Don’t forget we are a friendly bunch who love Ocean Rowers so just pick up the phone and ask any questions you wish – we don’t charge anything for phone advice. We think everyone who undertakes and Ocean Row is a hero and will always do everything we can do to help!  

Call us on  01981 500 761  

Ocean Rowing Training – on and off the water. 

How to prepare your body, mind and how to make your boat go faster for longer. Training in your boat or one of ours. How to row in an ocean and how to add boat speed through some simple set-up and body techniques. 

£25 per hour + Travel costs and accommodation if required – 4 hour minimum – in your boat. £500 per day (1 day minimum) to use our boats.   

Boat, Kit and food buying services 

Because we buy frequently from our suppliers we can apply our massive discounts to your kit and food. Give us your shopping list and we’ll go and get it all – or we can help you with what your shopping list should include if you wish. 

We can also rent you most kit as well.  

We can give any boat you are thinking of buying thorough inspection and background check before you commit to buy. 

Buying – £ Part of the ‘Support’ Package 

Boat Inspection: £25 per hour + Travel costs and accommodation if required – 4 hour minimum.   

Installation and testing of electrics 

We can install your electrics for you and test them for you explaining to you how everything is done as we go along. 

£25 per hour + Travel costs and accommodation if required – 4 hour minimum.  

General Installations 

Installation and explanation of any Ocean Rowing Kit. 

£25 per hour + Travel costs and accommodation if required – 4 hour minimum.   

Repairs 

Any repairs in Carbon, Fibreglass, Ply, or sandwich construction boats undertaken and explained. 

£25 per hour + Travel costs and accommodation if required – 4 hour minimum. 

Support services 

We can support your independent voyage with our vast bank of expertise from start to finish – We can adapt to any budget. 

From £500 - £15000 

Tactical Weather Routing 

Weather is everything …. If you want an edge against competitors we can give you access to some of the best names in business + our own support with some data that is not yet generally available. 

From £500  

Fundraising/PR 

Tactics that work to get your show on the road and keep your sponsors happy. 

Please call to discuss costs but we’ll make you more than we charge – we’ll guarantee that! 

Medical 

We have first aid courses of varying degrees available and comprehensive ‘on ocean’ medical support as an option too. 

We can also supply Standard Ocean Rowing Medical kits or medical kits build to your specification. 

From £500 

Sea Survival 

We have courses available on Sea Survival Geared towards Ocean Rowing. 

From £200 per head 

Watermaker maintenance and repair  

Learn about YOUR watermaker – basic operation, ’eccentricities’, proper installation, maintenance and repair. 

How to cope without your watermaker. 

Day course from £500.   

Structured Training Weekends 

Join our teams for some heart pounding weekends/long weekends in Scotland, England and Ireland. These weekends have little to do with ocean rowing but will prepare you well and test you to the limit mentally and physically – sleep depravation, short rations, impossible tasks, meeting with success and failure, and dealing with dynamic and moving targets. These weekends are full of adrenaline, endurance and twists. We will give you a written and verbal assessment of your performance and let you know if there are any areas to be worked on. 

If you wish add an SAS style Hunter/Killer/Interrogation option (just for fun!) our ex SAS instructors are only too happy to assist – not for the faint hearted! 

From £400 per head.  

All prices Exclude VAT where VAT is applicable

     21 Jan 09

 A quick update to say that all went very well today after a last minute change in that the crew were landed at Algeciras in Spain brought to this port by launch from Island Ranger.  Very quickly again the Governor’s Office in Gibraltar went in to action and contacted the British Consulate in Malaga and the Gibraltar Police spoke to the Port Authorities in Algeciras and offered assistance if necessary.  The British Consul in Florence also contacted the Consulate in Malaga.  All of this was of huge help and the crew were all treated extremely well and were processed swiftly.  Thanks to this all of them got their flights back home today apart from Leven.  A grateful thanks also to the Captain & Crew of the ‘Island Ranger’.  These people were very kind and made their passengers as comfortable as possible.  Also G & J  Macpherson S L were extremely helpful, very many thanks to them too.

      19 Jan 09

 With a bit of luck the crew of La Mondiale will be home by Wednesday evening.  They received the good news today that ‘Island Ranger’ was landing them at Gibraltar.  They were originally going to Ravenna in Italy and the assistance received from the British Consulate in Florence has been second to none.  On hearing that the plans had changed to land the crew at Gibraltar the British Consul turned her attention to directing information to the Government Office in Gibraltar who were equally of help.  Plans were put in place to make the formalities as easy as possible for these men, so many people have offered to help that it is quite overwhelming and we are extremely grateful.

18 Jan 09

Thanks to all the good wishes that everyone has sent and for all the phone calls received by family and friends of the crew enquiring about their well-being. It seems like an age since 15 Jan 09.  All the crew have settled on board ‘Island Ranger’ en route to Italy.  The night of the 15^th will no doubt leave an indelible imprint on these men.  The memory of having to clamber up a15 metre rope net onto the bulk carrier in gale forces winds and huge swells in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean will not be easily erased.  What a sad ending to an expedition that started with such promise.  After the rudder was sheared off by the unseen object below the surface of the waves, a jury rudder made from the dagger board.  This rudder was fixed in place but with strong weather conditions prevailing, it started to fray and with little possibility of a further repair, the decision was then made to abort the expedition.  

Ocean rowing is an extreme sport and there are many dangerous aspects to it but the unseen danger is indeed the worst.  As yet, there is no warning equipment on the market to locate this type of hazard.  Unseen objects are a huge danger to all shipping alike, even larger craft can fall victim if they hit a stray container which has been lost overboard from a bulk carrier.  Any inventors out there reading this?

15 JAN 09 

 

LEVEN AND TEAM HAVE MADE A MUTUAL DECISION TO ABORT THIS EXPEDITION AND IT HAS BEEN ARRANGED THAT A 24,000 TON BULK CARRIER ‘ISLAND RANGER’ WILL PICK THE CREW UP AND IS SCHEDULED TO BE WITH THEM AT APPROXIMATELY 20.00HRS THIS EVENING AND TAKE THEM TO ITALY.     

AT PRESENT THEY ARE DRIFTING WITHOUT STEERING AND LITTLE POSSIBILITY OF REPAIR.  THE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE GRIM WITH GALE FORCE WINDS AND 8 METRE SEAS AND IT IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE THIS WAY FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT WEEK.  WITH THE WEATHER & CIRCUMSTANCES THIS DECISION IS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION.

EVERYONE IS SAFE BUT ALL THESE MEN WILL BE DEVASTATED THAT THIS EXPEDITION HAS TO FINISH ON THIS NOTE ESPECIALLY AS EVERYTHING HAD BEEN GOING SO WELL BUT SAFETY MUST COME FIRST AND ALTHOUGH IT IS SAD FOR THEM THERE IS NO ADVENTURE WITHOUT THE ELEMENT OF RISK.  BE PROUD OF THIS CREW, NOT MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THESE EXTREME CONDITIONS, THEY WILL ALL BE STRONGER FOR IT.

 

 NEWS RELEASE

15January, 2009
Press Notice: Duty 1
OCEAN ROWERS HAVE TO ABORT RECORD ATTEMPT
	Falmouth Maritime and Rescue Coordination Centre are currently coordinating the search and rescue of ‘La Mondiale’ the British ocean rowboat and its 14 crew. ‘La Mondiale’ is attempting to break the current record by rowing from Gran Canaria to Barbados, with the overall intention of raising £1 million for charitable causes.The Coastguard received a call this morning at 10.21am informing them that the rowboat had lost its rudder after hitting a submerged object 280 miles North West of Cape Verde, a temporary rudder had been rigged up but had now failed them.Martin Bidmead, Watch Manager, Falmouth Maritime and Rescue Coordiantion Centre, said:“We have been able to talk to the crew which consists of several nationalities: British, Scottish, Irish, Canadian and Faroese. They are all safe and well, they are not in a situation of distress only the boat is disabled. But the weather conditions on scene for the next few days will not allow them to make the repairs to the rudder. A Bulk Carrier ‘Island Ranger’ on passage from Brazil to Italy is currently making its way to the rowboat and is expected on scene at 8:00pm to offer assistance.”
	Notes to Editors: The ‘Trade Winds’ Row from Gran Canaria to Barbados started Sunday 4th January 2009 at 18.00hrs.  Ocean Row Events (ORE) is a company set up to try to raise £1 million for charitable causes over the next five years. ORE acquired the record breaking French boat ‘La Mondiale’ from the ever-supportive Ocean Rowing Society. For further information visit: www.oceanrowevents.com
For further information please contactMaritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office, on:(023) 8032 9401
Press releases and further information about the Agency is available on the Web at www.mcga.gov.uk

        14 Jan 09

20.50hrs  -  Artemis – La Mondiale is on her way again  Just got news this minute heard that THEY ARE ON THE MOVE AGAIN. These stalwart men have completed a job at sea in the toughest of conditions which on quiet seas would have been difficult enough.  Leven and Livar are helming which will be a test of physical strength to hold a course but they are both strong.  Thank God for this.  More later.

Ryan’s blog has just come in from this morning.   Think everyone should read this.

Day 10 10:08am - Just a quick mail - thanks to steph and all mates, family and students for big support.  regular blog will return when we get going again.  At the moment we’re in a position of putting in a new rudder. 3 characteristics needed to be successful.  

1. how you prepare

2. how you compete

3. how you react to set backs.  

People are standing up and being counted on this last one - Skip, Don, Livar, Matty, Yaakov, - all good on the technical end.

          13 JAN 09

16.30 hrs  -  Just had a message from Leven.  They have had to deployed their Sea Anchor as unfortunately they have lost their rudder due to hitting an underwater object, either a container or a whale.  THEY ARE ALL SAFE AND IN GOOD SPIRITS. The wind is strong and blowing about 25knots so have to wait until it slackens.  They are taking stock and will try to effect a repair as soon as possible but this may take 2 to 3 days.  I have to emphasise that they are all fine but probably as sick as parrots as they were going so well.    More later.

LATER 

20.00hrs  -  Whatever the submerged object was, it was large.  The rudder was sheared off at water level.  Having taken stock of the situation, a new rudder has been made but at the moment it is impossible to fit it into position as it is dark and the ocean swells are running 4 to 6 metres and the wind is still strong.  To make a positive of the present situation this period  of forced inactivity will allow the team to rest thro’ the night.  Daylight & sea conditions allowing, they will hopefully rig the makeshift rudder and get going as soon as possible  These men are the best and have all showed true grit and soon will be getting on regardless of all this inconvenience. 

         11 Jan 09 

The crew have rowed over a hundred miles today again and hope that this is the start of several ‘100’s to better last year’s Record of nine consecutive days of over one hundred miles.  To better the Record for the ‘most’ miles rowed in one day they must row over 117 miles.  The wind is on the increase tonight and these men are highly motivated so keep glued to the ORS.  Lots of ‘Good Luck’ messages are coming thro’ now which is great for the guys when they are out there on the Ocean.  Thanks to all who are sending them. 

       10 Jan 09 

All the messages that you are sending are of great encouragement to the Team. ‘Thank you’. 

At last, after a very hard slog the boys have reach the ‘TRADE WINDS’,  now free from crosswinds & seas, this has been a real boost, today as they covered 102 miles in 24 hours.  Seasickness has passed and there is a lot of banter on board (it’s no wonder with five Irish men aboard!) which keeps the spirits up, all the men have settled into a good routine with their shifts and every mile they pull is a mile closer to achieving their goal.  Pete quotes from Mandela in his Blog today “even the most fantastic dreams can be achieved if we are prepared to endure life’s challenges”.   To beat last year’s amazing Record is certainly is a huge challenge but it seems that every  member of this strong crew is up for it!   2500 miles to Barbados!

7 Jan 09    Heavy seas pounding the boat  on the beam and the Starboard rowers got soaked.  Port side boys luckier and not so wet for them! Friday forecasts it to be a tough day so we have changed course slightly to miss the worst of it but Saturday promises to be better.  We are doing a steady 3- 3.5 knots so should maintain a reasonable mileage.  Had a VHF conversation today with a ship called ‘Geja c’ perhaps a cable laying ship, we had to ask them to change course for us, which they did and they wished us luck for our Record attempt.  Thanks for all the good messages they are encouraging and much appreciated!

keep looking »

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