Atlantic rowers raise thousands for sense

By Rob Virtue on April 9, 2008 3:55 PM |

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HE’S three stone lighter, is a bit wobbly on his feet and is much hairier, but Alan Lock is a happy man.

The HSBC business analyst, who works in Canada Square, spoke to The Wharf from Barbados after completing the 86-day, 2,800-mile trip across the Atlantic on Sunday (April 6).

Accompanied by rowing partner Matt Boreham, the trip has raised somewhere between £15,000 and£20,000 for the charity Sense.

Alan has a rare genetic eye condition, which made him leave the Navy, and when he finished the trip he became the first visually impaired person to row the Atlantic.

The first step back on dry land was a challenge in itself. “To be honest, the first thing I did when I landed was to nearly fall over on the pontoon,” he said.

“Before I left on the trip my legs were quite strong, but after being stuck in that boat for 80-odd days the muscles at the bottom of the leg have wasted away so it was a bit of a shock.”

Alan, 28, and Matt, 39, met family members who had made the trip over to Barbados, before heading to the bar to celebrate their safe arrival.

Alan was previously in the Navy so he knew what to expect on the high seas. However, shocking weather conditions meant the journey time was more than the 60-70 days the duo had targeted.

“We didn’t get the rub of the green weather-wise so we moaned a bit about that for a while.

“It should have been a lot warmer. It’s raining here in Barbados so we’ve taken the weather across.”

And Alan said that his experience in the Navy, mixed with his and Matt’s laid-back attitudes, prevented madness setting in – although it was a close call.

“Living in a combined space that’s much smaller than a submarine was tough – it was only about eight feet,” said Alan.

“It was more challenging mentally than physically. We had no end point to aim for much of the time. Early on we were still on the anchor for some time because of storms and that set us back. It was really depressing.”

Food-wise, coffee and porridge kept them going, but after the good stuff run out it was freeze-dried tuna and pasta.

“We both like tuna and pasta back home but this stuff was awful. We were left with packets of it,” said Alan.

It could explain why he lost about three stone in weight while he was away. He also lost his razor early on in the trip, meaning he now sports a fetching beard – which may have to be shaved off before his long awaited return to work next week.