Guidance from an Experienced Rower

There are quite a few aspects of preparation for my transatlantic solo row. Although I am doing it independently, it is very important to be guided by an experienced ocean rower. I have been lucky to have Lia Ditton, a former boat’s owner who did a lot of modifications to it and then rowed the Pacific in it. She knows the boat intimately and cares about our success.

Boat Preparation and Practice

The boat needs a few issues sorted before being put into the Solent waters for practice rows, and we are currently working on it before the warmer season arrives.

Learning for Survival at Sea

Then, there are things that I will have to learn to survive and thrive at sea for about 60 to 90 days. I currently hold a Day Skipper’s licence, which is not enough for that as there will not be any coasts visible for most of my journey. Also, half of the time I will be rowing at night, so I will have to have some “night skipper” skills too! Hence, I have decided to do an Ocean Yachtmaster Theory online and am currently learning about celestial navigation in case my GPS fails. I will try and apply this approach to every technical aspect of my challenge and will try and learn the things needed to survive if everything fails.

Physical Training and Preparation

Then, there is physical preparation and training. To make things clear, this is not a race, and I am not interested in breaking any records. It does not mean that I will not be rowing hard. For sure, I will! After all, I do want to make it in two months, rather than three, and that is why I am training hard to achieve that.

Training Routine

Currently, my training schedule consists of 3-4 days of lifting weights, while I spend the remaining days of the week on the rower. Currently, I spend one hour non-stop on Concept 2 in Zone 2 Cardio 2-3 times a week and do VO2max training once a week. I will continue to increase my time on Concept 2 with the understanding that it does not simulate or replace the on-the-water training that I will start once the boat is fixed and it is warmer for longer overnight rows out in the Solent and around the Isle of Wight.

Gaining Experience and Realisations

I have done a bit of coastal rowing in Autumn, 2023 along the beautiful Jurassic Coast in Dorset. I have learned some coastal rowing skills, but not all are directly transferable into handling an ocean rowing boat on big offshore waves. I have some experience with ocean rowing boats, having done a charity race across the Mediterranean in a team of four three years ago. I was also planning to do a transatlantic row in a team of four this year and had some practice row in a bigger ocean rowing boat in Amsterdam in September 2023. That project has fallen apart, but I am grateful for the opportunity to learn the technique, being on the water…and the realization that I want to do it solo!

The Significance of On-the-Water Training

I still consider training at the gym and Concept 2 the most straightforward aspects of my preparation. I do have an online coach Lee Boyce, who I have been with for the past 4 years and he makes sure that the programmes are both hard and appropriate for my goals. It is physically hard, and I feel that I have achieved something at the end of every workout. Still, I think that the on-the-water training in my boat will be the most important aspect of my preparation for the challenge and I will try and make the most out of it. Train hard, fight easy!

Follow me and be part of the journey as I prepare to row the Atlantic 2025

Leo Krivskiy 💙💛