Row, Row, Row Your Boat: Across the Atlantic with Katie Spotz

National Geographic Magazine’s April issue is a special edition focusing on water and the global freshwater crisis. Today is World Water Day, and throughout the Society’s website you’ll find find stories, interviews, and galleries that help depict the challenges we face and solutions available to help us respond to the crisis.

Last Sunday, Katie Spotz landed her rowboat in Georgetown, Guyana, becoming the youngest person ever to row solo across an ocean. At 22, she completed her voyage from Dakar, Senegal to Guyana in 70 days, logging more than 3,000 miles “if you count all the squiggles. Rowboats don’t go in straight lines.” Katie embarked on her record-breaking trip to raise more than $75,000 for Blue Planet Run Foundation, a charity that gives access to clean drinking water to people around the world. Yesterday, on her first day back at home in Mentor, Ohio, Katie talked to Kristen Gunderson about her unprecedented voyage.

What motivated you to do this?

I got the idea after having a chat with a man on a bus in Australia. His friend had rowed across the ocean twice. I’ve done a lot of endurance adventures, and this idea stuck with me like no other. I couldn’t imagine getting on a rowboat and being on it for months, crossing an ocean. It seemed so impossible. It took me about a week until I was researching it, wanting to see the boats, the technology, the people who were doing it.

You did the row to raise money for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, a charity that supplies clean drinking water. What drew you to this issue?
I grew up in Ohio, in the Midwest, and never really had any concept of not being able to have free access to clean water. I began to realize how serious the issue was when I studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia. At the time, they were undergoing a drought, and it was the first time that I saw how much of an effect a lack of water could have. At the same time, in an environmental studies class, my professor mentioned that one day, the wars of the world would be fought over water, not oil. That really stuck with me. Ever since then, I’ve been really passionate about the issue and have done whatever I can to help.

Give me a rundown of a typical day on the boat.
Life on a rowboat is very simple. Wake up at sunrise, eat breakfast of oatmeal, granola, or couscous, row for 10 hours in two-hour shifts with breaks in between. Row one or two hours past sunset and go to bed. So, that’s pretty much it: Eat, sleep, row. During breaks, I’d listen to audiobooks, and sometimes I’d get into the water to clean barnacles off the bottom of the boat to reduce drag. I’d also usually check out what kind of fish were under there following the boat.

Speaking of fish, tell me about the wildlife you saw.The wildlife was one of the best parts of the trip (along with the sunsets). I saw dorados, sea turtles, man o’ war jellyfish, sharks, and all kinds of seabirds. At night, I could see glowing plankton that were stirred up by my oars. Little fish following the boat attracted big tuna, who pinned them to the boat and ate them. The dorado also attracted hungry dolphins. I also had a lot of encounters with flying fish – I usually woke up to find them in the cockpit. A few times they actually hit me in the face while I was rowing! (It didn’t hurt).

What was the best moment of the trip?

The day I reached the halfway point, I wanted to celebrate but I wasn’t sure how. Then my celebration was pretty much chosen for me by a pod of about 15 dolphins that showed up. They were close enough to touch and they were jumping and doing flips. It was like they were putting on their own personal show for me. I’d never seen anything like it before. It was amazing.

After the jump: meditation training, sleep deprivation, and shower logistics. 

What was the most difficult part of the trip?
Well, the most difficult part of any endurance adventure, contrary to what most people think, is not the physical component. I was never a star athlete – in fact, I was the worst person on my college rowing team. What counts most is the mental part. In ocean rowing, when you’re out there, you can’t go home and take a shower and eat dinner and go at it again later. You will feel sore. You will feel fatigued. You can be the most fit person and you’re going to get bad weather. Something will break. The single most important factor is the will to keep going.

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Was there ever a moment when you felt like you were close to giving up? How did you stay motivated?
I never lost sight of the overall goal, but there were so many times when I didn’t know where the strength to keep going would come from. I suffered from sleep deprivation due to the rocking of the boat and the heat of the cabin, so that played with my emotions. In the beginning, I tried to tally up all the times I cried, but I lost track early on. It’s really tough out there. But that’s part of what makes it so rewarding to meet the challenge.

One of the biggest motivations for me was thinking about what I was doing for the charity. Every $30 donation they get ensures one person drinking water for life. With this row, I was securing clean drinking water for 2,500 people. That was more than enough to keep me going.

How did you prepare for the trip?I did several training rows, including a week in the Pacific with a woman who had rowed an ocean. I worked out physically for about an hour a day. But to prepare mentally, I worked with a sports psychologist and learned to meditate. I did one meditation retreat where I meditated for 12 hours a day for 10 days straight with no human interaction. That really helped prepare me. On the boat, I tried to think about things one stroke, one breath at a time. A journey like this is so big that if I thought, “What about tomorrow? What about next week?,” it would be too overwhelming. I thought in baby steps.

Did you make any special preparations for rowing solo?
I made all kinds of safety precautions with lots of redundant gear. Safety was essential. I wouldn’t have done the trip if I hadn’t had the kind of technology I did. The meditation helped prepare me well for the isolation. Apart from that, I stocked up on my audio entertainment: I brought four iPods with music, lectures, audiobooks, and comedy routines. I listened to a lot of Imogen Heap and electronic music. I also listened to a lot of Comedy Central stuff. I must admit, I think Dane Cook is the best comedian. At least on my iPod.

I have to ask: What about using the bathroom?

Um, a bucket. It’s not a glamorous lifestyle living on a rowboat.

Is there anything you didn’t anticipate?
Yes, some random things. Like for example, I never knew what time it was. I crossed five time zones on my way across and my schedule was dictated by sunrise and sunset, so I didn’t really need to keep track of the time. Every time I had a satellite phone interview I had to try to figure out when to get on the phone. I also didn’t anticipate how difficult it would be to eat. Or shower. Once a week, I took a solar shower. It was awkward trying to use it in the cockpit. I was always slipping around everywhere. In fact, almost everything in the boat felt awkward except for the rowing.

For more information about the logistics of living on a 19-foot rowboat for 70 days, or to make a donation to Blue Water Run Foundation, visit Katie’s web page at www.rowforwater.com.

Photos: Portrait photo: www.rowforwater.com; planning photo: Lucian Bartosik; all others: Katie Spotz