INDIAN OCEAN ROWERS: Blog 1 from the open seas

Indian Ocean Rowers Boat Capsizes

Two adventurous young men who are rowing across the Indian Ocean have had an eventful week after their boat capsized.

Jamie Facer-Childs from Maidenhead and his friend James Thysse started their challenge to row across the ocean on April 19.

On Thursday Jamie's dad, Roy, from Ray Park Avenue, had a shocking phone call from his 21-year-old son at about 5am.

Jamie told him how the rowers small boat called Southern Cross capsized nearly 1,000 miles from Western Australia. It remained upside down for a total of seven minutes, as it struggled to glide through the strong waves.

Jamie and James, 22, were inside the cabin when a wave came at them sideways and tossed them over. 

Roy, who normally hears from his son every Saturday through a satellite phone, said: "The two boys were desperately hurling themselves against the side of the cabin in an attempt to get the boat to start turning right side up but it seemed that it did not want to move.
"After those anxious minutes it began to move. Still in big swells there has not been an opportunity to carry out a full inspection of the damage done but the good news is that the oars had been carefully stowed and appear to be undamaged."

He added: "We hear him and his voice and feel relieved that he is alive. They are doing extremely well. They have surprised me."

The friends, who met at Reading Blue Coat School in Sonning, only started rowing last year after deciding to take on the challenge to raise money for charity.

In their latest blog at sea, they said: "Missing everyone at home and the freedom. Feel confined on the boat to our rowing and at the mo' want to get across asap. But many good moments to cherish, having a laugh and a sing when not too tired."

Since the race started on April 19, they have rowed about 955 nautical miles and still have 2201 to go.