Our Challenge

Mrs Nelson is a 28 foot Rannoch R45 ocean rowing boat, and features 3 rowing positions. She was the first R45 to be built and is a proven Queen of the Ocean, with 5 successful Atlantic crossings under her belt. When we first saw her, it really was love at first sight. We hope the feeling is mutual!

On taking receipt of Mrs Nelson, we instantly started remedial work, because, as we well know, with age and experience comes the odd ‘laughter line.’ In perfect structural condition, our repair work has been to consumable items such as seat roller bearings, and oar gates, plus a brand new colour-scheme wrap that we absolutely love!

Ocean rowing boats are designed to be small enough to travel quickly, yet just about big enough to house the four crew members.

The two tiny cabins each end are just about big enough to lie down in, and serve as both bedroom and living room. The bow cabin is particularly small – roughly the size of a family saloon car boot. The bucket on deck serves as the bathroom – whilst basic in nature, it comes with an incredible view!

The kitchen is a brilliant jet boil. Solar panels on the cabins and deck power essential equipment including satellite phones, navigation and a water maker – enabling us to turn sea water into drinking water, and our all important sound-system!

Everything we need for the crossing is stowed away in the hatches and pouches – so packing light and knowing where everything is is paramount. Safety is key to the design.

Part of the genius in the design of these boats is that they are built to self-right if they capsize.

In many ways, it is incredible to think that we will spend around 6 weeks on board a boat that is little bigger than a large family sofa. We are confident however, that we have the perfect 4th crew member in Mrs Nelson.