Globecomm Maritime helps Pacific rower Charlie Martell pull through
The latest news from my client Globecomm Maritime – one good turn deserves another and this guy spent a lot of time upside down.
Charlie Martell had no illusions about rowing single-handed across the Northern Pacific but as a Royal Engineer Commando, he is clearly a man who relishes a challenge.
In setting out from Choshi, Japan on May 4 to row solo and unsupported 4,500 miles to San Francisco, he aimed to set new world records for the fastest crossing of the North Pacific Ocean, the first unsupported row across the Pacific Ocean and be the first solo Briton to make the crossing, as well as raising funds for three charities.
This was no spur of the moment jaunt either. Charlie had spent three years planning the trip and his ocean rowing boat, Blossom, was kitted out with the most up to date equipment available, including a SatLink Inmarsat FB150 system, provided by Globecomm Maritime, with airtime provided by Inmarsat.
“Five weeks into the row and some 700 miles from Choshi, I was hit by Tropical Storm Mawar,” says Martell. “I knew the storm was tracking towards me but there was little I could do, apart from remove all the loose items from the deck and secure the forward and aft cabins,” Martell says.
Martell knew Mawar was in fact a downgraded typhoon but he was unprepared for the storm’s ferocity.
“I had been secure in my cabin for about two days even though I had capsized four times. I was using the FB150 handset to make a phone call when I capsized a fifth time. What was amazing was that the call barely cut out during the capsize. My shore support commented on how clear the voice communications were and with no time lapse!” he laughs.
The battering continued but what he calls ‘pretty standard’ lateral capsizes were overshadowed by number seven, which saw Blossom, with Martell strapped into his bunk, pitch-pole forwards with disastrous results.
“As Blossom hit the water, the aft cabin bulkhead took the full force of the impact with water and she sustained some damage,” he continues. “During the capsize, the rudder, VHF and AIS antennae were ripped off as were two of my spare oars. When Blossom had self-righted, I checked the damage, activated my EPIRB and our emergency response plan was put into practice.”
Once the EPIRB was activated, coast guards from Japan and the UK contacted Charlie via the FB150, which had continued to work despite the pounding the storm had inflicted. He had to wait another 36 hours in the storm until the Gibraltar-flagged, British-owned bulk carrier Last Tycoon could divert to pick him up.
“The next 36 hours were a long wait – I reckon there were a further 13 or so lateral capsizes but I maintained communications with both my shore support team in the UK and the coastguards. My thanks go to all those who helped me – the crew of Last Tycoon, the coastguards and of course to Globecomm and Inmarsat, who kept me connected, even when I was upside down!”
Trevor Whitworth, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, Globecomm Maritime said:
“We were proud to support Charlie in his endeavour and even though he wasn’t able complete the crossing, he showed a huge amount of character and commitment. Seafarers around the world face similar challenges every day of the week and Globecomm is committed to keeping them in touch too, whatever the weather.”
For further information on the charities Charlie is supporting, click here: http://www.pacific2012.com/charities-2. To read Charlie’s blog, click here: http://www.pacific2012.com/archives/category/pacific-2012-news.