It all started with a seemingly innocent request for a holiday to New York, but never in her wildest dreams did Vasti Geldenhuys think it would take 10,765 km of ocean rowing to get her there.
Vasti, a lawyer by trade, has always been the main support behind South Africa’s pioneering explorer, Riaan Manser, who rose to prominence by completing three unparalleled world firsts: cycling the entire perimeter of the African continent, circumnavigating Madagascar by single kayak and Iceland with partner Dan Skinstad by double kayak.
Riaan always vowed that he would never expose Vasti to the dangers of his world, but on 30 December 2013, they bravely took on the waters of the Atlantic Ocean with no support boat in sight. Alone and unaided, they endured a 172-day expedition from Agadir, Morocco, and arrived in New York City, USA, on 20 June 2014.
Along the way, they stopped at the Canaries Islands, landed in the Bahamas 1 km from where Christopher Columbus docked in 1492, and visited Miami before taking on the treacherous row up the East coast of North America. This was an incredible world-first row from the African Continent to North America. This expedition also marked Vasti as the first woman from the African Continent to row across any ocean.
The couple, who met in Cape Town in 1999, put their fourteen-year relationship on the line – from enduring giant 8-meter (25-foot) waves in wild storms to being entirely capsized in the middle of the Atlantic. On one of these days, Manser was dramatically separated from the boat and almost lost at sea. The physical hardships had their entire bodies in permanent agony. No support boat, no ablution facilities, no luxury – just Riaan, Vasti, their combined determination, and a 7-meter ocean rowing boat with their supplies.
The boat was equipped with two plotters that indicated the boat’s position on a nautical chart, a weather station, and a VHF Radio. A solar power regulator supplied power to the technology on board, and a saltwater converter supplied drinking water. This water maker stopped working several times throughout the journey and finally gave in on the last stretch up the East Coast of North America, where they had to ask the Krasnadar Oil Tanker to supply them with water for the remainder of their journey.
While burning huge amounts of calories daily, Riaan and Vasti had to replenish their energy with high-calorie freeze-dried food. When they had a break, they also ensured they had a fresh catch of the day, which included Dorado’s, Yellow Fin Tuna, and the odd 300-kg shark taking the lures behind the boat.
The two most vital pieces of equipment were the personal locator beacons (PLB) and emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), which they were fortunate enough to pack away unused after their journey.
If you happen to see Riaan and Vasti at a speaking event, ask them about all the buckets on the boat and what they were for.
