Sally Kettle

77days 9hrs & 25mins

Kettle steams across the Atlantic

I’ve spent 183 days at sea in a boat the size of an average bathroom and I still love ocean rowing. For someone who finds the actual discipline of rowing entirely tedious that’s some going!

The Rowgirls project began almost two years ago. The plan: to become the first women’s four to cross the Atlantic . The record for a female crew stood at 50 days and we hoped to smash that.

Cake & A Cuppa. (Sue, Claire & Sally) Claire Mills, Sue McMillan and Jo Davies joined me as the crew. Together we raised over £70,000 to kit out our bright pink boat.

With huge support from our chosen charity, Shelterbox, we made it to the start of the Atlantic Rowing Race in November 2005. Then it all went wrong!

It all began when we lost the teabags - an unmitigated disaster - until they turned up deep in one of the cabin hatches.

We lost the poo bucket overboard (although a couple of us were secretly celebrating its demise; our alternative method of perching precariously over the side was far more hygienic and some how less intrusive).

Jo injured her back and left the boat just after Christmas to be replaced by the perpetual grey cloud that was January, bringing with it gale force winds, 40 ft waves and the constant fear of being flung from our seats head long into the frothing waters.

We almost capsized, the rudder fell off and we were attacked by a shark, it stole our drogue and left the boat scarred and with a hole in it!

Out of 26 boats that started, 19 capsized and several crews were rescued at sea.

So many of us lost our dreams in this race, but we all survived. To arrive safely in Antigua after 78 days of bobbing about in the ocean and to be greeted by our families after such an adventure is a huge achievement.

I feel privileged to have learnt so much; the art of conversation, the true value of friendship and knowing when to release the ferret (if you read the dispatches from the boat you’ll know what I mean.)

Extract from the onboard diary

That was the sound eminating from the cabin this afternoon! It was the 3 of us screaming like girls as a huge great big 'fish' threatened to pull the transom off!
I was on the phone to my boyfriend, Claire had just started her break and Sue was out on the oars at the far end of the boat. .....Suddenly things didn't sound right.
Sue was shouting, the boat was rocking all over the place and water was cascading over the side. Claire & I were trying to grab Sue as she clambered down the boat but she was still attached by her harness to the other end. Water was being thrashed over the top of us and into the cabin. With Sue safely inside we locked the door and sat frightened and shaking as the boat lurked from side to side. Claire said she could see fins flashing through the back hatch.The boat was creaking as the 'fish' (lets call it a shark!) struggled to release itself from our drogue brible.
I got on the phone to Aurora,line busy!! Sula... Bruce answered... I'm sure I said something along the lines of
"It's Sally on Rowgirls, a shark has got caught in our bridle, we're in a bit of trouble"
Instead I think in sounded more like...
"Arrrrrgggghhh!! Rowgirls.... Arrrrrgggghhh ... Shark!"
I totally panicked! Claire took the phone, Sue leapt out the door, grabbed the knife and cut the drogue trip line. The horrendous creaking and splashing stopped and the boat settled into it's normal bob.
When people tell tales of their high sea adventures you always think "Yeah right, the fish was 'that' big.. Likely story!!" We have all been Brownies and on our Brownie Guide honour the fish really was THAT big!!
If it looks like we've picked up speed this afternoon you now know why... Some shark is currently chewing on our makeshift waterbottle of a drogue and we're trying to get as far from it as possible!!
Shaken but not stirred,
Sally 'Panic in a crisis' Kettle
Claire 'I saw the fins' Mills &
Sue ' Great with a knife' McMillan