We Departed
from London's
Tower Bridge
on June 9th
The Adventure Starts in
365d
24h
60m
60s
365d
24h
60m
60s
ABOUT US
We are Sea Change, a Team of 6 women who work in the fields of nature, climate and corporate sustainability.
In June 2024 we will be rowing 2,000 miles around the British coastline without stopping and unassisted. We will be collecting data on the biodiversity, microplastics, sound and ocean temperature. Supporting a long term study on ocean health led by the University of Portsmouth.
It’s not too late,
too hard, or too expensive
to turn the tide
for our Ocean.
GB ROW CHALLENGE
The World's Toughest Rowing Race
More complex than crossing an ocean, GB Row Challenge sees crews attempt to row continuously around the coastline of Great Britain: a distance of over 2000 miles.
This requires much more than just strength, stamina and endurance. Teams must understand navigation and the sea’s tidal flow, which is why tactical ability and making the most of weather and sea conditions can be as important as the crew’s rowing strength.
Want to find out more?
Learn about other teams, past experiences and the boat we will be rowing in on the official GB Row Website.
OUR EXPEDITION PARTNERS
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SPECIAL THANKS TO
FAQS
Sea Change is an expedition where a crew of six women will row continuously and unsupported around the coast of Great Britain in the summer of 2024 to collect data on biodiversity, microplastics pollution, sound pollution, and temperature/salinity of the coastal seas. The expedition aims to build a comprehensive picture of the state of British coastal environments.
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"Sea change" is an idiomatic expression that refers to a significant transformation or a major shift in perspective, circumstances, or conditions. The term originates from William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest," where it is used to describe a profound transformation caused by the sea. Over time, the phrase has come to be used more broadly to signify any substantial and notable change.
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As of June 2023, Team Ithaca holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest female team to row around Great Britain in 44 days, 20 hours, 19 minutes, and 34 seconds.
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The 6-person crew will row continuously in 2-hr rotating shifts. The boat has 3 rowing positions. There are 2 cabins on either end for sleeping and storage. The crew is responsible for navigation, cooking dehydrated meals, making fresh water with a desalinator, and maintaining solar panels and electronics.
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Yes, ocean rowboats can capsize, although they are designed and operated in ways to minimize this risk. The modern boat we are using, provided by GB Row, is designed with a self-righting capability, meaning they can automatically return to an upright position if they do capsize.
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If all goes to plan, no. The challenge is to row continuously and unsupported from start to finish, so that means not coming ashore and not using man-made features such as mooring buoys or harbour walls. We can use our anchor to stop and wait out bad weather on sheltered coves when needed, but won't be heading to the pub even if we can smell the fish and chips from our anchorage!
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We sleep on the boat in between our rowing shifts, which means mostly we're sleeping for less than 2 hours at a time. There is a cabin at each end of the boat, each about the size of a 2-man tent, and these are where we rest and sleep in our off-shifts. 3 of us (Kat, Aoife, Madeline) live in the stern cabin where all the navigation and comms equipment is, and 3 in the bow cabin (Chrissy, Lorena, Jess) with responsibility for food and water.
It's extremely uncomfortable trying to fit 3 people in one cabin for any length of time, but most of the time at least one person from each cabin is rowing! The only exception is when we're at anchor but even then we have to have someone on deck at all times to keep look-out, so it's rare that we all have to squeeze in together!Title 01
Breakfast: a mixture of hot meals (packed dehydrated) like porridge or coconut rice, and large flapjacks
Dinner: Dehydrated expedition meals prepared in the bow cabin. We're mostly vegetarian so have all sorts of things from curried lentils to ragu pasta, veggie shepherds pie, spinach and gorgonzola pasta etc... we found a lot of great veggie options from Mary Jane Farms.
Rest of the day: Snack bags! These include lots of nuts and beans for protein, plus chocolate, flapjacks, Kendal mint cake etc for calories, and some dried fruit. We each have a snack pack prepared for each day and have tried to give ourselves as much variety as possible!Title 01
We have pee bottles with special adaptors to use in the cabin, and a bucket for everything else outside on deck. Everything's rather public but while this feels a bit daunting to start with, you get used to it remarkably fast!
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