Third toast to those lost at sea...
" To those lost at sea..." the third toast (Russian seafaring tradition)

For statistics on rowers lost at sea read more at http://www.oceanrowing.com/statistics/lost_at_sea.htm


Apart from the usual hazards of everyday life, there is the ever present risk of tropical storms, sharks, whales, icebergs, floating containers, hypothermia, getting caught in the wrong current, freak waves and ships at night. Salt sores, sunburn and skin problems are some of the regular snags.

Currents
Leaving La Gomera in the Canary Islands, there is a navigational hazard for rowers in the shape of the island El Hierro, which has brought previous Atlantic rowing attempts to an early end. The Eddies, that can be very large and run on the edges of the current, pose a possible danger of dragging the boat around in circles until it is flung of the edge. This can take a week or more, and wipes out the benefit of rowing out through the current.
  

Capsize

The boat has been specially designed to self-right. Read more about this in the boat section. In case of a capsize at night and a failure to self right, Bhavik has trained to work his way into the cabin under water and manually self right the boat. While the fully loaded boat (approx 800kgs) will be tested for self righting prior to departure, the ability to self right is also effected by the amount of ballast present in the boat. Bhavik will be initially using food and water supplies as ballast. As the weight of the ballast will be considerably reduced as the journey progresses, the risk of capsizing increases.
  

Large Ships

Possibly the biggest risk faced is that of being hit by a speeding cargo ship, that fails to see their boat on the radar due to its low elevation in the water. Bhavik will have a radar reflector (SeaMe) device on board, that will be picked up by larger ships.
 

Sharks, Killer Whales (Orcas), Blue Whales



The greatest risk from sharks and whales is from them coming to feed on the smaller fish that live off the growth on the underside of the boat. A hungry one may quite easily capsize the boat.
  

Containers

There an estimated 250,000 lost containers floating around. A collision could quite easily damage the hull of the boat.

Hypothermia
The average survival time for those who were thrown into the sea off the decks of the Titanic was a few seconds. The cold, iceberg-haunted sea ensured that death for many of the passengers, who had come from a warm, cosseted environment, came swiftly.

Falling into a chilly sea, colder than 5C (41F), induces vagal shock. The sudden cold causes the shipwrecked sailors to gasp — and with that gasp they may inhale water. The shock induces violent shivering, the muscles contract so that they curl up, and as a result they are unable to swim. Other people suffer immediate cardiac arrest as a result of the shock; it is said that this is more likely if the cold water splashes their faces.

The Titanic passengers and crew might also have been wining and dining too well before their ship sank. Recent alcohol consumption is notorious for increasing the death rate for those who are plunged — or who plunge voluntarily — into cold water. Likewise, lack of physical fitness militates against survival. The secret of surviving a cold sea is to stay still so as not to dissipate energy, and therefore heat, by pointless activity.

Hypothermia is divided into two categories. Chronic hypothermia is the sort experienced by stall holders who spend long, windy, icy February days in the Whitechapel market, or pensioners sitting by a single-bar electric fire. Acute accidental hypothermia is that suffered by those who, for instance, fall into a cold sea or river. The sea off the east coast of England last weekend was a balmy 20C (68F). The shipwrecked mariner can stay afloat at this temperature for many hours.
Anyone plunged into cold water should conserve as much energy as possible

Survival time if the sea is at 10C is three hours, on average, for those who are fit, not excessive drinkers and have not recently had a heavy meal.

Equipment Failure
A failure in the water maker or loosing the rudder, oars, electric systems have ended many attempts at crossing the ocean. Backups and repair kits on board should solve this issue. Technical support via satellite phone, from the land team will also be available.