For probably the best part of 68 days at sea our main visual stimulation was the 360 degrees of ocean, usually an aqua blue colour with white cresting waves. If we were lucky we would see some wildlife, birds, flying fish and squid, Dorado, passing whales, the occasional boat or the lights of a plane. Stunning sunrises and epic sun sets, the real night sky and aqua phosphorescence. Imagine our joy when we first thought we caught a glimpse of Mauritius, a ghostly and barely visible shadow on the horizon. Or was it clouds?
Beside the rowing, my specialist skill was to be the ‘fixer’ of everything - the crew had quite literally put their faith and lives in my shaky hands to get them out of trouble. Was this wise? Of course it was, they don’t call me Practical Parky for nothing.
Already I’m being asked what next, will you row another ocean? Hey, how about a rest first, folks?
Robin Buttery
Technical instructor at De Montfort University in Leicester. Excerpt from ‘I’m The First Person With Parkinson’s To Row Across An Ocean’, Huffington Post
Illustration by Cody Lee Muir.