Diary of a Parson's Wife
Bon Voyage, Polly Zipperlen!
There is a possibility that when you read this article, I will be part of a crew of four women having a go at rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. I say “possibility” as I do not feel that the success of any endeavour of this magnitude is in any way guaranteed. This feels particularly pertinent at present as we are today sitting in Marina Rubicon, Lanzarote, waiting for the boat to arrive – which should have arrived two weeks ago.
Being very much a glass-half-full kind of person, I am not deterred from embarking upon an enterprise that I am not sure will reach fruition. Some years ago, I started a Masters in Enhanced Nursing Practice, a three-year course, but only expecting to complete one module, one assignment, one week at a time. Approaching projects in this way, I find more often than not that I complete tasks that I was not entirely convinced I should start in the first place. This is not to say that I am always successful or ever make mistakes and indeed I cannot in any way take sole credit, there is always support from prayer, family and wider community.
Our attempt to row across the Atlantic is very much a one day, one shift, one stroke at a time endeavour, and also very much a community effort. The full 3,200 miles is far too large an enterprise to attempt in one go, and whenever my teammates and I consider the enormity of the journey, we almost always falter. Rather, a ‘let’s try’ approach seems infinitely more manageable.
Let’s try and find an ocean rowing boat, let’s try and find some sponsorship, let’s try and find a fourth crew member, let’s try and find another fourth member…and another. Apparently not everyone is very keen to row across the Atlantic! Two and a half years later, here we are, four women, having completed courses in sea-survival, VHF radio and navigation, waiting for our boat to be unloaded from its shipping container, dockside in Lanzarote.
With incredible support from friends and family, we hope to be ready to leave in a few days’ time with only ourselves to rely upon for a successful crossing. But there are hurdles yet to overcome, and I am sure there will be stories to tell, but the first step in this part of our journey begins with a trip to Arecife, Lanzarote and the Spanish customs office.