Stormy weather caused our adventurers on the London2Paris Row some problems at the weekend. The London to Ramsgate leg of the row had to be abandoned. Then, once our crews got on the water, the bad weather struck again and caused one of the boats to sink just off Hearne Bay.

I decided to organise the London2Paris Row to give people who have an adventurous spirit the chance to challenge themselves and make a dream come true. This is the second time we’ve done it, taking 36 people in three teams across 400 miles of water – a similar distance to the Row to the Pole expedition.

The sinking off Hearne Bay is the kind of pitfall that tests everyone’s mettle. Luckily, there was a support boat less than a mile away and we recovered the whole crew safely. Being up to my knees in water in the dark reminded me of another incident from 20 years ago, when I was part of a mission to rescue the crew of a Dutch yacht whose keel had fallen off in the Channel.

It’s these incidents that remind us of the very real dangers posed by rowing in open waters. It’s also a chance for people to shine and once everyone is safe, it becomes part of the adventure.

Dan Byles, one of our competitors in the Polar Race 2007, is the kind of person who would have been a perfect member of the Row to the Pole crew.

He’s a successful Polar adventurer and Atlantic oarsman and holds two Guinness World Records. In 1997 he successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean unsupported in a 23 foot wooden rowing boat in 101 days with his mother, Jan. Then in 2007 the mother and son duo survived temperatures of minus 68C and the worst ice conditions for years to become the first mother and son to reach the Magnetic North Pole by foot.

Congratulations to Dan who has just been elected as an MP. Sadly this now rules him out of consideration for the "Row to the Pole" crew, for which he would otherwise have been a prime candidate. He will be otherwise very occupied!

In the Arctic, survival depends on your crew and on your kit!

When it comes to choosing gear for extremely dry, cold conditions, a three-layer system is best. The first layer is a thermal layer designed to wick away moisture from your skin. The second layer is for warmth and the third keeps the wind out.

On the Row to the Pole expedition we’ll be doing hours and hours of rowing, so we’re going to need some good gloves to protect our hands from calluses. But, it’s not just the skin on our hands we’re worried about, spending hours with your hands around oars, you can end up with ‘claw hand’. This can be pretty nasty but wears off in time.

We’ll also be taking essentials like a decent hat and sunglasses or goggles to protect our eyes from the glare from the sea and ice and a high factor sun-cream.

We’re hoping for good weather but we always prepare for the worst!