The boat
I have been fortunate enough to secure the loan of a specialised ocean rowing boat from Woodvale Challenge, a company in Devon who are world renowned for organising and providing support to ocean rowing events.
She is a 'Woodvale Pairs Class' boat but she will be to allow me to row her solo. She is 23 feet long and of wooden construction.
This is the most successful ocean rowing boat design in history. The boat was initially created for the first Atlantic Rowing Race in 1997. Since that time there have been more ocean crossings completed in this type of rowing boat than all the other ocean crossings in history.
The 'Woodvale Pairs Class' boat has completed ocean rowing crossings of the Mid- Atlantic, South Pacific and Indian Oceans.
She is currently called 'Spirit of Lancashire' (the boats keep the name given to them by their last crew) but I will be renaming her 'CrazyBrave' for my challenge.
In 2003 her crew completed the Atlantic Rowing Race in 59 days, 8 hours and 40 mins....but this is her first crossing on The Minch!
While I was waiting to take delivery of 'Spirit of Lancashire', I had been training in an old rowing boat which was very kindly loaned to me by the Falmadair Trust. Although she was quite different from the actual boat I shall be using for the challenge, she was been invaluable in allowing me to gain experience of rowing at sea.
