Ep.17: Follow the yellow brick road to Antigua with Jasmine Harrison and Mark Sealey

In this episode we talk to Jasmine Harrison and Mark Sealey. Both of them have completed the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge and rowed 3000 miles from the Canary Island of La Gomera to Antigua. More people have climbed Everest in one year than have rowed the Atlantic Ocean, and it is rightly considered to be one of the toughest challenges on the planet. Jasmine Harrison represented the team Rudderly Mad and did the crossing solo. Mark Sealey rowed the Atlantic as part of the 4 person Force Genesis team. Both of them experienced Sargassum during their crossing and tell us the story of their crossing.

Listen to the episode to hear about:

- Sargassum being a welcome sight to see while out a sea as long as it doesn’t get stuck in the rudders (5:25)

- What it is like to hear about Sargassum the first time while being in the middle of the Atlantic (7:00)

- The three charities they are raising money for while doing the crossing (9:45)

- How Jasmine heard about the Atlantic crossing and decided to take part (12:00)

- Seasickness, bad weather, capsizing, gear breaking, mental challenges and close encounters with ships : toughest moments out at sea (14:05, 17:30, 22:15)

- Sunsets, night skies, flat water and wildlife: best moments out at sea (15:30, 17:45, 23:50)

- Support vessels checking in with them (18:10)

- How they switched between rowing and sleeping (18:45)

- How does wildlife change across the Atlantic (26:10)

- Most of the plastic seen was in the Sargassum (30:05)

- Dorado, Mahi Mahi and Triggerfish were some of the larger fish they saw (33:00)

- Scary moment: Getting your boat harpoon speared by blue marlin (35:40)

- Getting stuck in thick Sargassum mats (40:00)

- “Are you really going to row the Atlantic?” “Why wouldn’t you?” (44:40)

- The feeling of arriving in Antigua (47:00)

Transcript

Learn more about the two rowing teams: