The boat

Name: Dream Maker
Length: 7 Meters (23.4 ft)
Beam: 1.9 Meters (6.3 ft)
Type: Woodvale pairs ocean rowing boat
Manufacture: marine plywood, constructed in 2007 by Woodvale and finished by Dolphin Quay

Key equipment & provisions:

Oars, sliding rowing seats, EPIRB, VHF radio, life raft, life jackets, GPS, compass, harnesses, safety lines, Sea Me, AIS anti collision system, Spectra water desalinator, gimballed stove, tiller pilot, satellite phone, sea anchor, drogues, solar panels, 150 litres of water and 90 days worth of freeze dried and boil in the bag meals totalling 5,000 calories per day.

Safety:

Woodvale Pairs boats are designed to self-right in the event of a capsize or knock down. This is achieved by having a sealed air pocket at each end (the cabin and the bow storage compartment) and by bottom loading it with 150 litres of fresh water ballast. The ballast also acts as an emergency supply of fresh water should the water maker fail.

Boat operation:

The boat has two rowing positions on deck with sliding seats. The crew take it in turn to row for 2hrs and rest for 2hrs, 24hrs a day. The boat has a rudder at the stern that is operated using a foot steering system with steering lines running between the rudder and rear rowing position footplate or using a tiller pilot. When being pushed backwards the crew can deploy a sea anchor, which is a large parachute that sits below the water behind the boat and holds it in position. When conditions become too rough to row they can deploy a drogue, which angles the boat into the waves, and helps prevent it going beam on to the waves and rolling.

Life on board:

Life on board such a small boat will be tough, with no escape from the constant roll of the ocean and soaring temperatures. The crew will survive thanks to a water maker which changes sea water into fresh drinking water. The water produced will also be used to rehydrate freeze dried food and for washing. As well as rowing 2hrs on, 2hrs off their routine will be built around writing regular blogs, plotting their course, and maintaining equipment.

Dangers:

Other than severe weather conditions the two main dangers the crew will encounter are sharks and being run down by cargo ships. In order to avoid the latter they will have to monitor their automatic identification system and radio any ships in the vicinity to inform them of their position. The risk of shark attacks comes when one of the crew go in the water to clean the hull.