Ocean rower to share epic tale of 60 days at sea

Ocean rower Tara Remington will share pictures and videos of her record-breaking row across the Pacific Ocean in a public talk at the University of Auckland.

Tara, 44, a professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland's Faculty of Education, rowed 4700 Km across the Pacific Ocean from Long Beach, Los Angeles to Waikiki in Hawaii with American Paralympian Angela Madsen, 54.

The pair left Los Angeles on 20 May in their 6m mono-hull rowboat the Spirit of Orlando.

They finished on 19 July after 60 days and one hour at sea. They achieved a world first by becoming the first women's pair to make this journey, and Tara has become the first New Zealander to row the Pacific Ocean.  Tara is also the first New Zealander to row both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Tara’s been back home for a few months now but even she can’t believe they did the row.

“Sometimes it feels like it was a dream, but it was all real.

“I checked out of life really. I checked out of work and family, I’ve got to re-familiarise myself to everything.”

In her public talk Tara will describe how the pair coped with the vast task before them by singing to the music of the Topp Twins and trying to teach Angela the haka. Tara will also describe the perils of being at sea.

“I’m really thankful that we were successful because there were times when I thought we wouldn’t be.”

The pair were repeatedly hampered by severe bad weather and some equipment and gear failure. Other times they were fighting off flying fish that hurled themselves into their path as they tried to row. This was on top of the usual blisters and food cravings that also hindered the pair.

“It just seemed like there was always something.”

Tara says her recent adventures have involved spending time with her family and taking her kids to the Justin Timberlake concert and Totem by Cirque du Soleil.

But she’s already contemplating her next ocean adventure. She is considering re-joining the boat ‘Unfinished Business’ in the Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race from the Canary Islands to the West Indies. Tara was part of the team of four women rowers who competed in the 2007 race. They finished in 51 days, 16 hours and 31 minutes and became the new world record holders for a women’s four.  This record remains unbroken.

She first entered the race in 2005 with her rowing partner Iain Rudkin but suffered immense seasickness and had their boat battered by a three-and-a-half metre shark they nicknamed “Abby”. The pair had to abandon the race when the boat started to take on water.

Tara's lecture is on Thursday 6 November 5 – 6pm at the University of Auckland's Epsom Campus, J1 lecture theatre, Gate 3, 74 Epsom Ave, Epsom. Free parking is available via gate 2. Please bring a gold coin donation. RSVP: spiritoforlando.eventbrite.co.nz

You can donate to Charlotte at: www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/RowingforCharlotte