Every time I write, it is the time for me to stop and take stock of the past week or weeks. I was away on business, so it’s been some time since my last blog.
I have been following socials and am happy to see that the teams in my year (Atlantic 2025) seem to be making good progress. First open-water rows are being done, sponsors secured, obligatory training done, and more.
Then I look at my efforts and am not sure whether to laugh, cry, or crawl up in a corner and hope the world swallows me up whole. Now, I assure you that this won’t turn into a rant.
It’s just that while other competitors are training, practicing, collecting their boats, getting fit, and doing all the other things that need doing (there’s a ton), I am still struggling to get a number plate for the trailer that will carry my boat. A number plate is scuttling my row preparations.
It may seem like the easiest thing and I can’t get one. A bloody number plate. I should be worrying about getting in my qualifying hours done not wondering how to get the boat home.
Before you ask, the company providing it can’t help, getting in touch with the UK agency that deals with these things (DVLA) is nigh impossible, it’s not allowed to use Swiss plates (no idea why), and even a person I know pretty well in the UK flatly refused to help.
I also asked on the FB page for ocean rowers and someone there suggested a person in Bern, who liked the post and sent a friend request. I accepted and then sent him a mail, which he never answered before unfriending me. I mean, why do people do that? He could have just done nothing, right?
Now, there might be some hope in the form of the son of a colleague who lives in London. If that fails, I’ll have bought an extremely expensive paperweight which is sitting in a field somewhere in the UK.
Surprisingly, I’m quite confident this will work. If not, it’s Plan B – put the boat on my trailer, and then put them both onto another trailer. It’ll look silly, but at least I’ll have a boat. Otherwise, it’ll be an Atlantic swim…
What’s this all about?
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.