James Ketchell

Solo Atlantic rower in his boat Speedo!

Speedo sponsored rower James Ketchell is attempting to row the Atlantic in aid of the NSPCC. He left port on Tuesday 5th Janaury in his boat named Speedo, and is embarking on the 3,000 mile adventure alone. He will be wearing products from the Speedo range to help him on his way. James is keeping us updated on his progress and here is the latest…

UPDATE 7

Atlantic Rower- Less than 300 miles to go!

Day 97

I'm pleased to report progress over the last few days has been good. I think the extra rations and chocolate are helping. In fact I know they are. Conditions have been rough though for a few days now. Large waves breaking over the boat makes it difficult to sleep at night. I'm always wondering is this going to be the one that completely wipes me out. Luckily I've been ok so far. This morning I had the hatch open while I was doing some cooking and a wave came right over the back of the boat and into the cabin. It didn't take long to dry out though.

Yesterday I had to get the waterproofs out as there were some nasty showers about. Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Captain Ketch,

Day 95

Today I had a very nice surprise indeed! I found an extra 5 ration packs tucked away in the back of a compartment. Thinking back I do remember packing these now. I have been feeling a little weak lately so this should help me smash through the next 300 miles with a bit of luck. Extra chocolate bars are just immense and taste even better now.

Progress has also picked up quite a bit too. Only trouble is it's a very rough ride at the moment with big seas and winds. It's certainly worth putting up with though. Yesterday over the radio I spoke to the 2nd officer in charge on a passing cargo ship called Sonja C. It was heading for South Africa after leaving the US about a week ago. I haven't seen any friends or family in over 3 months now but I certainly don't feel sorry for myself anymore. This poor chap who was from the Philippines does not get to go home for another 8 months. Wow that's a long time at sea!

In general things seam to be ok here on the good ship Speedo. Not to long to go now. Today's little find was a massive morale boost for me. Big shout out to all my great Avent work colleagues. Have some good stories for you all on my return. It's 1.30am now so going to get some sleep, out for now.Captain Ketch,

Day 93

Going to need to keep this one a little short as being thrown around while I type. The better winds haven't really arrived yet. Still tomorrow is a new day so will see what happens. Apart from feeling hungry most of the time I'm ok. The miles are slowly ticking by. 450 to go now, shouldn't really be anymore than 2 weeks hopefully.

Thanks for all the messages of support recently I really like reading them. Captain Ketch

UPDATE 6

Atlantic Rower – less than 500miles to go!

Day 91

As predicted I've pretty much come to a grinding halt yesterday and today. So that's pretty rubbish. On the plus side I've taken a little time to have a wash and clean some cloths. Oh it feels good to be clean and fresh again! I can't wait to take a proper shower. I also treated myself to a new fresh t-shirt. After wondering how much food I do actually have left I decided it was time to organize it. I have enough for about another 10 days. After that it's going to get real difficult. Lets hope the weather does improve and I can get some good miles in. Being easter today I will be eating some chocolate you'll be pleased to know. I'll have a mars bar with a cup of tea I think.

This morning to celebrate going through the 500 mile to go point I decided to put my Christmas hat on. It didn't last long, as you can imagine it got rather hot quite quickly. I did get this photo to show you all though.It feels a little strange at the moment as I know in comparison to how far I've already traveled, 491 miles is nothing and I feel pretty close. However another part of me realizes that actually 491 miles is a long way! It's pretty crazy to think I've now spent 91 days at sea. The hot weather also continues to relentlessly beat down on me.

I've left the fishing line and hook out of the boat for quite some time now but haven't managed to catch anything yet. Thinking about it I should have included a harpoon gun in my kit. I could easily catch loads then. A big thank you to everyone that has donated recently. It's greatly appreciated and I'm sure working for it! www.justgivving.com/jamesketchell

Hope everyone is having a great easter weekend. Captain Ketch

Day 89

Progress has been good onboard speedo for the past few days. Unfortunately I'm not sure it's going to last as the winds have now turned blowing from the west which is no good. It will change so it's ok. I forgot to mention this a few days ago when it happened. After I had finished my night shift I climbed back into the cabin to be greeted by a dead fish looking at me. I had left the hatch open whilst rowing so it obviously jumped in and I just didn't notice. I swiftly got rid of it though. Don't want the cabin stinking of fish! On the fish front I witnessed what I think was a shark attack today. Luckily I wasn't in the water cleaning the boat at the time.

Food supplies are getting very low now. I've also lost quite a bit of weight. I doubt most people will recognize me when I do get home. Hope everyone has a great easter weekend. Captain Ketch

Day 87

Today has been a good day all round. I found some extra choc chip flapjacks which had been hiding at the bottom of a storage compartment. On the progress front I now have 590 miles to go. There is a good current with me at the moment which is taking me west which is great. Hopefully this current sticks around! The seat broke again today. I think it's the 4th time it has failed since I have been out here. I'm not to worried it does look like I have enough spares to make it in.

Being easter this coming weekend think of me when you're eating mountains of chocolate. I'm told I have an egg at home waiting for me. I'm writing the blog a little early tonight as I want to row for an extra hour this evening while conditions are good. Will finish tonight's shift at 1am when I'm sure most of you are tucked up in bed.

Thanks to everyone for all the messages, keep them coming great to read them all. Also I'd like to say congratulations to Faisal and his wife for having a baby girl on Saturday. Nice one mate! The oars are calling me so out for now, Captain Ketch,

Day 85

It's just gone midnight here and I've just finished my last shift for the day. I don't think I've ever seen a brighter moon. It really did light up the whole sky. This morning when I stepped out on deck I was greeted by a bunch of dead fish everywhere. They had obviously jumped onto the boat at some point through the night. Unless the boogie man put them there! I'm starting to run low on my chocolate supply which is a depressing thought. I've got about 5 days worth left.

A big shout out to all my friends and work colleagues at Avnet who are working flat out for end of quarter. Hope all goes well.

Just a quick reminder for people who haven't donated yet www.justgivving.com/jamesketchell A big thanks to all those that have. Well that's one tired captain Ketch signing off for another night!

UPDATE 5

Atlantic Rower nearly 1000nautical miles in - 1700 to go!

Day 45

Today started with a bit of a scare for me. It was 8.30am and I was still in the cabin eating my Museli and milk and sipping on a hot cup of tea. I've perfected the art of using a tea bag three times now. When suddenly I heard this fog horn going off. Initially I thought oh my god is a massive ship about to run me over. I don’t think I've ever jumped out the cabin quicker! To my amazement I was greeted by a small sailing boat with three German guys on board waving at me in nothing but underpants. Firstly I was relieved I wasn't about to get run over, but then I realized I was standing there waving back totally naked! I swiftly jumped back into the cabin and put some shorts on and grabbed the camera. You can see by the photo they actually came pretty close to me. Sadly I could not communicate with them as the only bit of English they spoke was hello. After a few hours they had disappeared off the horizon. I would assume they were also heading for the Caribbean too.

The better weather hasn't quite arrived yet but I'm still positive it will. I've noticed time seams to be going quicker now I've been at sea for quite some time.

Day 47

Mum has been nagging me for another photo of myself for quite a while now, so here you go. I took this a few days ago when the weather was not so good.

Today has been a nice day for progress which is always good. I decided it was time to take a dip in the big blue today. Out came the mask and flippers and I jumped in. I did have a rope with me that I'd attached to the boat. The bottom of the boat was very clean with only a little bit of growth on. The International Paints anti foul is working well.

Someone asked me what my stroke rate was. To be honest I'm not sure but I would say somewhere around 20. Whilst rowing last night I saw an amazing shooting star fly right across the sky. I did make a wish but I can't tell you what it is as it will not come true then! Have started to notice the weight that I've lost. Certainly am a little thinner now.

Day 49

Well the last few days have been HOT HOT HOT! A watery desert would be the best way to describe it. So I thought I would show you what a watery desert looks like. Here you go. The reason why it's so hot is because it's very still with little or no wind most of the time. This make for tough rowing during the day. Yesterday I awoke to the sound of birds tweeting which was rather strange out here. For a moment I forgot I was in the Atlantic!

Before I came away I was fortunate enough to be given two watches by my sponsor. Unfortunately my favorite one has stopped working which is a pain so I'm now on to my back up one. On the plus side I tried a new dessert this evening. Peach and Pineapple and it was a lot better than I thought it would be. Nothing will ever beat chocolate ice cream for me though!

Tomorrow is a bit of a mile stone day. 50 days at sea. It's certainly been a new and interesting experience for me so far. Being able to see whales and sharks in their natural environment is pretty cool too.

Out for now.

Captain Ketch

UPDATE 4

NSPCC Atlantic Rower in his boat Speedo - 795 miles rowed - 1870 to Antigua

Day 41

Today I thought I'd share a picture of my home when I'm not rowing with you. Although you can't see them the en suite facilities are great! The reason for showing you this photo is it's where I've spent all of my time today. The weather has turned against me forcing me back on the para anchor. The good news is it's supposed to clear within about 36 hours. Pretty frustrating but you just have to go with it. I saw an absolutely massive whale today. All of a sudden I heard this "whoosh" noise. I turned around to see a very large whale blowing air out of the water. At first it was a bit intimidating because of its sheer size. I think it might of have had a baby following it too. As I tried to take a photo it disappeared under the water again and was gone. All in all just waiting for some better weather so I can get moving again. Captain Ketch

Day 39

Today has been a frustrating day on the rowing front. After a full 12 hours on the oars I'd only managed 12 miles. The wind and current direction was not in my favor at all. Things change out here pretty quickly though so I'm not to worried. Fingers crossed tomorrow brings better weather. On the wildlife front the two birds that were following me have disappeared. Perhaps they found something else to look at. Over the last two days I've started playing an interesting game. Waterproofs on waterproofs off! There has been a lot of cloud cover which has bought quite a bit of rain recently. When it clouds over and you get soaking wet it can actually get pretty chilly out here. So when possible I've tried to stay dry. Day 40 tomorrow, time is going pretty quick. Falling asleep as I write this so off to get some rest now. Captain Ketch

Day 37

Yesterday I was happily rowing away minding my own business, when I happened to notice a rather large menacing looking black cloud on the horizon. I thought it would past south east of me. Totally incorrect I took a direct hit! Believe you me it's not just sunny out here all the time it can really rain too. So I put on my Berghaus waterproofs and carried on for the next hour. Just to dampen things even more my seat decided to break again for the 3rd time in 37 days. I've got four sets of spare wheel axles left. After that it will just have to be bolted down. Today has been a fairly solid day with nothing out of the ordinary to report. Thanks to everyone who is sending messages of support. It's much appreciated. Captain K

Day 35

Today was a slightly slower day. The wind just couldn't make up its mind which way it wanted to blow. This causes the sea conditions to be a bit all over the place as well. On the bright side I still managed to make progress. I thought I'd share a photo with you all of this evening's sunset. I took the photo at 7.35 GMT. Last night and this evening I've been getting visits from flying fish along side the boat. They haven't been able to jump in just yet. I've been told there may be some more bad weather coming in 5 - 7 days so I'm going to just get as many miles ticked off as I can before it arrives. All in all everything is good on HMS Speedo! Captain Ketch

Day 33

Well the last two days have been good. I'm getting back into the rhythm of things now. Also am now back to consuming food at the rate a 500BHP Ferrari guzzles fuel! Apart from Jaws on day 31 I haven't seen any other interesting wildlife to talk about. It's 11.30pm as I write this and I've just come in from my last shift. Tonight's sky was amazing literally thousands of stars littered the sky. You obviously don't get light pollution out here. I'm told someone wants to know if you can see my ribs yet. Yes you can although you pretty much could before I left. 33 days without shaving and I can confirm the beard is coming on as well. There is a slight hint of ginger in it and I have no idea where that has come from! That's me signing off for another night. Captain Ketch

UPDATE 3

NSPCC Atlantic Rower in his boat Speedo - 502 miles rowed - 2125 to go!

Day 29 – the storms have hit!!

The past few days for me have been like a roller coaster ride. Except with this one no matter how loud you scream you can’t get off! It’s strange the winds seams to die down at night, then pick up considerably in the day. I’ve noticed condensation is becoming a bit of a problem as well in the cabin. Most things are getting very damp. When the better weather comes I’ll have to air this place out a bit. I’ve got a few jobs to do when this clears now. My rudder line has snapped too. Not a major one I can fix it. Hopefully from inside the boat, I don’t fancy going swimming just yet! Today I was informed that I should be able to get moving by Monday or Tuesday. Hope so! Out for now Captain K

Day 25

Well the storm has certainly arrived. Last night and today have just been spent hibernating in the cabin. It’s far to dangerous to go out on deck. As I type this waves are breaking over the boat. I do feel quite safe inside but it’s not that great after a while. I’ve just been spending my time listening to music and watching films on my Ipod. Forecasts suggest this could be in for at least another 3-4 days. I’ll use this time to rest up ready to explode trying to make up for lost time when I’m finally released from this! Captain Ketch

Day 23

Today I was visited by a turtle. Unfortunately not a Teenage Mutant Ninja one though! Whilst I was rowing along I noticed quite a large object in the water coming up behind me. At first I thought it was some kind of Ray. Then I realized it was some kind of giant turtle. I quickly scrambled for the camera and managed to get a few shots. My turtle friend attracted a lot of other very colorful fish that were also interesting to look at. That was one highlight of the day. Another was seeing a whale. This thing was pretty massive. As quickly as it appeared it was gone, so sadly I didn’t quite manage to get a photo. There is a fairly nasty bit of weather that is due to hit me from Thursday onwards so I’ll just have to see what happens. A quick shout out to everyone at Avnet. Thanks for the ongoing support. A good place to work with great people! Out for now, Captain K

Day 21 Not such a great day today. Last night was a very violent ride in the cabin so my sleep was a little broken. When I awoke this morning I noticed one of my oars had been ripped off the deck and has gone to a watery grave! Now I only have three oars left. The conditions today have not been perfect by a long way. Large waves breaking over the boat absolutely soaking me. The wind has been trying to push me North West all day. The West is fine but we really don’t want the North. Around early evening time the seat broke for a second time which I’m slightly concerned about. I do have more spares so not a problem yet. After that I decided to retreat to the cabin for a cup of tea! Hopefully tomorrow is a better day. Anyway some people have been asking to see a photo of me. So here you go 21 days in. Enjoy!

Day 19

Today started off for me with an absolute banging head ache which was not great. Fortunately it cleared in a few hours. I was greeted with a visit from a large group of dolphins today. They swam and jumped out the water as I rowed along. I grabbed the camera but before I could take a photo the battery died on me. That’s now on charge. I learnt today that a storm is forecast to hit within the next five days, so that could be quite interesting. Thanks for all the nice messages from everyone. Keep them coming I like reading them. Captain K

Keep up daily by joining www.facebook.com/speedo

UPDATE 2

372 miles rowed - 2257 to go!

Over the past week I have recently found some new friends. Two birds! They both fly around the boat at least once a day looking at me, probably thinking what the hell is this guy doing! I’m no bird spotter but they’re quite small with a white front to them. They swoop around only inches off the water. I wonder what their called?

I’d thought I would share a photo with you all. It’s basically what I look at each day!

Everything is ok on the good ship Speedo, just trying to bang the days out now.

Captain ketch

Day 15

The past few days have been quite constructive with time spent on the oars. Do seam to be getting very tired in the evenings. Falling asleep as I write this. At least I know I’m working I guess!

Every night when I go to sleep I leave my VHF radio on channel 16. All ships from the smallest to the largest in the world will do the same. It’s an international distress channel that you would initially use to contact another vessel on. Well last night I woke up to hear “I can’t see you but I can smell you” I thought what the hell is going on here. It soon became apparent it was two boats messing about with each other. Bearing in mind channel 16 is a distress channel they should not have been doing this on that channel. All of a sudden another voice came on and said “Please can you stop your rubbish chit chat or move to another channel” I could not believe my ears when these idiots started blowing raspberry’s back at him and asking if he wanted a peace of them. Fortunately it stopped soon after and I got back to sleep, but I was not impressed at 3am.

I’m not really a believer in UFO’s and stuff like that, but my god you see some crazy stuff in the sky out here at times. Lights appearing then disappearing, then shooting off all over the place. Quite interesting. I wish I had bought along a book on how to identify different stars. Night sky’s are pretty different out here than at home. Out for now

Day 13 Party at my place!

After rowing all day yesterday and realizing it was Friday I wondered what I would normally be up to back home? I would most likely be out and about doing something so I decided to throw a party in my cabin. It consisted of top of the range water straight out the ocean, through a few filters and straight into the glass. Also some haribo thrown into the mix. With the banging dance tunes as well it was great.

The good news is the power seams to be holding up alright for what I need at the moment.

My progress is not really as good as I would have liked by now so going to get my head down and put a few more hours in a day on the oars. With that in mind I’m off to bed!

Day 11

Made some good progress today, and also eat loads. Overall a good day.

Yesterday was not quite as good unfortunately. Power coming in from the solar panels to charge my batteries has halved. I have gone through everything I can, even connecting the panels directly to the batteries to cut out the regulator but still no joy. To top it off my multi meter tool that I use for diagnosing electrical problems has stopped working too. It’s not a major problem now but may very well be later on in the trip. I may have to manually make water to save power. I’ll see how things go.

Everything else is cool though.

Keep up daily by joining www.facebook.com/speedo

UPDATE 1

Distance from start 149 – distance to finish 2457

DAYS 1&2

The last few days have been quite interesting; mostly just finding my feet in this new environment. The weather is not too bad, a bit rough but manageable, and there is wind which is not perfect but it shouldn’t hold me up.

Night rowing is an interesting one too - you’ve never seen so many stars, so close that you can almost touch them - the view at night is amazing. This morning a family of dolphins swam beside me as I rowed for about an hour, which was fantastic.

Also, many thanks to everyone who has sent me text messages and emails!

DAY 5

Today was a good day. The winds have turned to allow me to make some progress.

This morning the alarm on my AIS system started beeping. I looked out onto the horizon and was greeted by a large cargo ship coming my way. I quickly got onto the radio to notify them of my position.

At first they did not have visual contact as I’m so small compared to them. They did know I was there due to my AIS which was reassuring though. I had a chat with the captain of the ship who told me he was heading for Brazil. I told him I was heading to Antigua and he chuckled and wished me good luck. A few minutes later and this massive ship in front of me was gone over the horizon as quick as it came.

DAY 8 – Birthday at Sea

It’s January 11th today which means I’m spending my birthday at sea. Should be one I remember for a while. Day 6 and 7 passed quickly. Although it did not help I was stuck in a current at night that was taking me backwards. Woke up this morning to find I’d drifted 12 miles in the right direction. Hurray!!

Yesterday I saw an amazing rainbow but for some reason could not find the pot of gold at the end of it! Also I had to repair my seat as one of the wheels broke. Fortunately I have spares.

Hopefully today brings lots of favorable winds and currents. At least that’s what I want for my birthday. Fingers crossed I get them.

DAY 9

Today has gone past fairly quickly. I managed to make some progress south which is good.

Thanks to everyone who sent me Birthday wishes via email and txt. It was great reading them and a real morale booster. Due to the power on the boat I can only have the laptop on for a few minutes every evening just to update the blog. So sorry I can’t really reply to all of them.

Someone did ask if I managed to get my shower pole back that I dropped in the marina. Yes it does live on I managed to get it back. Haven’t used it yet. Although I need to real soon! - Captain Ketch

You can follow James daily on the Speedo facebook page www.facebook.com/speedo

HOW THE STORY BEGAN

On the 16th of December James Ketchell will be solo rowing the Atlantic (2700 miles!) in his boat named Speedo, in aid of the NSPCC. He will be using products from Speedo and Berghaus to help him on his way. An average crossing time is between 55 and 65 days, so he will be rowing on Christmas day, but shouldn’t be too cold as he will start from La Gomera in the Canary Islands and finish in Antigua in the West Indies.

We caught up with him before he and his boat left for La Gomera:

1. What led you to the decision to compete in the Atlantic Rowing Race? Before this decision describe your rowing experience.

I wanted a real challenge and love doing things that are a little different. After my motorbike accident I needed to focus on something and I knew a lot about the Atlantic rowing race as I had been researching it for a while. This was the perfect thing to focus on for me. I had no real rowing experience before hand apart form a lot of time on indoor rowers. It may seem strange but rowing is only a small part of this challenge, staying alive is the priority. Getting to Antigua as quickly as possible comes second.

2. Few people have rowed solo across the Atlantic. Do you view your participation in the Atlantic Rowing Race as a race or more so as an act of accomplishment and pride?

It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time so it is an accomplishment for me. However it would be great to win the solo class in the race. I’ll do my best to get across as quickly as possible.

3. How did you prepare both physically and mentally for your row across the Atlantic?

Physically I train twice a day, 2 hours in the morning on the rower and then weights sessions in the evenings. Mentally there’s not a massive amount I can do. Knowing all my kit and how everything works is a big help. Whilst on the boat I can call family and friends so hopefully that should help.

4. Describe your emotions at the present? How have they progressed throughout your training?

I feel confident as I know I’ve worked hard over the last year and a half. As I’ve got closer to leaving I have got a little more nervous but I thinks that’s quite normal considering what I’m about to do. Knowing I’m physically fit does help.

5. After you leave the Canary Islands you will have no physical contact with anyone. What types of technology will you have on board to remain in contact?

I will have a satellite phone, which also doubles up as a modem. This enables me to send/receive emails and update the website whilst on board the boat. I will be updating a dairy on my website whilst at sea, this can be found at www.atlanticadventurer.com. The website has the ability to send txt messages to me free of charge. I am raising money for the NSPCC and this is my just giving link http://www.justgiving.com/jamesketchell

6. You are an inspiration to many, how do your family and friends feel about your adventure across the Atlantic?

They are very proud but very nervous for me at the same time. I tell them the challenge is myself the reward is the Atlantic!

7. Your boat is called Speedo after your Speedo sponsorship. Describe your boat and the types of technologies that will be on board?

The boat is 23ft long and made out of glass fibre and plywood. It comprises of one large cabin at the back for sleeping and another cabin at the front for storage. The middle deck is where I will spend my time rowing. In terms of technology on the boat I will have radar to worn me of other boats. Water maker to turn salt water into drinking water. GPS for navigating. VHF radio for communicating with other boats. I will also have smaller electrical items such as Ipod and laptop. This will all be charged by solar panels on the boat.

8. You depart for the Atlantic Rowing Race on December 16th. What are you planning to do to prepare before the race begins?

Final preparations and work on the boat. Double check everything and re-pack the boat. Safety briefings and probably a few trial rows in and around the harbour. Also just chill out, eat nice food and enjoy being with my family before I go.

9. What will a typical day be like once you’re on the Atlantic?

A typical day would be around 12-14 hours of rowing per day. Most likely in a 40 mins on 20 mins off per hour shift pattern. Possibly resting in the height of the day due to the heat for a few hours. Also will be consuming upwards of 7000 calories per day to keep my energy levels up.

Please support James by sending him a text (via his website for freewww.atlanticadventurer.com) and donating to his Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/jamesketchell.

You can check his progress on the race website here:

http://www.atlanticrowingrace09.com/progress/byteam/4v