For the past 31 days, four Pembrokeshire women have been experiencing some of the most challenging living conditions imaginable.

Their home is a 10-metre rowing boat currently positioned 1,690 nautical miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.  Five kilometres below them lies the seabed.

Their tiny vessel is having to combat waves reaching up to 4.5 metres in height while their diet consists solely of air-dried meals. Current sea conditions, however, are making their consumption virtually impossible. Their toilet is a bucket, and their sleep is broken by the discomfort of their foul weather gear and the constant slamming of the waves.  Simple things, such as brushing their hair and teeth, are near impossible to accomplish.

Welcome aboard the Cruising Free Atlantic Row.

“This is undoubtedly the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever experienced.  And I mean it,” said Miyah Periam, 24, who is the youngest rower to take part in the 3,200 mile row that will take them from Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, to Antigua.

“Sitting on deck is painful, our mattresses are hard and last night there was some really rough water, so we decided that we didn’t want to row in the dark.  It felt like I was sleeping in a coffin. “My core and my back are in such discomfort and despite having been out here now for four weeks, I’m still feeling seasick.  And the food we’re eating is truly disgusting.”

Miyah, along with Sophie Pierce, 32, Polly Zipperlen, 50, and Janine Williams, 70, began their Atlantic Challenge on February 1, following three years of intricate planning. 

The 3,200 nautical mile crossing equates to approximately 1.5 million oar strokes.  But despite their rigorous training, the ocean began taking its toll within just 24 hours of their departure as the women became bruised from the waves’ interaction with their boat – The Spirit of Bluestone – and as they began to suffer seasickness.

“Rowing in these conditions is completely different to river or coastal rowing, which is obviously what we’re used to,” explained Janine, who has more than three decades of tough rowing experience behind her.

”But we continue to laugh, despite the discomfort and physical toil that this is having on our bodies.

“When conditions are choppy, everything becomes a bit one-sided, so it’s more about reading the waves.  But regardless of what’s going on out there, we know that every stroke is taking us one step close to Antigua.”

Soon after leaving Lanzarote, the women were subjected to extreme heat and significantly calmer seas, but once again this made rowing conditions difficult.

“When the water is calm, rowing feels as if we’re stirring treacle as we’re getting no assistance from the waves,” explained Polly.  “We’re also having to battle with the heat throughout the day as there’s no shade cover, and the cabins are baking hot with sweat, dampness and constantly being thrown around by the waves.”

At the end of last week, the Cruising Free team encountered rough seas, which made rowing particularly hard, after the boat entered a patch of two contrasting wave directions, resulting in very choppy waters.

“It was really hard to row and there was quite a lot of water coming onto the boat,” said Sophie.  “And in situations like this, it’s  really difficult to do anything except wait for calmer weather.  But we know that Antigua is getting closer every day.”
The women have also expressed disappointment at the lack of wildlife that they’ve seen, however on Saturday, their shallow depth alarm sounded, suggesting that a whale could have been hovering beneath them.

“But considering that the ocean is about 5 km deep, there’s never any risk of shallow water,” added Janine.

Once their crossing is complete, the Cruising Free Atlantic Row will have set two new world records, with Sophie being the first woman with cystic fibrosis to row the Atlantic, and Janine being the oldest woman.  Their row is also raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the Paul Sartori Foundation and Emily’s Entourage.

“Yes, there are times when this feels like a real nightmare,” said Miyah.  “Even the simple, everyday things like brushing our teeth is desperately difficult and our toilet is just a bucket.

“We’re completely at the mercy of Mother Nature and we know that we’re really vulnerable.  Everything is completely unpredictable.

“Yes, we can row, but this can only be done in certain directions and we can’t really control our speed.

“The main thing is acceptance and humility. And I know that these are things that I can take forward with me into the rest of my life.”

Cruising Free Atlantic Row can be followed on Facebook where they share regular posts via  Starlink.  Donations can also be made via a link on the Facebook page.