Ocean safety seminar

I am back in Ohio after ocean training. I spent the past week cramming as much ocean rowing into my head as possible at an ocean safety seminar specifically to learn skills for ocean rowing. The week began with an overnight row on the Pacific with two aspiring ocean rowers, one previous ocean rower, and me. We were luckily visited by some sea lions and pelicans in the middle of the night (but I unfortunately slept through the dolphin spotting!). Just being on the ocean for one night reaffirmed my desire to row an ocean tenfold. There is something about the vastness of the ocean that strongly intrigues me. Its simplicity and tranquility is indescribable.

After the overnight row, I was in class the rest of the week learning about various areas including chart plotting, celestial navigation, first aid, VHF radio, life raft and survival suit drills, and more.  My favorite part of the week by far was meeting all the other aspiring ocean rowers. As a solo, independent rower, it’s rare to be able to meet other people who are interested in rowing oceans. It was an awesome mix of adventurers and explorers. I feel lucky to be able to come across such inspirational people. I met a man who climbed Everest and even a paraplegic woman, Angela Madsen, who crossed the Atlantic by oar-power a year ago!

All this ocean rowing stuff is starting to feel real. For so long it’s only an idea, only a dream. But this week I had a little taste of what it will be like to be that little speck on the blue.

Tagged as: katie spotz, ocean row, ocean rowing, solo row