the most dangerous ocean crossing in the
world is from South America Antarctica
600 miles of the most treacherous and
unpredictable waters on the planet Drake
Passage right now six elite athletes are
attempting to survive arctic cold
temperatures wind storms and 40-foot
swells in a rowboat
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we're about five days out from launch
we're here in the warehouse in Punta
Arenas Chile where obviously row boat is
here it's really exciting to actually
see the boat here the reason we're here
a week early is there's all sorts of
odds and ends
you know things we got to sort through
before we can actually launch this boat
safely and successfully it is believed
that in ocean rowing at least the most
difficult path is the path to the start
line
most ocean expeditions they fail
actually on that path not on the
expedition itself does it mostly look
like everything that you expected to be
here so it looks like everything I could
go through I went through my head now
I'll go through the least properly like
looking at the documents do you want to
line one of these with the plastic bag
it's never gonna be in a stuff sack the
entirety of the expedition right right
right do I have that right it's not like
it's getting rained on while you hike
it's just gonna come out right it's
gonna live out for 20 days every one of
these is attached onto safety line onto
the boats from the safety line it gets
attached but on for the life jackets
around here so when you go overboard
you're always attached to the boats by
tomorrow we'll have everything in place
and safety will be no issue but we're
just making sure everything everything
works and everything's safe then it goes
here right look
okay yes sweet being carefully and being
a hold at rose again it's just reading
making everything real there's something
we've been thinking about for a year and
a half and this is right now it's right
here all of this is about to get put in
the boat of course one of the most
crucial components is the food got
chicken and dumplings Mexican dobo and
rice we got some scrambled eggs you know
a little bit everything it's not fancy
but there's a limited amount of space on
the boat and so it's got to be as tight
and contain and compact as it possibly
can so we start backing it up we're
putting stuff on the boat we're putting
stuff on the boat yeah it's happening
I am very nervous
there are many forces higher than us we
will never be in control of but I'm also
super excited because I am looking
forward to finally shaking the hand of
this god of the ocean yes we are packed
up and ready to roll
tomorrow we head down to the Braveheart
load that on the supervising vessel and
before we know it we'll take that thing
down to Drake and it's time to row so
between right now and when the guys
actually launch off of Cape Horn we've
got a number of things to go through so
the bow is currently at the warehouse it
needs to be taken to the wharf I take
all these expeditions just one step at a
time so rather than getting carried away
and thinking about the finish line or
thinking about an article or thinking
about the inevitable storm we're gonna
face in the middle of Drake Passage
right now I'm focused on getting the
rowboat on the brave farm so once it's
on who's gonna go in to take lunch I'll
probably be tussock oversee the run
that is a very big set that rowboat on
the supervising vessel the amount of
logistics that it's taken that in itself
is like the impossible to just explore
the impossible Road
yep starting to feel very real seeing
the rowboat actually onboard the
Braveheart
it's just in a really exciting moment
after so much hard work to get us there
so yes the impossible row it's happening
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this is a very unusual piece of ocean
rowing equipment it is a custom-made and
tailor-made so it's not only especially
designed for rowing body mechanics and
movement but it is also tailor made in
terms of suit in matching our bodies
following 25 different measurements of
each of us so it's really an art work
essentially the same concept is putting
on a wetsuit except it has a little bit
more room in the middle to to move
around a little more flexibility if we
go in the water we are warm and safe for
up to to six hours now most of my
previous expeditions have been solo so
it's kind of fun to be with the team you
know be all on the team uniform today
really feel like the cohesion of the
team coming together jobs you look the
pot now look they look pretty cool are
we smiling or serious that's gonna have
for both yeah each day that that we're
here The Closer that we get were we're
getting tighter and tighter as a group
to which i think is really important to
making sure that we're successful on the
trip after this we're going down to the
harbour and then we're going to practice
our capsizing tests we get fully capsize
it's the first time we can test out the
suits in the sea yes possibly we will
capsize maybe we will capsize three
times if not the horror of ocean rowing
is everybody dreads and I want our team
to feel secure that the boat self rights
that we are fine to capsize we're about
to do of practice capsize all going in
the drink make sure that the boat self
writes the way we anticipate it will and
to make sure that we're comfortable
falling into the water and dealing with
our emergency gear today we have got up
to 50 knots but we still will do it this
is a reality here where we are
all three fours right
Tesla great for capsizing I took I
wanted to test whether my harness would
do its job clip dim as the boat did a
full 360 barrel roll
I actually went with the boat which
meant that by the time it just right it
itself
I was already 70% back on more great day
of doing exercise I feel ready well we'd
like to do that every day mark the
camera too
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yeah mr. Brady what the were you sir
good good so I've been aboard the
Braveheart
you know seeing the cabins seen the
layout of the kitchen in the bathroom
and the community space its farce and I
think it's going to be a wild ride but
it's going to be an exciting place to
view the entire expedition we're on the
supervising vessel down the beagle
channel then we launched from Cape Horn
the impossible row is happening
[Music]
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