Rowing | Jari Saario, rowing across the Atlantic, is dangerously close to the coast of Ireland: “There is no climbing equipment with me”

Fireman Jari Saario has rowed almost the entire North Atlantic, but the decision on the route for the rest of the journey is still not locked.

Hard sailing has made it clear which equipment he would take with him if he could make one addition.

On Monday, Saario had been rowing in the North Atlantic for 52 days, and the distance had covered about 3,500 kilometers. The GPS trace shows that, following the optimal line very directly, the journey has not been bent due to the headwind.

“Here we are again at anchor,” says Saario via satellite phone at the beginning of the conversation.

The wind is also the reason that the once-locked decision on route selection is still open.

Originally Saarion was supposed to pass Britain from the north, but at the moment she is approaching Ireland so that the southern route to the English Channel is just as long.

The wind has pushed Saario further south, and he is still keeping the option open.

“If something were to happen around London, there’s room for maneuver there. The area above Scotland is one of the worst sea areas in the world”, Saario reflects on the challenges of the routes.

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“A boxing helmet would be good for the night. It is padded in all directions and you could probably sleep with it. You wouldn’t knock your head.”

“Now the wind is turning so that I can get closer to the continent, then I’m back at anchor for the night. It’s just awful. Then the wind should blow 12 to 20 meters per second for three days to the northwest. Then I can go straight north.”

Ultimately, the direction will be determined by the weather in the next few days. If Rowing succeeds to the north, it is the number one option. If the journey does not progress, there is a place for a new reflection.

On Monday, the island was about 500 kilometers from the coast of Ireland. He wants to maintain a “safety distance” of 100-150 kilometers so that he doesn’t accidentally get into trouble.

“If the wind is towards the continent, it would be life-threatening to drift close to the rocks in a big wave. There is no climbing equipment included.”

Not enough So far, the two-month job has been just as difficult as Saario estimated in advance.

The boat has turned over a total of seven times, but Saario doesn’t care about the capsize anymore. He would still take one accessory with him if he went on a trip now.

“A boxing helmet would be good for the night. It is padded in all directions and you could probably sleep with it. You wouldn’t knock your head.”

Saario hit his head badly in a storm at the end of July, and last week his shoulder was hit.

A big wave swung the boat on its side, and Saario hit his shoulder on the spare oar’s locking ring, whose function is to prevent the oar from slipping through the scrubber.

“It felt like being hit with a hammer. I was able to row normally, but it was a terrible pat on the shoulder.”

Island makes a trip without autopilot, and steering by the strings not only slows down the trip but also causes additional bruises.

“When adjusting with strings, the oars are in front of the legs under the elbows. It has popped several times, which feels like someone hitting the shins with a hammer.”

Saario hopes to be able to write the next chapter of the return journey – i.e. about crossing the North Sea – in a couple of weeks.

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“From here, one bet at a time.”

Before leaving for the trip, he estimated the total distance to be around 7,500 kilometers and the travel time to be four months.

“If this pace continues, it may be quite close.”

Although rowing sometimes feels like dragging a stone when the journey is not progressing, the rowing bench is still the most preferred place in a small boat. Cramped interiors are not attractive, even though it rains almost every day.

“It feels like a punishment to be here in a booth, in a closed department.”

Upwind days Saario spends almost entirely in a “closed ward”. Lately, he has been able to sleep for about four hours at night.

Despite all the hardships, it sounds like the man’s mood remains high. The amount of encouragement and positive feedback that comes through social media helps the project. Messages to Saario are forwarded by the person managing his social media accounts Emmi Pärni.

On Monday afternoon, Saario had 89,000 followers on Instagram, while six days earlier the limit of 80,000 followers was broken.

“Yesterday I was thinking about that when it was a really hard day. Emmi said that the inbox is drowning in incentives. It was a moving moment. I got a tear in my eye when I thought about what kind of supporters I have.”

“From here, one bet at a time.”