Vasti Geldenhuys is all smiles approaching New York City. Photo courtesy of Riaan Manser
“I am scared. Don’t know what to expect from the Gulf Stream, especially in a row boat! The best thing for my nerves is to get into the boat and just row. Giant seas or not. It still feels unreal, the fact we have done this amazing journey successfully. Well almost, just another 960 nm to go! What a privilege.”
– Vasti Geldenhuys
Vasti Geldenhuys was ready to complete the journey from Morocco she and her boyfriend, adventurer Riaan Manser, began December 30, 2013. They had been in Miami for nearly ten days catching up on some much needed rest and waiting out a strong northerly system. Finally, on May 23, the pair headed to the safety of the ocean to ride the Gulf Stream’s northerly flow to Cape Hatteras before turning straight for New York Harbor.
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“When you are on a motor boat or even a sailboat going with the Gulf Stream you can not truly appreciate the power of this phenomenon,” Riaan explained. “On a completely calm day, with the sea as flat as I have ever seen, it appeared as if we were not moving. Our GPS said we were moving at 5.2 knots.” At one point the rowboat reached a max speed of 7.5 knots over the ground–faster than hull speed of many sailboats. But as serene as this may sound, there was another side to the mighty Gulf Stream that was about to add miles to the pair’s journey.
The Spirit of Madiba carried a Yellowbrick GPS tracker so the world could follow Riaan and Vasti’s progress. Off the coast of South Carolina, the tracker began to take a dramatic turn south. A large low pressure system, packing 50-knot winds, was heading their way. Having already experienced north winds stacking against the driving flow of the stream, the pair made a conservative decision to head west, clear of the stream. However, getting out of the stream was no easy feat. Muscling their way and at times even using their anchor to prevent backward movement, the pair was finally able to turn south to ride with the weather system until they could safely turn north again. The ‘big loop,’ added 360 km to an already long journey.
Weather wasn’t the only factor that wanted a prominent role in their adventure. Shortly after departing Miami, Riaan realized they could not make fresh drinking water. “Our first attempt to make water only gave us 10 liters. After some troubleshooting we discovered that the valve on the bottom of our boat had broken off.” With no way to repair the system Riaan quickly came up with a plan. “We saw a vessel on our AIS named Pegasus Highway. I called them on the radio and stated the situation. I asked if they could drop us some water.”
Before long, an eight-story tall, 700-foot long container ship was alongside their measly 23-foot vessel. “Vasti was the star of the show,” Riaan beamed. “It was truly ‘James Bond-like’ with the carrier throwing a line for Vasti to hold on to while 60 liters of water were lowered.” With their focus on getting life-essential water they were unaware of just how dangerous the water drop was until they saw the large engine propeller of the ship. One slip could have meant the end.
Riaan and Vasti crossing the finish line. Photo courtesy of Riaan Manser
During their next water drop, off of the Delaware Bay, they used a different approach. The crew of Mearsk Elliott dropped the supply into the ocean as Riaan and Vasti paddled harder than they had throughout their journey to retrieve the gift before it disappeared below the surface. After a successful retrieval the Captain of the Mearsk Elliott radioed the couple. “The crew wanted us to know how inspired they were to play a small part in our journey,” Riaan explained.
As the lights of Atlantic City came into view Riaan and Vasti made a selfish decision to head closer to shore to have an Internet connection for that much needed contact with the outside world. However, with that selfishness they gave up the security the ocean provided. “The open ocean provides sheer comfort. You take what it gives you. Land however, makes you so vulnerable.”
On Friday, June 20, with helicopters overhead, what started as an off-the-cuff comment to visit New York City became reality. As Riaan and Vasti crossed the finish line, a quietness came over them. The culmination of the past five months filled their bodies with emotions. With 3.6 million strokes between them Riaan and Vasti shared a hug and a kiss, knowing that they would not have completed the journey without each other.
Nothing stood in Vasti’s way to see New York. After all this trip was her idea. She fell in love with Grand Central Station and enjoyed meeting people in the vast communities surrounding the city. The pair went cycling through Central Park, stopping on a pier to watch tourists rowing on the lake. In unison they shared a laugh simply saying, “We’ll pass on this tourist attraction.”
So what is next for these two adventurers? Marriage and children of course. “But trust me when I say that I will discourage our children from taking up my chosen career,” Riaan stated.
“People say say to me all the time ‘Man, I would love to do your job,’ but they have no idea what they would be getting into. I often say, ‘Here, you can have it,” he joked. One Twitter follower on Take Me 2 NY wrote, “You have unlocked the secret to life.” For Riaan, that is what his job is all about.
Once back in South Africa, Riaan will begin speaking engagements around the world. Corporations are lining up to hear about their journey. To learn more about Riaan and Vasti or to see a schedule of speaking engagements go to their website. http://www.riaanmanser.co.za/
Terry Boram has written for ALL AT SEA since 2012.
