The Big Questions

Everything You Need to Know But Were Afraid to Ask!

I've got two friends, we met at the London Marathon and they email me alot.

Meet Ava & Aarron...

They asked me loads of questions and I thought it would be great if you got to hear the answers to. Their Dad would only allow me to print their questions if I mentioned 'The Boro'. (Although I have absolutely no idea what that means! Any takers?)

The Big Quiz

1.Where are you going on the boat?

From La Gomera in the Canaries to Antigua in the Caribbean

2. When do you start your journey?

On the 27th November, it's very close so I'm feeling really nervous now!
Getting ready to pack my suncream, it's going to be nice being somewhere
sunny and having a Christmas at sea in the sunshine.

3. How long will it take you?

Crikey, we're not sure it could take 36 days it could take 4 months. It
depends how windy it is. The more wind the faster we can go.

4. How big is the boat?

It's about 7m long. It's bright pink and it has two cabins, one at each
end. They are about the size of a two man tent, you can't stand up in
them. In fact it's very difficult to stand up and walk anywhere on the
boat. So after a long time on the boat your leg muscles get up floppy
because you're not using them properly!

5. Will you see any whales, dolphins or even sharks?

I'm not sure, Mum and I saw whales and dolphins in the last trip but
they can be very shy. I hope we do because they are so amazing, gentle,
intelligent and HUGE! I know the other Rowgirls will be very excited if
they do see some.

6. What’s the first thing you are going to do in Antigua?

Wobble over to the passport office! Your legs go funny on a rowing boat
because you're not walking on them for a long time. Also we still have
to go through customs. Unless we've been attacked by pirates I'm sure
they won't be searching the boat for smuggled items.
I will want a curry and a shower and a good bed, I'm sure all of us will
wanted to spend time with our Mum's and Dad's.

7. My dad asks will you see any Spanish Man of war!!!

Are they jellyfish? We did see some jellyfish last time. I'll put a
picture on the website and maybe your Dad can tell me whether it was a
Man of War. I hope they are not around because I would like to swim in
the middle of the ocean.

8. What food will you take apart from chocolate?

More chocolate!! Actually we'll be taking porridge, rice, pasta, lots
of dehydrated dinners and my favourite chocolate mousse (I had that for
breakfast last time I went with my mum!

9. How do you get changed in the morning when there is big waves?

You have to lie on your back in the cabin and wiggle into all your
clothes. Sometimes when it's very wavy you have to look out the window
and then jump out when the waves are not hitting the side of the boat.
Sometimes you get soaked!

10. Will there be big waves and how big can the waves get?

The waves change sizes all the time. Sometimes it's a very calm and the
sea is so flat is looks unreal. Other times the waves are as big as a
house and very quick. But it isn't frightening because the boat is like
a cork, it bobs over the top of the waves. When you're inside the
cabin you can hear the waves coming towards you and they sound like
trains!

11. What scares you the most?

I'm not too frightened this time because I've done it before but I'm
sure the other girls are frightened of storms, falling overboard, being
poorly in the middle of the ocean, that sort of thing. It's natural to
be frightened though, it is a very scary and dangerous place, but we
have all the equipment we need to survive and lots of people are
watching to make sure we are ok.

12. How will you row in the dark when you can’t see?

When the moon is out it can be so light it's almost as bright as the
daytime. Your eyes adjust to the light and you get to feel the water beneath you. You can also feel the wind in your face so you know your
going in the right direction. It can get very lonely during the night
and very boring. I didn't like it on my last trip, you sit on your
rowing seat and slide backwards and forwards towards your bedroom door
for 3 hrs! It's torture when you are tired!

13. What will you miss the most?

Probably nice food, like curries! Also I'll miss my dog Pip and I think
he will miss me to. I will ask the girls what they will miss and they
can send you their answers to.

14. Will you swim at all with big fishees in the ocean?

I really wanted to but there were lots of jellyfish in the water last
time. Mum and I called them Stegosaurus Jellyfish because they looked
like the dinosaurs. They were actually Portuguese Man of War...very
poisonous. Maybe this time there won't be as many.

I don't know about you but I think they are the best questions yet!! Have you got any you'd like to ask? Well email us at girls@rowgirls.com, I'll post it if it's a good one!

Kipper x