“It’s really only water that we see,” says Frans, using video calling from the rowing boat. “And waves that are about six meters high. It’s difficult to capture on camera, but you are constantly being thrown left and right.”
Seasick
Last Sunday the rowers left from the start on the Spanish island of La Gomera. The first days were especially difficult. “That whole water thing is actually not for me,” says Frans. “I always get seasick. So those first two days were not the best of my life.”
The seasickness has now subsided and the team is increasingly adapting to life at sea. “Everyone has already lost a few kilos, a little tan, some extra bags under the eyes,” he says. “But we’re in a good place.”
Living in blocks
On board, the men’s lives revolve around a strict schedule: rowing, sleeping and eating, day and night. During the day they alternate in short shifts, and at night they continue rowing. “During the breaks you make food, boil water, keep the logbook,” says Frans. “And sometimes you just sit and poop on a bucket.”