On February 25th three Belgian friends – a boatbuilder, an adventurer and an engineer – departed from Portimao (Portugal) to cross the Atlantic Ocean to Miami, US by man power, in a row boat. Our great adventure will take us approximately 3 months and the boat will be our home during that long time. A Tiny house on a big ocean! However, the boat will be more than our home and means of transport, it will primarily become a “research pod” for several experiments.
Koen De Gezelle
He builds ocean rowboats for a living and is basically a professional tough guy. He lives on coffee and continues to work on his passion, even the day after his recent thumb surgery.
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Koen and Jelle have been rowing together for one month in Indonesia, on the way to Papua. They survived that, so hopefully they'll get along for another 3 months on this boat!
Jelle Veyt
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As a Physio he'll be taking care of the physical and medical preparation for the Front Row. He earned his rowing experience by rowing from Java to Papua in 6 months (in a Whaleboat C23), where Koen mentored him in the first part.
There he learned that sea sickness will be his biggest challenge to cross the ocean!
Gijs Vanden Bogaerde
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Gijs, aka Hands of destruction, has yet to figure out why he's joining. He loves being at sea and he doesn't want to miss this opportunity to cross the ocean. However it's mostly the FOMO driving him.
The Front Row project wouldn’t be possible without the generous help of so many supporters, and you can be one of them. Don’t forget to leave a message for the team!
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Main partner
We are proud to have Libeco as our main sponsor
Supporting partners
Follow the Front Row on Instagram @whaleboat_boatbuilding or #jointhefrontrow,
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***FIRST IMAGES BACK FROM THE OCEAN!!!***
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And the crew appear to be lying down on the job! What is going on?
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Well, you might have noticed the team pointing in a strange direction recently... this is due to the low pressure system north of them, which is creating north westerly winds. So the boys have had to deploy their para anchor... what is a para anchor? We've asked top-flight ocean rowing coach @duncroy1 to write our guest blog today to explain what a para anchor is! 👍🏻
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A parachute anchor is deployed in big seas and/or conditions which make forward progress either unsafe or not possible. The Para anchor is deployed off the bow of the boat, pulling the bow into the unfavourable conditions and therefore stabilising the boat. 🌊
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It also slows progress so boats don’t go in undesirable directions losing precious ground they have had to fight so hard to gain. Similarly to a normal parachute slowing your decent to earth 🪂 .
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Fun fact: a para anchor is also known as a sea anchor 🤓
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Myth busters: a para anchor is not a ‘power anchor’ and the team are not using a metal anchor because they are used when near land where the sea bed is shallow - unless the team has 4 miles of rope on board they won’t be deploying theirs! ⚓
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I hope this is of use 👍🏻
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Huge thanks to Duncan for explaining that - you can find out more about his services over at www.rowingroy.com 🙌
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Read more at www.jointhefrontrow.be
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Main partner: @Libecohome
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Creative geniuses: Yanina & Felix from @andre_and_leon at www.andreleon.be
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Our intrepid adventurers may have gone to sea in a tiny boat, but that’s not to say it is limited in its technology. And whilst we wait for our rowers to adjust to life at sea (so that they can have the energy to send footage home), this pre-recorded video shines a light on the Whaleboat’s unique autopilot system. 🎬
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Many rowing boats (if they have an autopilot at all) will use a tiller system, i.e. a lever or ram that pushes the rudder one way or another based on a bearing. Most tillers are designed for faster moving vessels, and so when applied to such a slow moving boat, it is constantly adjusting causing them to wear out, overheat, or simply break. 😩
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The Whaleboat has a more solid solution; one that is integrated with the chart plotter. Our system is connected to the rudder by an electrical actuator with a clutch system which takes a lot of strain off the steering components. The construction also takes up zero cabin space, but is still easily accessible. 🙌
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The benefits of this system go beyond reliability, ease of access and maintenance: The crew can program a route in the chart plotter (all the way to Miami if they so wished), and as long as they keep rowing and don’t need to change course because of the weather, that autopilot will get them to Miami! 🇺🇲💪
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In the case of an emergency, or for tight manoeuvres in a marina, they can switch to a manual steering system from the deck, that overrides the autopilot (more on that soon!) 🔜
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The boys are feeling a lot better, and all mouths aboard the boat are now eating which is fantastic! 😋
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The land support team are really enjoying the engagement from you all! So let us know if there is anything you want to know about this amazing crossing. Tell us in the comments and we can cover it in a post soon! 🙏
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Read about the ocean crossing on www.jointhefrontrow.be
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Main partner: @Libecohome
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Creative geniuses: Yanina and Felix from @andre_and_leon at www.andreleon.be
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With the Whaleboat flag flown high, this epic photo taken by @migueltiteca shows our fearless crew leaving the shores of mainland Europe, on their way to mainland USA! 🇪🇺🌊🌊🚣🌊🌊🇺🇸
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A little over 24 hours into the crossing, the next few days are crucial. ⚠️
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Rowing an ocean is hard, really hard. But during the first 3-5 days our team may be pushed to their limits. 😩
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Plunged into a drastically different world, their minds and bodies are being bullied into submission whilst they adjust to the gruelling schedule. 🚣♀️😴🚣♀️😴
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But it's more than that; whilst they endure these physical hardships, their minds are racing with thoughts of loved ones they have left behind, worrying about them, worrying whether they are doing the right thing, but all the while making progress in their pioneering route to Miami. ❤️
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Keep strong boys - incredible achievements often take incredible hardships... you have this! 💪💪💪
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Read about the ocean crossing on www.jointhefrontrow.be
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Main partner: @Libecohome
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Creative geniuses: Yanina and Felix from @andre_and_leon at www.andreleon.be
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Our fearless rowers are finally rowing the Atlantic, the shore becoming ever distant… After following all the build up to the start of the row – what now? Will we hear from them before they reach Miami?! 🤔
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Of course! This is one of the most technically advanced ocean rowing boats on the planet – and we’ll be in regular communication with them, reporting back here to keep you engaged and glued to your devices! 📲
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“But I need to know exactly where they are right now!”, we hear you cry. We’ve got that covered too – thanks to our @Ovinto trackers onboard, you can head over to www.jointhefrontrow.be/#tracking and you can see their actual satellite position (updated every 30 minutes) to follow their path across the Atlantic Ocean. 📍🗺️
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But we can go one step further...for this row you can even interact with the rowers by asking them questions directly at our new message board! The guys are pretty busy right now, but as soon as they get some time they'll be fielding questions and the responses will appear once they've been answered. You can message Koen, Gijs and Jelle over at https://whaleboat.be/2021/02/24/frontrow-message-board/ 💬
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Find clickable links to the tracker and the message board, as well as a host of other resources in our bio right now. 🔗
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Read about the ocean crossing on www.jointhefrontrow.be
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Main partner: @Libecohome
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Creative geniuses: Yanina and Felix from @andre_and_leon at www.andreleon.be
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And they are off!!! 🚣
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Shortly after 10:00am local time on the 25th February 2021 the Front Row began: After a huge effort to get to the startline Koen De Gezelle, Gijs Vanden Bogaerde and Jelle Veyt have now pushed away from Portuguese land. If all goes to plan, the next piece of land they touch will be some 7,000km away, in Miami... and this crew will be the first people in history to row non-stop and unassisted from mainland Europe to mainland USA! 🇪🇺🌊🚣♂🌊🇺🇸
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They are crossing in a carbon fibre Whaleboat O28 ocean rowing boat named ‘Jan Martens’. Named in honour of Koen’s boat building mentor, it is perhaps the most progressive ocean rowing boat in the world, with rain water collection, a zero waste policy, a thermal solar unit, a hydroponic greenhouse (yes you are reading that right!), and more prototyping technology to create a self-sufficient tiny house on a big ocean. 😲
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The crew on board the Jan Martens require knowledge of the vessel inside and out and significant mental fortitude to take on an adventure of this magnitude. @Koendegezelle is the owner of the Whaleboat company, he built Jan Martens, and @gusengineering is an engineer who works closely with Koen in the development and construction of the boat. As a professional adventurer, @jelleveyt 's mental fortitude cannot be questioned. Not only did he cycle to the startline in Portugal from Belgium, when he gets to Miami, he will cycle on to Alaska as part of the "Secutec Seven Summits" challenge.
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It is amazing to see this amazing team finally able to begin their epic voyage. How long will they be at sea? The truth is, nobody knows! We estimate around 80 to 90 days, but as nobody has done this... the team will be finding out as they make their way across the globe. This will be a fascinating adventure to follow! 🌍
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This phenomenal project is not possible without the generous help of so many supporters. Donations are gratefully received over at www.jointhefrontrow.be/#donations.
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Find out more at www.jointhefrontrow.be
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Fritz the weather router…….he says ‘YES!’ 👍
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Thursday the 25th February…the Whaleboat ‘Jan Martens’ will push off from the shores of Portimão, to begin the ‘Front Row’ expedition with the intention of being the first boat in history to row non-stop from mainland Europe to mainland USA! 🇵🇹🌊🚣🌊🇺🇸
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Tomorrow, Koen, Gijs and Jelle, will clamber into their cutting edge vessel, aim their bow at the horizon, and start rowing! 🌅
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We’ll be there throughout to highlight this incredible adventure, and why this boat is making everyone in the ocean rowing world sit up and take notice! 📝
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All eyes on Whaleboat tomorrow – this is an expedition not to be missed! 👀
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Read about the ocean crossing on www.jointhefrontrow.be
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Main partner: @libecohome
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Creative geniuses: Yanina and Felix from @andre_and_leon at www.andreleon.be
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Episode two of our "things you need to cross an ocean in a rowing boat" series, is called 'All About Water'! 🎬
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The crew of Jan Martens will be at sea for a long time. So where do the guys store all that drinking water? In short – they do not! 😮
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Instead, this boat is fitted with a desalination unit, otherwise known as a watermaker. 💦
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Gone are the days of ‘water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink’, now we have the technology to make water on the fly! But how does it work? ⚙️
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@Mark_Devos is our watermaker guru, who knows all there is to know about these things. Put in the simplest possible terms – a pump draws water from the ocean and lifts it into the watermaker. It goes through some filters to get rid of the lumpy bits (seaweed, krill and other large contaminants, then hits a very tight membrane – so tight that under normal pressure the membrane is actually waterproof and cannot be permeated. The pump forces the salt water against the membrane at high pressure (around a thousand psi) - this forces the pores in the membrane to open slightly (and we are talking 'slightly' on a molecular basis!), which is enough to allow fresh water to trickle through but the salt molecules are too large and so they are sent back into the ocean as waste in the form of very salty brine. This process is called ‘Reverse Osmosis’, and is the technical term for squashing water through an impossibly fine sieve until the salt falls out! 🧂
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This magical box that makes saltwater drinkable will be their lifeline for this crossing, so it's important that not only do they know how to fix it when it breaks, but they also have a backup manual water maker if all else fails. 👍
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Unfortunately, the weather has once again changed, and the launch date has now had to be put back to Thursday or Friday this week. Frustrating, disappointing, but safety is paramount on an expedition like this, so it's an important step towards a successful crossing. 🌤
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Huge thanks to Holland Nauta for the speedy delivery of our watermaker! 🏎💨
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Creative geniuses: Yanina and Felix from @andre_and_leon at www.andreleon.be
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Whilst we wait for the weather to stop messing around so that we can start rowing, we thought it was worth sharing a series with info on ’What do you need to row across an ocean??’🤓
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So here is the first episode, all about power!
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Ocean rowers need power for drinking water, steering, navigation tools, lights, comms systems, and even entertainment. Many teams have been challenged previously for many reasons; not enough solar panels, not enough sun shining, inefficient or damaged panels, not monitoring battery power carefully, or simply batteries that aren't up to the job. 👎
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To overcome these hurdles, we handed over to the electrical department... Rik and Cedric aka Sherlock Ohms and Dr Wattson! 🕵️
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Rik doesn't even use a multimeter anymore; he just uses his tongue. He's rated up to 3x400V AC! It's even been said that Cedric runs purely on solar power through his scalp, with a higher efficiency than the solar panels of the ISS! 🛰️
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As the first step to address this issue of power they went BIG with the solar panels. Not only have we now got highly efficient panels, we have also got a lot of them. ☀️
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Most of the energy will come from the solar panels on the port side (left hand side if standing in the boat looking forwards), because we will be rowing East to West and in the Northern Hemisphere so the sun will be on that side. However the efficiency of these panels means that the setup works for any route. 🗺️
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All of that energy is useless without energy storage. Our boat is cutting edge, so the normal lead acid batteries simply aren't on our shopping list. Instead we're using an enormous lithium battery! It's HUGE! 🔋
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Finally, the battery is monitored by a battery management system. This will be crucial - it means no more guessing, no more calculations on the back of a food packet. This tells us exactly what we have, when we have it, how much to use, etc, but it also stops the battery operating outside of its safe parameters. ⚠️
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Take a look at the video, where Gus explains all of this tech talk for you.📹
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Currently the weather is lining up for a Monday launch - as soon as we know we'll announce it here! 🗣️🌞
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Yesterday the good ship Jan Martens got her first taste of the Atlantic as she was finally launched! 🙌
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It’s strange to think that the next time she will get her feet back on land will be in Miami, Florida in a few months’ time! 😲
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And if you thought this boat looked great on land, just look at her in her natural environment! Poised and ready to take on the greatest adventure of her and her crazy crew’s lives, Jan Martens will be turning heads all the way across the Atlantic! 😍
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The boat is now ready, the crew are now ready, all the kit and checks and testing and procedures have been followed for their intended launch today…….but unfortunately that has now been delayed. 😩
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Due to a sudden developing depression which is heading towards the canaries, the advice from Fritz the weather router is to wait a few more days. It is frustrating for everyone, particularly for our rowers, but it’s an important step towards ensuring a successful crossing. 🌀
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The crew know that they will be experiencing some big weather once they’re in the middle of the Atlantic, but dealing with big weather whilst they are still close to land increases the danger unnecessarily – so for now, it’s time for Koen, Jelle and Gijs to stand down, relax, and refocus their minds for the day when the man that eats the weather maps says “Go”!
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Read about the ocean crossing on www.jointhefrontrow.be
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Main partner: @Libecohome
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Creative geniuses: Yanina and Felix from @andre_and_leon at www.andreleon.be
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Our courageous trio are now making their final preparations for the ‘Front Row’ expedition, and there is nothing quite as important as packing for an ocean row, particularly one of this magnitude. 🌊🚣
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On land, if you need something unforeseen mid-expedition you can perhaps make your way to the nearest settlement, or even be airlifted out of a dire situation. 🚁
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For these three though, once they lose sight of shore, and particularly once they are out of helicopter range, they need to be prepared for absolutely anything the Atlantic may throw at them! This is an unsupported crossing, there will be no yacht bobbing alongside, it is just the 3 of them, and their amazing boat, rowing towards the horizon!
🌅
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And what a boat it is - even in a crowded, and miserably wet boat yard full of much larger vessels, the O28 Whaleboat ‘Jan Martens’ stands out as a design masterpiece! 😍
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‘Jan’ will be dropped into the water today, and we are STILL looking at leaving on Friday!! It’s getting VERY exciting!!! 🤩
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Read about the ocean crossing on www.jointhefrontrow.be
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Main partner: @Libecohome
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Creative geniuses: Yanina and Felix from @andre_and_leon at www.andreleon.be
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And here they are, all three rowers finally united, and at the start line of their phenomenal journey! 🤩
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These three amazing people, bonded by their desire to redefine the limits of what we think of as possible will make their final checks and adjustments, before aiming their boat at the horizon and rowing away from shore. 😯
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Koen and Gijs completed their journey towing the boat 2,300km from the Whaleboat workshop in Belgium to the southern tip of Portugal. And where did they sleep when they pulled over for a rest? In the boat of course! Casa del Whaleboat boasts stunning views (if you park it in the right place) and a whole host of luxuries on tap, plus when biblical level floods come, you’re safe and sounded tucked up in bed! 🌊🛌
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You may think “wow that’s a serious journey!”, and it is, but it pales into insignificance when you look at how Jelle, the third crew member, got there…….🤔
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He cycled! 🚵♂️😲
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Amazingly, Jelle left Belgium on the 3rd of January and cycled to Portimao in Portugal! This ridiculous journey is only a small portion of his own personal challenge, as Jelle is attempting to climb the highest mountain on every continent, but will get there by human power alone as part of his Secutec 7 summits challenge! This row will form part of that human powered journey all around the world. You can read all about that project over at jelleveyt.be 🔗
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For now though the team will catch up, share stories of their journey to Portugal, and prepare themselves for one extraordinary voyage. 💪
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Read about the ocean crossing on www.jointhefrontrow.be
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Main partner: @Libecohome
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Creative geniuses: Yanina and Felix from @andre_and_leon at www.andreleon.be
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***The route*** 📍🗺️📍
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In a few days’ time Koen, Jelle, and Gijs, will push off from Portimão in Portugal and row 7,016km non-stop and unsupported to Miami, Florida! This phenomenal task will likely take around 3 months! 😯
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So why on earth are they doing it? Is skipper, Koen De Gezelle, mentally unhinged? 🤔
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Well, his fellow rowers' nicknames are ‘Hands of Destruction’ (Gijs) and ‘Captain Pancake’ (Jelle), so yes…..yes he is very clearly unhinged – but aside from that, Koen is on a mission– because not only does he build these amazing looking boats himself, this one is being used as a research vessel! 🧪👨🔬
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Koen and his crew will be trialling new ideas, testing concepts, and pushing the boundaries of what we know about ocean rowing. By taking on this incredible voyage this crew will potentially change the way we row cross oceans forever! 😎
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So, as Whaleboat followers you’ll already know that this boat is ground breaking in design, in build, and in concept….that it uses all 20 years of Koen’s ocean rowing experience to create…but on this voyage, as it advances the frontiers of what we do, it is quite simply the most exciting ocean rowing boat available today! 😲
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LOTS more updates coming up on some of the trials and experiments that will be taking place during this crossing – but for now – the team are making their way across Spain with a view to launch on Friday!!! 😍
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Read about the ocean crossing on www.jointhefrontrow.be
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