EXPEDITION EQUIPMENT

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About the Cycling Equipment

Julie and Colin will once again be using Norco Performance bicycles for the final 7500 km leg home.

The Norco Bigfoot bicycles, used from Vancouver to Lisbon, Portugal, held up flawlessly, travelling through some of the world's roughest terrain, and definitely the world's coldest temperatures. These bikes aren't conventional touring bikes, but are in fact designed for rough trail riding. No conventional touring bikes would make it through the rigors of deepest Siberia, so instead these burly hard tails were used.

Now that the roads ahead are expected to be smoother, Julie and Colin will be using Norco VFR 2 commuting bikes. The team are planning to average between 200 and 250 km per day, which means it is extremely important to cut back on any unnecessary gear, and to keep the bikes light. The VFR series are composed of durable lightweight bikes designed to be extremely fast, but also comfortable. The bikes will be fitted with Axiom lightweight racks, along with tough-as-nails Axiom featherweight panniers to carry their gear.

There's no point having fast, lightweight bikes if you're spending half the time fixing them. This doesn't happen with Canadian designed Norco bikes.

About the Bering Sea Boat

Generally when we tell people that we plan on rowing a boat across two oceans the reaction is disbelief. Although not an easy task, it is not as dangerous as people might imagine.

What makes a boat seaworthy is not its size, but its design and integrity. An extreme example of a small, seaworthy vessel is a corked bottle. This buoyant object will survive the biggest of hurricanes. Essentially the same principals of an unsinkable bottle can be applied to a rowboat. The boat needs a sealed cabin, self-draining cockpit and ballast to bring it back upright if the seas are large enough to flip it over. A well-designed boat can flip end over end, drop off 30 foot waves and it will stay on the top of the ocean.

Since there is not a large market for offshore rowboats we had two options: we could custom-make a boat at a cost of almost $40,000 dollars or we could look for a boat that was designed for a different application and modify it to be an ocean rower.

We chose the latter option and purchased an “18 trailer sailer. The inherent qualities that make a boat good for both sailing and being towed behind the family sedan also make it an ideal vessel for rowing. Such a boat is designed to be both strong and light, move easily through the water, and to provide a weather-tight cabin to shelter the occupants. As well they have retractable, ballasted keels, which can be lowered in stormy conditions to increased stability and self-righting characteristics.

Our newly acquired “rowboat” cost a fraction of a custom built vessel and we have the added advantage of the benefits that come with mass production. Of course the boat is designed for sailing, and several modifications had to be made to make it an ideal rower. These include:

1. Lowering the cockpit cowling (the walls around the area you sit) in order to have the oars positioned at the correct angle.
2. The addition of heavy-duty oarlocks. It is essential to have oarlocks tough enough to withstand weeks of rowing in heavy seas.
3. Further reinforcing and sealing of the cabin. Hatches, entrances, etc have to be fibreglassed or strengthened to make the boat 100% waterproof. It is important that no water leaks into the boat when it is inverted.
4. Removal of the mast and other unnecessary hardware on the deck that increases windage and raises the centre of gravity.
   

About the Atlantic Ocean Boat

We wanted to use the same boat that crossed the Bering Sea for our row across the Atlantic Ocean but it proved too difficult to ship it out of Russia in time for our Atlantic crossing. Instead we have purchased a 24 foot ocean rowboat.

The rowboat is specifically designed to deal with the rough conditions encountered on the open ocean. At 24ft long (7.1 meters), this marine plywood rowboat measures 6.3 ft (1.9 meters) at its widest and weighs 750 kg when fully loaded. The hull is divided into two watertight compartments with the rear or aft compartment providing just enough room for one person to stretch out and sleep, while the forward compartment is used primarily for storage.

In the event of a storm that is too severe for rowing, Julie and Colin can both retreat into the aft compartment. The disposition provided by this area along with the forward stowage area ensures that the boat is self righting and largely self draining.

The boat design, Woodvale Pairs, was created in 1995 by British boat builders. This rowboat has proven itself to be the most popular ocean rowing boat and has been used in 81 crossings on the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Equipment for the Atlantic Ocean Row

To row across the Atlantic Ocean will take approximately 100 days and we need to be entirely self supported throughout that time. This includes carrying enough food for the entire journey, as well as repair materials, first aid supplies, communication equipment, etc.

Food
Having the right amount of food is critical. Too much food will weigh down the boat unnecessarily and slow its progress, while not enough can be risky if the row takes longer than expected. The strenuous activity of rowing 24 hours a day (12 hours each in 2 hour shifts) requires a lot of energy and each person will need to consume approximately 5000 calories daily. It is estimated that 200kg of food will be brought on board. Even by eating more than twice as much consumed normally, weight loss is usually inevitable and it is expected that we may lose about 15-20 pounds each.

The types of food eaten will be primarily freeze dried meals that are high in nutrients, quick to prepare and won't spoil. Other quick foods that don't require cooking such as chocolate bars, fruit bars and energy bars are also ideal. It is important to have some foods that can be eaten without cooking as it is likely that there will be days when the ocean conditions are too rough to cook.

Solar Panels
Solar panels will be used to power the navigation and communication equipment. Solar energy will be used to recharge the batteries, which will be a constant source of power.

Watermaker
A reverse osmosis water maker will be used to convert sea water to drinkable fresh water. Although the boat will carry a supply of fresh water, it will not be able to carry enough for the entire duration of the trip. Water will be needed not only for drinking but also to rehydrate the meals. The hot weather and strenuous physical activity makes it crucial that we stay well hydrated.

Navigation Equipment
A global positioning system (GPS) will be used to pinpoint our position and ensure that we stay on course. We will also carry two backup GPSs in case of equipment failure.

Communication Equipment
We will carry a satellite phone, VHF radio, EPIRB, and laptop. The satellite phone will allow us to communicate with our support team, while the VHF radio will be used for short range communications. The laptop computer will enable us to send and receive messages via the satellite phone system. The EPIRB, emergency position indicating rescue beacon, will only be used in a dire emergency where a rescue is required. When the EPIRB is activated, it sends out a constant signal to rescuers that provides the location of the vessel.

Other Safety Equipment
We will have an extensive first aid kit, life-jackets and a safety harness, which will be used to secure the rower to the boat in adverse weather. The boat will also be equipped with a two-man life raft in case of an emergency.