The best way for me to tell you all about my journey, the boat and all the cool creatures I am hoping to see is to answer some questions that children always want to know. If you have one which you would like me to answer then wing me an email and I shall reply as soon as I can.
Fact-file
Name & Age: Sarah Outen, 23 years old. My 24th birthday is when I am at sea.
Journey: Rowing across the Indian Ocean. Australia to Mauritius, a little island near Africa.
Why is your boat called Serendipity? It sounds a bit like Sarah and I like the word. It means finding something wonderful when you were looking for something completely different.
What is the boat made from? Very very strong foam, which means she should never sink. And some carbon fibre. It is 6 metres long.
How far will you row each day ? It depends on the weather, but between 8 and 12 hours every day.
How long do you think it will take you to row to Mauritius? Probably more than 100 days. Or 3.5 months. It is a very long way! More than 3,000 miles.
Are you scared? No. I have done lots of training and feel ready to go. I am excited.
What will you find the hardest? Not seeing my friends and family for so long will be hard. But I believe that you can do anything if you want to, so I shall never give up. Be strong always.
Is there any interesting wildlife out there? All sorts – have a look at the rest of this page for some pictures.
What sort of food do you eat? Good question this one. It needs to have lots of energy in to keep me going but it needs to be light enough to fit lots on the boat. So it is dehydrated. This means it has had all the water squeezed out to save on weight. For water I have a special pump which turns sea water into drinking water. Magic!
Wild stuff
I have always loved wild places and wildlife, especially sea creatures. I am hoping to see lots of wildlife at sea – perhaps I’ll have a massive blue whale or a humpback visit me , or maybe some dolphins will swim with me for a while. Turtles are one of my favourites, too. My # 1 wish on my bird list is an albatross. It will have a wingspan as long as my oars – they are massive. And in trouble too – because they like to feed near fishing boats and the two don’t mix very well. Albie the albatross will be coming out to sea with me – he’s in charge of navigation!
Small fry
We mustn’t forget all the plankton which drives the whole food chain. This means that these tiny plants and creatures (so tiny you need a microscope to see them) are eaten by the fish and other creatures, which are eaten by the bigger fish, by the dolphins, the birds etc etc – it is all connected. Even the fish from your fish and chip supper last week is affected by what happens out there. So, this is why it’s really important while I’m out at sea to take all my rubbish home with me and throw it away properly. See, I like to think I’m doing my little bit to help keep the seas healthy and all those creatures happy too.
Links to other cool sites
RSPB All about birds & nature convservation. Check out the Albatross section.
Marine Conservation Society ‘Cool seas’ Ideas on how to keep the seas clean & healthy. Adopt a turtle! All cool stuff.
Keep Oceans Clean Funky site with lots of fun games & info.
Whale Dolphin Trust Another top site with lots of fun stuff.
Charity
Arthritis affects people’s bones and joints (the bits that let you walk – your knees, elbows etc i.e the bendy bits!). It can be extremely painful and make easy things like walking upstairs or opening jars super tough. School can be a major effort. Yes, it’s not just Granny or Grandad that gets arthritis – everyone from little people to big people can get it. So if you think your school would like to know more or raise some money for a charity called Arthritis Care, then visit their website. My Dad had a really painful type – this is why I am raising lots of money for the charity to help other people with the disease.
Here’s a picture of me rowing at my old school while the children ran and swam against me. They won! 88 miles to 32.
School visits
Big ones, little ones – I love talking to them all, so please get in touch if you want me to come for an assembly or class. Maybe Serendipity will come along too…