Another late night entertaining guests. Noisy and messy ones. They flew by a bit after sunset, fought over a perching spot, and turned my boat into their nest for the night. It’s nice to meet these birds up close and personal. One picked a spot less than six inches away from me while I was rowing, clearly displaying no fear for humans. These late night visits have been more frequent and have proven my theory that it is simply not possible to sleep on this boat!
With less than two weeks until landfall, I have been kicking it up a notch and had my best week yet, one day rowing over 60 miles. Not sure if I am “zoning in” or “zoning out”, but I have certainly found a zone where I can just row and row and row. But I am still making time at the end of the day for the beautiful sunsets. Today, there were tons of dorados jumping out of the water after the sunset. Every thirty seconds or so, I would see one, sometimes several, emerge from the water and make a huge splash. Not very gracefully though; they jump several feet from the water and land right on their side, almost like a big belly-flop. They are big fish too, so I hear their splashing all the time. Actually, just heard some splashing now!
{ 53 comments }
WOW, Katie – that is so awesome that the birds would actually perch that close to you. How many humans do you think they have actually seen in their life that they would be so tame??!! Any idea what kind of birds?
It is so neat to see your position all the time on the map and now that you are getting so close to land, it is as if I can reach out and touch you and pull your boat to shore, but I guess that would kind of mess up the “rowing” part of the quest, wouldn’t it?
You are doing a FANTASTIC job and I am so proud of what you are accomplishing! Can’t wait to get to my class on Monday to tell them and show them the picture of the birds and to tell them that you are only about 2 weeks out. They will be SO excited. God speed.
It’s wonderful to hear about the wildlife keeping you company, and the intimate privilege you’ve been given to observe them just being what they are, doing what they do. Thank you for sharing these particular blessings of your journey with us. I am intrigued each time I visit to know what you’ve encountered. We sure do live in an awesome world, and what a reward at the end of your hard won day: the sun settling down upon the ocean.
“…And I think to myself, what a wonderful world…”
Yes, “what a wondeful world”…and thanks to people like you who care! I admire you Katie!! Best of the best!
Katie,you are truly an inspiration.Stay safe, and God’s speed
Katie,
As always, love to get your updates and see pix. It really feels like sharing a little of this amazing adventure. While I’ll be so glad for you to get home safe, I will miss looking in on you. Can’t wait to see what your next challenge will be (hope you keep blogging somewhere) and you definitely need to write a book about all your adventures and how you got into them (and just how you got to be who you are…).
: >
Continuing to pray for your safe return, lots of smooth sea and maybe even another visit from your dolphin friends!
God speed.
Alan and fam
“It’s the quintessential Greek sport: harmonious, competitive, agonizing, nautical, and above all, intelligent. It combines Odysseus’s brains and brawn and love of the sea with the tactical precision of the Spartan pikeman.” — Barry Strauss from Rowing Against the Current
See Katie, everyone that meets you wants to be your friend! Those little guys(birds) are cute, but I can’t say the same for those fish. You are doing great. Enjoy the weather because we are getting blasted with snow here.
I’ll check in on you later. Keep up the good work!
Hi Katie! I’m so glad we can somewhat take this big adventure with you, thank you for sharing it with everyone! I have learned so much. You are one of the strongest people I have ever met! Only 2 more weeks, so close! Your pictures are fantastic by the way! Take care!
Allison
Katie,
You continue to amaze me each day. I can’t imagine anyplace that one
could be so close to God and nature in the middle of the ocean alone
with them….and all the “friends”. Thank you so much for sharing it
all with us. You’re in my prayers for a safe completion.
Joan
Katie,
Heard you on Rosie Radio and can’t stop thinking about you. Shared your story with all my friends. We are all wishing you a safe journey-keep on rowing. You are an amazing woman.
New Friend,
Kelly
I agree with Allison and Alan. It is like we get to semi experience it too and I will definitely miss checking in on you:) It beats facebook any day anytime because its you! Almost there! I hope the birds encourage you to join in on their late night parties and dance away as you will need the practice in two week for when you have to walk again! lol
Katie,
Great interview with Rosie – you sound great – the boys loved hearing it. We miss you and are so excited you’ll be home soon. We’ve always been so proud of you and we’ll just add this adventure to the list of reasons why. Keep rowing, keep laughing, keep dancing and whatever else you need to do to finish and come home safely. Enjoy every minute beacuse very soon, “this will all be a memory”.
Katie
Heard you on Rosie and was amazed! we look forward to your post. Love the photos.We are up to our eye balls in snow so its nice to see the water and sea animals. Safe travels ! Ann & Kit McQueen Vail Co
How am I supposed to handle all the emotion of not only what you’re doing, but the comments written by those whose lives you’re touching? Just keep the nose north of 4 degrees 55 ‘ 60 “, be safe, carry on! With all the love and prayers we can muster,
Rick and Bev Barkley
my check of the Net says dorado jump, as they attack prey from below, and the attack carries them up out of the water. Being very powerful swimmers, they carry the distance you’re seeing, and feeling!
Katie,
You are an amazing young lady with abundant determination and courage.. Wishing you all the best and godspeed to your destination. Can’t wait to read your much anticipated book…..you are a modern-day-great explorer. Please be careful and stay healthy!.
60 miles in one day.
Great Job, Keep it up
I know you are almost finished rowing but I almos hate to see your adventure end
Tom L
Love the pictures and stories you are posting. only 2 more weeks! WOW!
amazing, inspiring, and unimaginable!! heard the interview on rosie-radio and now you are in my thoughts and part of my day!! as a mother and grandmother, i simply had to read the message that your mom posted. i loved her perspective so much, that i posted it to my profile fb page. love you and your mom!! i look forward to seeing you walking!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?
having lived in mentor until 1979 &having a mutial friend bobby taffie from your cross country bycle trip i feel like i know you you are truly a insperation to all who know about your quest god keep you safe and healthy
Katie!
You are truly a role model. We only can learn from someone like you. I admire your integrity:)))) Your almost there and am looking forward to your success. Go Katie Go!
Katie you are amazing. I too heard you on Rosie’s show and have forwarded your web site to family and friends. You are promoting a very worthwhile cause. Blessings and safe journey.
Katie
Sheli sent me the link to the Rosie show – you were too cool and they were so impressed as r we…..keep going – someday my Paige will read about you blazing the way for other women to break that glass ceiling – you have put loads of cracks in it – bust through – God’s speed and keep going! You are in our prayers….
Kathy Robinson
You are an amazing inspiration and example for humanity! Your dedication, courage, and sheer drive are second to none. You will be soon in an ‘elite club’. Congratulations!
Katie,
We listened to your interview with Rosie and it was awesome. You are an inspiration to all of us daily. The kids at day care love hearing your stories and seeing the pictures. Your qualities of strength, determination,
compassion and faith are amazing. Keep up the good work! We will celebrate when you come home! It was great to hear your voice!
More than 3 years ago Katie call me and said she had an idea of rowing solo across the Atlantic as a fund raiser for BPR. I said great and expected that would be the last I would hear from her. I had no idea that this was a woman with the will to do. From idea, to learning, to training, getting sponsors, creating website, government regulations, transportation. publicity, speaking engagment, how much food (half a million calories), drinking water, the list of things she had to do was a mile long. You name, she did it. And like rowing solo across the Atlantic, Katie has done all this on her own. Alone on the Atlantic in a 19 foot row boat. I stand in awe of what she has and is doing. And she is 22.
see: http://rowforwater.com/
To get an insight into this woman’s interior see these two sites: http://rowforwater.com/archives/1235/ and http://rowforwater.com/archives/1251/
Katie is from Mentor, Ohio and she is a mentor for all of us.
I have and am asking family, friends, colleagues, neighbors and others who find Katie’s story inspiring to send it to their email lists and request that they do the same. With enough buzz maybe Katie will be on the Oprah show.
Take care,
Jin
founder/chairman
blue planet run foundation
Ah Katie…
Just wait till you get back to land!
It’ll be like stepping out of the dark and into the light. Like when Dorothy in the ‘Wizard of Oz’ opens the door of her home and the world goes from black and white to vivid color. You will see and hear everything anew. Everything will seem extraordinary and you will experience it as if you were born again (at least after some good sleep, lol).
Just wait till you smell flowers and plants and the smell of cooked foods again. All will be an absolute delight. And people… You will want to bear-hug the first person you see and delight in being alive and connected to others again.
And the tears of joy will flow like rain…
I can’t wait for you to experience these and many other things as well.
Please be vigilant as you near the shipping lanes and take many rest brakes to keep your mind alert. Don’t let the anticipation of landfall make you drop your guard at all. And don’t rush, for the world ‘must’ wait for Katie to return safely.
Stay Safe!
P.S. Congrats on reaching your fundraising goals!!!
Hi Katy.
About the pic:
One Booby, two Booby
Land Booby, poo Booby
BAD Booby, shoo Booby!
Pesky little beggars, sometimes, who like to leave a mess on solar panels among other places. IF I ever do some more deep sea paddling, perhaps I’ll take a water cannon with me. Boobies are very bold devils; even had one snatch a sandwich from my hand.
You are doing a FANTASTIC row and I put you right up there with Roz Savage and Sarah Outen!
Ron
We’ve followed you all the way, Katie. So impressed by your steady understated progress across the ocean. If we didn’t know otherwise we could be fooled into thinking it was all a walk in the park. It’s all been said so many times before you all your followers who’ve put comments on the website, but it bears repeating – you are an inspiration and your story has relevance to us all.
I came across this quotation just now and thought of you: “Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory”. Ghandi.
All three are yours already; your landing is the icing on the cake, for you and everyone who’s lives are so bound up with your adventure, and the time when we all start the next stage of our lives, changed in varying degrees by your journey.
I know the hardest times can be when you are “so near and yet, so far” but it’s still, as throughout the crossing, a case of each stroke you take bringing you closer to the biggest moment of your life so far – and judging by your tracker, each of your strokes is a pretty powerful one.
Keep safe and, as Mike says, don’t drop your guard, until you’ve safely navigated your first staircase after leaving your boat!!
Kit and Graham Williams (UK)
PS I really like the new look website with all the photos.
I noticed the last several days, her heading seems to have her more on course for a spot of land roughly 100 miles south of Cayenne or even possibly far north Brazil. Her position is already south of Cayenne by about the same distance. Can Sam or anyone one else confirm if her planned destination is still Cayene or just the closest land? I know the closest land would save her some rowing but may be no facilities for the boat. Of course Katie if you see this in time you can answer also. Good luck through the remainder of your journey.
Katie:
Keep your eyes open, I checked the map and you are less than an inch from shore.
UncleRichard
Wow!
You have come so far! Are those fish really that big? Wow! How did you come up with that hypothesis? It’s very interesting!
Keep on Keepin’ on
I really enjoy following your progess. The birds are great companions for you along the way. Stay safe.
Bob,
We’re currently assessing all the options for possible landfall, and a decision should be made shortly (although that is always subject to change, depending on what happens that is completely out of our control). While there are several possibilities, we’re not expecting Katie to land further south than Cayenne, as there is a current of water that flows north-west up the South American coast. Katie will hit it very soon and it should, we hope, bring her comfortably back up towards Cayenne or beyond.
Sam
Hi! I’m Courtney. I’m 10 years old-almost 11. You are a fascinating person. My math teacher showed me this website. I’m glad that the birds keep you company, but do you ever miss human contact? To keep yourself busy, do you listen to music while rowing? My math teacher said you have to eat 8,000 calories a day to keep your energy up. WOW! I just looked at your Twitter. I never knew that it takes a drop of water that long to circulate around the earth. I hope your bird friends keep following you. Keep up the good work!
-Courtney K.
Wow I would be kind of freaked out if those birds were right next to me trying to eat the fish but I am kind of a wimp. I also would be freaked out if those heavy fish just jumped up and slapped me with their fins. I really love this blog and I think it’s cool how you are on just a row boat rowing on the oceans I would be way to scared to do that! You must have a lot of guts!
Dear Katie,
I think it is so amazing what you are doing to raise awareness. Your journey is amazing. It is also great how you are posting things on the internet so people can be updated. These updates make it easier to understand that you are actually doing this! How do you get internet connection if your in the middle of the ocean? When I saw on the website that you rowed 60 miles I could not even fathom it! I was wondering if you usually keep a steady pace, go fast, or go slow. My math teacher showed me this website and I’m so glad she did. What your doing is amazing!
Good luck on the rest of your journey,
Tess
Hi my name is kayla. Wow you are amazing!! How do these adventures influence your life? how often do you sleep? How much more did you learn about the ocean? What type of animals do you see? I would be so scare if all those birds where flying around me. I think you are very inspiring you are a real risk taker.
HI! Wow, you are so inspiring! with all those sea creatures around me i would have passed out! i can not believe how much you row a day!!! its incredible! i hope your “visitors” are good company! good luck on your travels!!!! i hope more people can do this amount of good someday!
Dear Katie,
I am 10 years old. My math teacher showed our class this website. You are a very amazing girl. I can certainly tell you care alot about others. I probably wouldn’t be able to do something like what you are doing right now, but I hope I can do it when I am older so I can help others. I used to think I did difficult things for others but now I know that those things are nothing compared to what you do. I wonder what you are going to do after you cross the Atlantic. I can’t wait to here about other amazing things I predict you will do in the future!
-Peyton
P.S. Goodluck on the rest of the way!
Hello, I am Gina! Like Tess H and Courtney, my math teacher showed me this site, too (we have the same one). Your journey is really amazing, and only in a 19ft boat! How do you cope, because I know I would want to be around people. I was wondering about some things. How do you get internet or cell phone service in the middle of nowhere? I love the blog and it’s very well written. Would the animals ever try to hurt you (sharks or other defensive water things), or could they be dangerous? I am sure it is beautiful out there, and I hope you’re safe.
~Gina C
Dear Katie,
Hi, I’m Isabella. I’m also 10 years old. I think it is really awesome that you can be alone for that long of a time, because I could never last one hour without someone else being with me. Do you ever think about doing something else when you are rowing? If so, what is it? Do you get enough sleep, because from what I’ve seen you row 10 hours a day? I hope you succeed in completing your journey.
Wish you luck,
Isabella
Hi Kaitie!
I am Annie. I am 10. You inspire me sooooo much! How can you go across the atlantic ocean all by yourself? Do you ever get sick? Do you ever get tired of rowing? I couldnt last a day on the ocean! The birds sound like they would realy keep me compony! Have you ever got bit by a shark or whale? Are you exited to go home? Wish you luck!!!!!!!!
-Annie cohen
Dear Katie,
Hi! I’m Meryl and like many of these other followers you have my math teacher showed me your website today and I grew very interested in what you do. It’s so amazing how you have come up with a creative, fun way to make awareness about the shortage of water around the world. You made me realize how lucky I am to have water when I need it and also made we want to help! It’s great how you have been able to inspire so many different people like myself. What inspired you to do this? I mean to be honest, I never would have thought of something like this much less be able to achieve it! I can hardly row 11 miles in 2 days with my family! Good luck on the rest of you adventure!
Meryl
Hello my name is Samantha, I am in 5th grade and I am 10 years old. I think it is really great what you are doing because you are making sure that people have “safe drinking water that they need”. I am really impressed on what you have done. You are not only helping the foundation to raise money, but you are also helping the people. Someday I would like to help the world in some way, similar as what you are doing now. Good luck in the rest of your trip.
Hi Katie!
In my math class my teacher has shown up what youare doing on your journey across the atlantic. I think it is very interesting that you have the determination and drive to complete this long enduring journey. I think you are a great romodel for kids all over the world because you are showing that one person can do something to help so many others if they just put their mind to it. I will continue to follow you on your journey through your website, so keep posting and be safe your almost done!
-Sylvia
Hi! I’m Lauren and just like Gina and everyone else my math teacher is showing me this website. I cannot believe you are rowing 8 hours a day! Not to mention that you are all by yourself in the middle of the ocean! I wouldn’t be able to survive by myself in the middle of no where! I think its incredible how you are out in the middle of the ocean by yourself rowing 8 hours a day just to raise awareness for people who are literally out there dying because they don’t have any clean water to drink or cook with. You inspire me so much. When i grow up i hope that the whole world will have clean drinking water thanks to you.
Dear Katie,
I’m a fifth grade student and my math teacher introduced me to this website. I was truly amazed reading about all your interests and accomplishments. I wish you success and I’m sure you’ll be a positive influence on young students like me as far as determination and perseverance is concerned. In the last two months, what was your most adventurous and/or exciting day like ? Stay safe and good luck!
Nidhi
Dear Katie,
Hi! I know you must be exhausted with from your journey and from all my fellow classmates but I am also in Mrs. Frank’s math class. I strongly support what you are doing. My mother had gone to Haiti before the earthquake with a group from our church to dig a well so that the people of Haiti could have safe, clean water to drink. My mother loves what you are doing and I think it’s brave too. You’ve almost reached your goal! Land is in sight!
My sincere wishes for safe passage,
Ellen
Hello Katie!
Keep on pull’n! Won’t be long now! I wish I could be there to cheer you into port
@ Sam- Are you going to be there to witness history in the making? You’d better have a fresh shot of lemongrass and some fresh squeezed, ice cold juice ready for Katie when she lands or you might just get hit with an oar
(Especially since I just put that idea in Katie’s head, lol)
Hi Katie
I am so glad that your trip has been a success! The gang here at aquidneck checks on you mostly everyday and we are so proud of your achievement!
Thanks so much for thinking of us and taking the time to shoot us a note.
Keep rowing you’re almost there!
Kyle & The rest of the crew at Aquidneck Custom
Comments on this entry are closed.