Julie Angus

We recently chatted with adventurer Julie Angus, who, when rowing from Scotland to Syria, can be a hard girl to track down. But we caught up with her along the shores of Istanbul and she graciously answered some of our questions about her last adventure - rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.

Why row a boat across the Atlantic?

I was drawn to the challenge of rowing across an ocean along with the opportunities it would offer for experiencing the marine environment in a unique and intimate manner.

I expected the physical toil to be overwhelming, but in reality it was much more of a mental challenge. The toughest part was staying motivated and optimistic in the face of setbacks, especially the hurricanes, and continuing to row 8-12 hours a day for months on end in an environment you are never entirely comfortable with.

The ocean is a place of few distractions and I loved how that altered my thoughts and emotions. We watched sharks, birds, turtles, dolphins, and other ocean creatures hunt, play, and investigate our boat. Some fish followed us for thousands of kilometres and our boat became part of the ecosystem, complete with barnacles, fish that fed on these crustaceans, and the marauding dolphins that dined beneath us.

What went wrong/right in your childhood that made you decide to trade the security of land for a tenuous rowboat?

Perhaps on some level it’s a form of rebellion against my sheltered childhood. My immigrant parents were extremely protective, and dissuaded me from going into sports or partaking in outdoor pursuits of any kind. Instead it was all about scholastics. Basically, I was a super nerd when I was in school – shy, timid, and focused on the books.

How far did you row and how long did it take?

We rowed from Lisbon, Portugal, to Limon, Costa Rica. The route was almost 10,000 km and it took us 143 days.

In regards to the state of the environment, what was the most distressing sight or experience?

There are many threats our oceans face—from overfishing to climate change—and we saw evidence of this in both what we saw, and what we didn’t see. We experienced the worst hurricane season in history and were hit by two anomalous storms. We saw only a handful of sharks during the entire crossing, a reflection of their marked decline.

But the most disturbing sight was a line of trash we encountered in the Caribbean Sea trailing off in both directions like the Great Wall of China. Plastic bottles, bags, rope, discarded toys and other rubbish were brought together by ocean currents in a two metre-thick line. We were far from land in waters that few boats visited. I was dismayed that here, where few humans venture, there was such an ugly symbol of our civilization’s respect for the seas.

You put yourself in life-threatening situations — would you say it’s for the adventure or research?

There are definitely risks involved, but they are calculated and I do my best to minimize the danger through preparation. In hindsight, if I knew we would be hit by two hurricanes, I probably wouldn’t have rowed beyond the secure harbour walls of Lisbon.

I think, as humans, we are often willing to take on risk for the sake of exploration. That’s undoubtedly what was driving our early explorers. For me I loved the idea of immersing myself in a world so different from what I was used to, and the risk was worth it.

You spent five months in a tiny confined space with your fiancé, Colin, to whom you are now married – how did you manage to keep your relationship in one piece?

Of course we had some trying times on the rowboat, but considering the circumstances I think it’s a miracle neither of us walked the plank. Keeping an open dialogue and respecting each other’s views was important. Whenever our opinions differed we’d try to keep things as a healthy debate and try to find a common ground.

Is there time for romance on the boat? C’mon, we want to hear all the details.

The best thing about Atlantic rowing is you don’t need a “if this boat’s a rockin’ don’t come a knockin’” bumper sticker. 24-7, you’re completely alone and the boat is ready to accommodate any Tarzan and Jane outdoor fantasies. The problem is that when Colin’s lying there in his economy Russian Y-fronts with a splotch of jam on his chin, I don’t always feel the Jane in me bursting to the surface.

There were times, though, during calm sunsets when we would take a break from our rowing duties and have a date. This would involve a nice dinner (with fresh fish, of course) and some together time enjoying the serene nature around us.

One last question; what’s next?

Actually, it’s happening right now as I write this. We enjoyed our five month row across the Atlantic so much that we went straight home, built two new rowboats in the backyard and embarked on a new rowing odyssey. We’re currently voyaging 7000 km from the northern tip of Scotland to Syria to connect our ancestral homelands.

We’re posting updates and photos at www.rowedtrip.com.