And the voyage takes off
AKZN mother and her son left Cape Town yesterday on an epic 6 450km pedal boat voyage to Rio de Janeiro.
Trying what many might say is impossible are uMhlanga-based 50-something Robynn Wolff and her son, Davey du Plessis.
It is estimated their journey will take three or four months.
The intrepid duo have chosen a cigar-shaped pedal boat, using their feet to guide and steer the vessel through the journey.
A small group of family and friends bade them farewell at Granger Bay. After months of preparation, and waiting for the right weather conditions, the moment of truth had arrived.
“I am afraid of what lies ahead because it’s all unknown,” Wolff admitted seconds before climbing on board. “I have butterflies in my stomach. But it is not about me or Davey; it’s about the awareness we are trying to spread.”
She was referring to the sixth extinction of the planet’s animal and plant species – for the first time by humans.
Their vessel Vaquita, named after an endangered species of dolphin, was dwarfed by luxury yachts.
Wolff gives the impression of a glamorous, stylish businesswoman better suited to an upmarket city life than being confined to a vessel with no hot water and few mod cons.
“I know it’s going to be tough. I will miss my friends and family. But when you have a passion for something, you need to go with it. I trust in a higher being to take care of us. It’s certainly going to be a time to learn and reflect.”
The craft has no engine or sail. There will be no accompanying craft – only a simple satellite navigation system and radio phone for communication. Their feet on the rotating pedals will be their only means of motion.
“I really believe there comes a time when you need to put your fears to one side,” says Wolff. “It’s about doing things that not only test your spirit of endurance and survival, but create an awareness of the environmental challenges we face on this planet.”
Wolff admits she is nowhere near fit enough to be an extreme adventurer. She also admits, with a smile, that the furthest she has been in a pedal boat has been across a lagoon on a summer holiday. But she says her experience as a trauma councillor has helped her cope with many difficult situations.
“I believe the ability to keep calm and not panic, even in the worst scenarios, will help me to focus on what we are trying to achieve.” Emotionally, she says, she is “more than ready” to face whatever nature has in store for her.
“It will be the toughest ride of my life. There will probably be times when I’ll wonder why I did this. In the end, though, it is not about yourself, but the creatures out there that need a voice – and a planet crying out for help.”
She shares this heartfelt ethos with her son, a veteran adventurer, author and motivational speaker who will skipper their custommade pedal boat across the Atlantic Ocean, hoping the winds and currents favour them.
He believes he and his mother are well prepared for what lies ahead. “My mom is a strong person and understands this won’t all be smooth going. I am very proud of her for agreeing to be my sailing partner.”
While stormy seas, seasickness and equipment failure are all possible, mother and son are no newcomers to drama.
In 2012, Du Plessis embarked on a kayaking expedition on the Amazon River. Two months into the mission he was ambushed and shot by a gang of bandits. He escaped, wounded, into the dense Peruvian jungle.
Near death, he was eventually rescued and taken to a hospital in Lima, where he was able to call his mother in Durban.
As for the voyage, there are the questions of what they will eat, how they will do their ablutions and what they’ll do when they’re not paddling.
Being vegans, they say, will make food preparation easier. Apart from bottled fresh water, their diet will consist mainly of fruit, nuts and sprouts, then coconuts, sprouting seeds and dehydrated fruit towards the end.
Seawater will be used for all their ablutions. They will have enough reading material to see them through the voyage. They will also need to snatch enough sleep to keep them alert.
Du Plessis has assured family and friends the pedal boat has all the necessary safety equipment on board, including a life raft and radio.
“If there’s a severe storm,” he says, “we will either try to pedal through or drop anchor off the bow, so that the boat pierces the big waves head on rather than from the side, which would capsize us.
“At sea our vessel can handle waves several metres high, but along the coast we are limited to waves of two to three metres.
“There are bound to be unforeseen challenges. When you are thrown into a survival situation, it’s because something you didn’t expect popped up. Survival then comes down to resilience, resourcefulness and a desire to live against all odds – it’s a mindset.”
A salient point about the boat is that it is like a cork that will bob, limiting any risk of sinking.
Du Plessis has chosen to selffund the expedition without assistance from sponsors in the belief that corporate promotion could dilute his attempt to convey the threat of mass extinction.
The reality, says Du Plessis, is that the scale of extinction is so huge that a simple pedal across the ocean will have little or no impact on the species being lost daily.
“But hopefully we’ll provide a very loud wake-up call.”
At last contact, the Vaquita was heading north-west, 45 miles off the coast, with Wolff reporting feeling a bit seasick.
lizclarke4@gmail.com