April finally arrived after a six-month winter slog – I can finally go out without wearing the entire contents of my wardrobe. Morale is up.
My preparations for my row across the Atlantic Ocean in the World’s Toughest Row is well under way.
Physically, I’m more or less back to normal with six training sessions a week. This comes after a few months of injuries and illness (nothing serious, but it still stopped training). I feel quite good – not injury free, but good. I have tennis elbow and this means I can’t do weight training. Well, I can but with caution (probably won’t).
With the weather showing signs of summer, I even managed to get rowing on the water – felt very good. It’s always so nice to be on water. So all good on that front.
As my prep goes on, I am realising why ocean rowers say that getting to the start line is the hardest part.
I am now trying to get all the paperwork done to get the boat I have ordered into the country – it’d be difficult in English, but in German it is pretty tough going. You might think that the Swiss are not very helpful, but they are. Really.
Despite that, getting everything done is like trying to get a baby shark to wear her bib and eat her breakie – difficult, but doable with some patience, a wetsuit and my super cool diving knife (not to harm her, of course, just to wave it around a little).
I’m also planning a trip to the UK to collect my boat, plus a trip to the south of France for sea training – very fun indeed.
Before that, I’ll be speaking to the nice people at Rannoch Adventures to get my boat sorted. More fun. The current biggest problem is to get a number plate for the trailer that carries the boat – it’s actually more complicated than it should be.
Cross Rower is taking on the World’s Toughest Row as a solo in December 2025. The 3,000-mile (4,800km) from La Gomera in Spain to Antigua will see him face adverse weather conditions, loneliness and sore muscles. So far, 44 teams have registered for the race (including nine other fantastic solos). If you want to support Steve, please click here. Every little helps.
