Katie Spotz, 22, Finishes Solo Row Across Atlantic

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San Francisco (GaeaTimes.com) – Are you nuts? – This was Katie Spotz’s fathers first reaction when he came to know that his daughter’s plan was to Row Across Atlantic by herself. I would say, his father was pretty reasonable. Now, what would you call this 22 year old lady who has just completed the solo row across Atlantic, yes, a real Ocean. Is she nuts? – This was also my first reaction when I heard that she has arrived at Georgetown, Guyana, 2,817 miles across Atlantic, 70 days later when she set off on January 3 in her rowboat in Dakar, Senegal and started rowing. All the problems came her way. Wind and currents were so strong toward the end of her journey that she had to change her route. That added an extra 400 miles to her route. She had trouble in sleeping. (I can imagine how it feels to sleep in a rowboat in the open ocean!) She was hit by 20 foot waves and that moment she feared that her 19 foot boat would capsize in the middle of the ocean. This achievement makes her the youngest person to row an entire Ocean.

You’re in a situation that you can’t escape, so you really have to dig deep.

She said.

She packed enough freeze dried meals, granola and dried fruits for 110 days and was equipped with a GPS device and a satellite phone. She was in contact with her friend who rowed Atlantic in 2008. The boat had a solar panel which powered the device to take the salt out of ocean water and make that drinkable. The also had her iPod with her on which she listened to audio books.