. Roz first began this adventure back in 2008, when she rowed from San Francisco to Hawaii. With Stage 1 complete, she returned to the islands in 2009, and continued the voyage, ending at the tiny island of Tarawa in the South Pacific, the same place that she set out from in mid-April.

The plan this time out was to finish the crossing, by ending in Australia, but quick glance at the Roz Tracker tells us she is approaching Papua New Guinea, and she is now planning on ending the voyage in Madang, which is now just 260 nautical miles away. At her current pace, she'll probably reach the finish line in a little more than a week or so, depending on conditions.

I would imagine that these final days on the water a kind of bittersweet for Roz. She's nearing the end of a project that has been the focus of her life for more than five years. But she has also shifted her role from not just being an ocean rower and fearless adventurer but also an champion for the environment and an Eco Hero.

Watch for more updates on Roz's progress soon, as she finished up one very impressive feat, a solo, stage row, across the Pacific Ocean.

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Pacific Row: Roz Kicks Off Stage 3

It may be a bit of old news at this point, but I thought it was worth mentioning anyway. While I was away taking a walk in the Himalaya, ocean rower Roz Savage began the third, and final, stage of her trans-Pacific Row. As of today, she is now ten days out from Tarawa, the end point for Stage 2, and over the next few months, she'll be rowing more than 3000 miles, to reach her final destination – Australia.

You can follow along with Roz's adventure on her blog. She's been making daily updates so far, and is reporting exceptionally hot weather, which is not too unexpected considering she crossed the equator just a few days back. It should also be noted that while this is a solo, and unsupported journey, Roz isn't completely alone this time out, as she has a little spider on board, which she's named Alf, who is keeping her company thus far.

The trans-Pacific Row began back in 2008 when Roz set out from San Francisco and successfully rowed to Hawaii. Stage 2 took place last year, beginning in Hawaii and ending in Tarawa some four months later, which sets up this year's stage that, when completed, will mark the first solo row by a woman across the Pacific.

We'll be following Roz's progress over the next few months, cheering her on to Australia. I'll post updates on a regular basis as she finally completes her epic row. In the meantime, you can also track her progress on the RozTracker, which keeps us posted on her location at any given time.

Good luck Roz! Enjoy the final stage!

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Want To Become An Eco Hero?

A new web/social networking site called Eco Heroes is nearing completion and will launch soon, that asks us each to do our part to help the environment on a daily basis, while sharing our experiences with other, in hopes that we'll inspire one another to be more eco-friendly and conscious of our impact on the world around us.

Spearheaded by Eco Hero Roz Savage, the site will be equal parts social networking and environmental initiative, wrapped up in a fun, colorful wrapper that even has some game elements attached. Each day, members of the site will sign in and share their good environmental deed, which can in turn be linked to Twitter so you can let all your friends and followers know as well. Your "Green Deeds" can be submitted to the site via your Twitter account, by e-mail, or by logging in directly. The creators of Eco Heroes are also promising a dedicated iPhone app in the near future as well, allowing you to boast of your deeds while on the go.

Once submitted to the site, other members can give your actions a thumbs up or thumbs down, indicating how much they like your actions, but more importantly you can earn points based on your Green Deeds, which will unlock special merit badges that you can use to show off your commitment towards protecting the environment and the actions you've done to stand behind that commitment. The site will also recognize Eco Heroes of the Week and award prizes as well.

Right now, if you go to the Eco Heroes website, there isn't much to see. You can sign up for an account, but after that you'll have to wait for notification that the site has officially opened. The launch is expected sometime around April 17th, which not-so-coninsidently is the projected start date of Roz's final leg of her trans-Pacific Row. This time out, she'll be departing from Tarawa and rowing the remaining distance to Australia. it's going to be one last epic leg of what has already been an amazing journey.

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Ocean Rowing: Roz's 2010 Intro Video

While we're on the topic of ocean rowing, Roz Savage has a great video available that serves as a great introduction not only for what she's already accomplished, but also what she has planned for 2010 as well. As many of you already know, Roz will soon set out on on the final leg of her solo row across the Pacific, going from Tarawa to Australia. When she's done, she'll be the first person to completely row across that ocean, a fantastic feat to be sure.

Check out the video below to find out a bit more about what life is like aboard her little row boat, complete with shots of gear, food, the surrounding waters (including aquatic visitors) and Roz at her customary spot, behind the oars.

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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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Video Highlights of Stage 2 of Roz's Pacific Row

With the second stage of her trans-Pacific row behind her, Roz Savage has returned to the mainland and is already planning next year's third and final stage of her journey. While she rests up and enjoys some much deserved down time, we can all get a glimpse into what her most recent adventure was like through this highlight video below. Enjoy!

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Outside Blog Interviews Roz!

Fresh off the successful completion of the second stage of her trans-Pacific row, Roz Savage has been interviewed by the Outside Blog.

In the interview, she talks about a variety of things, such as her motivations for the making this journey, what she needs to do to prepare for an ocean crossing under her own power, and the logistics of going solo and unsupported for months at a time. Roz gives props to the team that keeps her going and helps her through each of these demanding and difficult stages, and discusses much more, including looking ahead to 2010, when she expects to get underway on her third, and final stage, ending in Australia. If all goes as planned, she'll begin that stage in April.

Roz will be shipping her first book in October as well. It's called Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean, and it'll hit store shelves on October 6th. It covers her first major rowing adventure, in which she crossed the Atlantic under her own power in just 103 days back in 2005. The book promises to be quite a read, and I'm sure it'll serve as a great prelude to her Pacific adventure as well.

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Ocean Rowing Update: Roz Finishes Stage 2!!

We've been following Roz Savage for the past few months as she continued her attempt to row solo and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean, and I'm happy to report that she has made landfall on the tiny island of Tarawa, closing out Stage 2 of her journey.

Details are a bit light at the moment, but her blog says that she arrived at 2 PM local time today. Anyone following her Twitter feed has probably has more info. After putting her feet back on land for the first time in three and a half months, Roz popped the champaign while hundreds of people looked on. She then went on to the hotel for a much deserved rest, and what she calls "best shower of my life". She also noted that when stepping on to the scale, she was 30 pounds lighter than when she set off. Hmm... maybe I should row an ocean.

Last year, Roz began this epic journey by rowing from California to Hawaii. This year, her second stage was to take her from Hawaii to Tuvalu, but ocean currents, winds, and a variety of other conditions forced her further west, eventually to Tarawa. The RozTracker, her GPS tracking system, says that in her 104 days at sea, she traveled 3,158 miles, taking 1,335,834 strokes of the oars to do so.

For now, Roz will take a much deserved break before starting her planning for 2010, when she plans to row the final leg of the Trans-Pacific journey, going from Tarawa to Australia. When she is done, she'll have become the first woman to traverse the Pacific Ocean under her own power, and amazing feat that I have no doubt she'll see to its conclusion.

Congrats on finishing Stage 2 Roz! Thanks for bringing us all along for the ride.

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Ocean Rowing: Roz Changes Course

We'll stick with the nautical theme for the day, and check back in with Roz Savage, who I haven't written about for a few weeks time. Roz is still out on the water, and is still working away on the second stage of her attempt to row solo across Pacific, but it has not been easy for her in recent days, and circumstances have conspired against her, forcing her to change her course away from Tuvalu, her intended destination.

Conditions out on the water have been extremely challenging for Roz of late. Westward drift has pushed her further than she had expected, and even using the sea anchor has not been all that useful at halting her slide. Now normally, you'd be thinking "Isn't westward drift a good thing when crossing the Pacific?" and you would be right, unless you're trying to hit a very specific target, like the island nation of Tuvalu. Roz has now drifted so far west that it'll be almost impossible for her to continue moving south and reach that nation. So, in her latest dispatch, she has announced that she is no longer attempting to reach Tuvalu at all, and will instead head towards Tarawa, another tiny island in the Pacific.

This announcement is a bit disappointing for Roz, who had hoped to arrive in Tuvalu as a way of bringing awareness of global climate change to a nation that is already being directly effected by that change. But, Tarawa is now well within her sights, and is just 300 nautical miles away, meaning she should arrive in the next week or two. According to the RozTracker, she has now been at sea for more than 95 days and has traveled 2747 miles, using approximately 1,161,981 oar strokes to cover that distance.

So, it seems that Stage 2 of Roz's journey will come to an end soon. And with this change in location, her journey next year, on Stage 3, will be altered as well. But, such is the life of an ocean rower, who must adapt on the fly and be prepared for anything. Knowing Roz, I'm sure she'll have an optimistic spin on things and will take it all in stride. For now though, I'm sure she's just glad to be on her way to dry land again.

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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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Roz Update: Nearly A Month Out

It's hard to believe, but ocean rower Roz Savage has been out on the water for nearly a month already, as she continues her attempt to become the first woman to row solo across the Pacific Ocean. Having completed the first leg of the journey last year, rowing from San Francisco to Hawaii, she is now en route from Hawaii to Tuvalu, a distance of approximately 2620 miles.

Since we last checked in on Roz, she has had to deal with a variety of hardships, including problems with her onboard stereo. Now that probably seems like a minor thing to you and me, but consider how you'd feel sitting alone in your car, 24-hours a day, for three months, without your radio. (Not to mention in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but then why would you be in your car in the middle of the Pacific?)

Roz hasn't been completely alone while she's been rowing however. A few days back she had a few visitors in the form of flying fish that managed to leap onto the deck of her boat. She's also suffered her share of hardships, with an extremely sore bottom that took her out of commission for awhile, but gave her time to put together her list of 10 things she wants to do before she dies. As if she needs anything more to keep her busy. (FYI: The list is pretty great! I'd love to do most of those things too!) In today's blog update, she gives us her pet peeves of the Pacific as well, which include phantom noises, losing items on the boat, and the afore mentioned wonky stereo.

According to the Roz Tracker, our gal is now 798 miles into the journey and has taken more than 337,000 oar strokes. Her progress has been steady and sure for the most part and she seems on track to finish in the three months that was projected. The remaining two months may be very long if she doesn't get that radio fixed though.

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Roz Update: Roz Celebrates Ocean Day at Sea!

A few days before I set out for Australia, ocean rower Roz Savage set out on the second stage of her attempt to become the first woman to row solo across the Pacific Ocean. It has now been 16 days since she left Hawaii, and yesterdays she celebrated World Ocean Day in the best way possible, surrounded by the Pacific!

In her well updated blog, Roz talks about the journey so far, and her own appreciation for the ocean, which she has earned on a completed solo row across the Atlantic and her 2300+ mile first leg of the Pacific, which she completed last year. On that stage, she left San Francisco, and ended in Hawaii. This year she intends to go from Hawaii to Tuvalu. covering 2620 miles in the process. In 2010, she'll complete the journey, ending in Australia following another 2320+ mile row.

So far, Roz seems in good spirits, and is rowing strong. Checking out the wonderful RozTracker, we can see that she is now 434 miles into the stage, and has pushed the oars an estimated 183,582 times so far. She's already faced rough seas and challenging winds, but as is typical with Roz, she continues to wax philosophically about the environment, protecting the oceans, and the best audio books to row to.

Hopefully things will continue to go well, and in another 75 days, or so, she'll arrive in Tuvalu safe and sound. Until then, I'll continue reading her updates and feeling like a very lazy man.

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Roz Savage Sets Out Tonight! Watch Launch Live!

Roz Savage, the ocean rower who has already conquered the Atlantic, and completed the first stage of a trans-Pacific row, will set out tonight on the second stage of her journey, departing from Hawaii at 5:30 PM local time. She hopes to reach Tuvalu, some 2,620 mile across open water. If you tune into her website at the time of her launch, you'll be able to watch her set out over a live webcam. For reference, 5:30 PM Hawaii time is 11:30 PM Eastern Time here in the States.

Last year, Roz launched this project with her solo row from San Francisco to Hawaii, covering 2324 miles in the process. If everything goes according to plan, she'll be setting out from Tuvalu next year for the third, and final, stage that will end when she reaches Australia. In total, she'll have covered more than 7160 miles.

In preparation for the second stage of her adventure, Roz has recently relaunched her website, with all kinds of update and information, including a feed of her Twitter posts. Of particular interest in the weeks ahead will be the RozTracker, which is an awesome tool to find out exactly where Roz is at any given time.

Good luck Roz! We'll be following along. Be safe!

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Roz Savage Update: Roz Says 'Aloha' to Hawaii!

Last week I noted that Roz Savage was closing in on Hawaii and the completion of the first stage of her solo row across the Pacific. Today's entry into her blog , aptly titled "Aloha", lets us all know that she is now safely into Hawaii and getting her land legs back.

According to the post, Roz arrived in Hawaii and 5:55 AM local time on the 1st of September. The first stage of her journey took 99 days, 8 hours, and 55 minutes, and the last few hours were marked by a very rapid row into shore. In fact, it was so rapid that Roz beat her estimates and arrived in the wee hours of the morning, before any of the press were there to welcome her. She says that she arrived in Hawaii in much the same fashion as she had spent her time at sea, namely, all alone.

With this stage behind her, Roz will now return home, rest, and recuperate, before beginning the second stage of her journey, sometime next year, when she'll set out from Hawaii and make way for Tuvalu Island, a distance of some 2,620 miles. Then, in 2010, she'll complete the Pacific crossing by rowing from Tuvalu to Australia, an additional 2,324 miles.

Roz is now the first woman to row solo from California to Hawaii, and for that she should be incredibly proud. But I also know that this is only step one towards her goal, and it won't be long until she'll be looking ahead to her next stage. Congrats Roz! Job well done!

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Roz Savage Update: Hawaii In Sight!!

It's been awhile since I posted an update on Roz Savage, the adventurous woman attempting to become the first to paddle, solo and unsupported, across the Pacific Ocean.

Currently, she's 95 days into the first stage of her trip, and according to the latest update on her website, she has now passed the line of longitude of Hilo, meaning that she is nearing in on her destination of Waikiki on the island of Oahu. Roz says she can't quite see the island yet, but just knowing that it's close makes her feel better. She should make landfall in the next day or two, bringing a much deserved rest.

Roz is rowing the Pacific in stages, with Stage 1 consisting of a 2324 mile paddle from San Francisco to Hawaii. With that stage nearly wrapped up, she'll now come home and rest and recuperate before heading back out onto the water sometime next year to row from Hawaii to Tuvalu Island, a distance of 2620 miles. Finally, in 2010, she'll hit the Pacific waters one more time, and travel from Tuvalu to Australia, another 2324 miles. No word on whether or not when she reaches Australia, she ever plans on crossing another body of water ever again.

It's interesting to note, that in today's blog post, Roz says that she has been listening to Jules Verne's classic story Around The World in 80 Days. That seems like a fitting story for an adventure like this one. And I have to agree with her, seminal literary character Phileas Fogg is an excellent role model for the adventurer in all of us.

Congrats on reaching Hawaii Roz! You're one third of the way to your goal!

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Update on Roz Savage: 18 Days Out!

Roz Savage continues her Trans-Pacific row and is now 18 days into her second go at making an attempt to cross the Pacific Ocean under her own power and solo no less. You'll recall that she set out back on May 25th, departing from San Francisco with the intention of rowing to Hawaii.

Over the course of her first two and a half-weeks at sea, Roz has made some interesting posts in her blog. In her most recent post, she gets a bit philosophical about how her life has changed as she gave up her life in the corporate world to chase her dreams of adventure. I guess being alone on the water for a few weeks will inspire you to get philosophical! :) In other posts, she talks about getting lonely at sea (short answer: she doesn't!), answered the question of why she does what she does, and even celebrated World Oceans Day while at sea.

Of course, her posts also discuss a lot of her daily life aboard The Brocade named for her title sponsor as she talks about her gear, the rough seas, and generally how her day has gone as she works towards her goal. Roz will be solo rowing the Pacific in stages, with this being her first stage. Upon reaching Hawaii, she'll have completed 2324 miles and will then take a break before returning to the ocean in 2009 to row another 2620 miles from Hawaii to Tuvalu. Finally, in 2010, the final leg runs an additional 2324 miles from Tuvalu to Australia.

Roz is off to a good start so far. Hopefully she'll continue to have favorable weather and good conditions. Still a ways to go before she can rest though. I'll keep you updated.

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