Whilst Mark D and Rob were packing the ice boat off, David training hard for Henley and putting the finishing touches to our science project and I was head first in balance sheets and sponsor contracts our illustrious leader was lording it up on a publicity tour of New York – headlined by a star appearance on CNN! Given none of us can compete with that it’s only right Jock posts this blog…

Well I’ve just returned from a whirlwind of a media tour out in New York. I was accompanied by Margaret Mary Clarke from Old Pulteney, flying over the Atlantic via Iceland and then on to New York – a far more enjoyable way to cross the Atlantic than having to slug it out on a row boat as I did many moons ago, not to mention great company!

No sooner had I touched down in NY than the media circus started – and for three days I was whisked from studio to studio, suburb to suburb to the waiting media opened. It never ceases to amaze me how much they embrace adventure and exploration across the pond and this historic expedition has clearly struck a chord as excitement and intrigue flowed in equal measures.

Over the course of the trip interviews were lined up with Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated (although sadly I don’t think we will be featured in the swimsuit edition!), National Geographic, ESPN and two interviews that have already been published via CNN and Reuters – and following the CNN News piece my dear wife has received commiserating and congratulatory emails in equal numbers!

Due to the hectic schedule there was very little time to take in the sights of this great city. However I was fortunate enough to be welcomed in to the Explorers Club where I was treated to a special tour of the premises. One of the more interesting exhibits was a full size Polar Bear which emitted a very convincing, and dare I say it familiar sounding "growl" when you walked by – probably won’t be long before I hear the real life version once again. I should note that these exhibits are all from the distant past as the Polar Bear is thankfully a protected species and importation into the US is now banned. This is a god send as they are better seen in their natural habitat.

Aside from that I had a quick trip in to Grand Central, saw the ‘Great Man’ in Columbus Square and was treated to some magnificent local cuisine and hospitality, although such was the packed nature of the schedule that I time was in short supply so I look forward to sampling the local delights in more detail on our return after the expedition!

All in all a very positive trip and on behalf of the entire expedition team I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who made my stay so memorable.
Yours aye

This week’s been a big one, and especially for Mark D. Not only was he i/c of packing and delivering the ice boat for shipment but also had the small matter of moving house – now that’s what I call multi tasking, and real life evidence that us blokes actually can!

The week didn’t start off in the best of fashion when, on opening a parcel assumed to contain our expedition tents, Mark found two pairs of Mark B's row boots (which judging by the size of them will also serve as additional sleeping quarters/shelter for at least 3 of the crew)! A quick phone call to the tent supplier revealed a slight breakdown in communications meaning the tents hadn’t left the warehouse. Oh joy, the first mishap and it wasn’t even 10am yet. Thankfully they pressed the urgent button and the delivery made it just in time to get on board the boat.

No matter how much you think you’re ready the reality is so often so very different – and this was to be no exception! So it was the Monday and Tuesday were spent running around chasing his tail, trying to tie up loose ends and pick up the few outstanding bits of kit. In addition there was a final session in Rossiters Boat Yard with the ever present Andy and Cris applying the finishing touches to the ice boat in preparation for her first overseas outing...all the way to Resolute Bay via the world!

On Tuesday evening Mark took the boat back to Little Heathers (Mark’s parents B&B) where he was joined by Rob S to start checking the inventory and packing the boat. Mr & Mrs Delstanche have been two of our most loyal supporters and have regularly opened their ever so hospitable door to us over the many training weekends. It’s thanks largely to this incredible generosity that many of the crew have increased their waist size by a couple of inches over the past few months – not to mention having to put up with Jock post his frenzied obsession with eating all the brussell sprouts (no man should have to put with that, especially not in a confined space...at sea where you have no escape!).

Sadly Rob has actually lost a bit of weight post a nasty bout of the lurgy – like man flu only much much worse. Well there can be no better remedy for weight loss than a visit to the Delstanche’s, and so it was a few hours later he left complete with all the kilos he had recently lost. Little Heathers we shall miss you...

Making sure we pack the right kit is obviously crucial thanks to Rob’s meticulous processes, not to mention enviable pc prowess they motored their way through the inventory. It must be said that for Rob this was spreadsheet heaven, which was just as well as had it been left to Mark they would no doubt still be sitting on the front lawn tapping away to a state of total confusion...and goodness only knows what would have arrived in Resolute. Anyway 3 hours later the lads had finished and she was packed and ready to go.

At 3am, after an emotional night spent worrying about the 'great good bye' to the ice boat Mark set off on the first part of the journey North – complete (obviously) with enough food to feed a small family. Hats off to him for going solo because whilst he does have this tough guy exterior we all know deep down he’s a sensitive soul and, much like mums find it hard to pack their first born off to their first day at school so Mark no doubt had to fight back the tears on saying goodbye to the Old Pulteney.

At 0730 he arrived at the Trade Freight International Terminal in Newark where the team were incredibly helpful in getting the boat off the trailer and on to the dollies. For once the boat wasn’t met with total bemusement, as they've helped out numerous teams get out to the Canaries and back from the Caribbean as well as Olly Hicks and his flying carrot way down South.

Anyway a massive ‘thank you’ must go out to Isabel, the boat shipping guru and all round legend, who has been instrumental in getting all of the necessary clearances for the boat and kit – the ice boat could not be in safer hands and all in all Isabel has made our lives sooooo much easier. The next time we’ll see the ice boat will be Resolute (gulp).

With the load somewhat lighter and fears of blowing up another of his parents Land Rover’s, Mark headed back to Christchurch to drop off the trailer, say a final farewell to the Rossiters team and drop off a bottle of Old Pulteney for Matt, the owner and Captain of Sara G (current E-W transatlantic rowing record holder), as a thank you for allowing us usage of his trailer this past month.

However Mark’s week certainly didn’t finish there, and an hour later he was on the train back to London to help his 6 ½ months pregnant girlfriend, the lovely Helene, who had been busy packing up the flat, arranging the purchase of their new house AND doing her full time job! So it was head first in to the packing with less than 24 hours until moving day!

All in all an eventful week...but it certainly won't be the last. Click here to view more photos of the ice boat at the start of her long journey to Resolute.

As we enter the home stretch final preparations are being made to the ice boat before she leaves these shores bound for Resolute. So whilst Mark D and the Rossiters team lock themselves away in the shed to complete the final boat modifications here are some facts & stats in answer to some of your questions...

We’ve had a few comments about the ‘BBQ stand’ we are supposedly carrying on the bow of the boat! I assure you it’s anything but - it’s actually a specially moulded casing to house the satellite dome to give it protection should we roll the boat…meaning we can still keep in touch with all you lovely people!

Safety wise we have been well looked after by Ocean Safety and Raymarine who have supplied a lot of our safety equipment and instruments. No stone has been left unturned and we’re currently undergoing a v.stringent safety assessment process to ensure all possible outcomes have been considered and all processes are in place to deal with every eventuality – remembering we will be entering the ‘unknown’.

Clothes wise we’ll be wearing Palm drysuits and cags (specially designed for kayakers to allow increased movement without compromising protection) when the weather demands it and Henri Lloyd under clothing, headwear and boots on top of Icebreaker base layer – combinations will obviously be decided by the conditions but there's very little chance of any Atlantic-esk naked rowing (sorry ladies!). Given there won't be much chance of a wash I can say with a reasonable level of certainty that it’s going to get very smelly...and sharing sleeping bags will no doubt be a real treat by the end.

As far as protection for our backsides is concerned, we’ll be taking special gel based ‘cushions’ for the seats which we hope will help prolong erosion ‘down there’ - although sadly that’s part and parcel of ocean rowing.

The size of the boat was dictated by the need to fit her into the back of a plane. Consequently we have had to be more creative/inventive with her design to provide sufficient stowage space and a home capable of housing 6 large (& medium sized!) men. We are able to fit x4 people into what we call the sewer berths (x2 in forward and x2 in aft cabins) which lead from the cabins underneath the side decks. They are snug but also secure should the conditions get a little lively. In addition x2 crew can sleep on the purpose built ‘bed’, also in the aft cabin. All in all an amazingly efficient, not to mention unique design...but there's no place to hide and no place to run.

The forward cabin is small but comes with an Ensuite – as it’s from the bow seat position that our portable toilet will be positioned. It's not exactly luxury but does come with all day air conditioning and definitely a step up from ‘bucket & chuck it’. I’ll save you any more details but look out for the show & tell video that we’ll be uploading over the coming days.

Cooking will be done using a jet boil stove or another favourite of Jock’s, an MSR stove which has been tried and tested during his treks up in the Arctic. This will be portable and has been designed by Mark D so it fits in to the footwell within easy access of the aft cabin.

With regards to the wildlife up there we have been warned that we will be passing by the breeding grounds of the Narwhal - a member of the whale family with a unicorn like horn. In addition we can look forward to seeing lots of Polar Bears, arctic foxes and a number of other ‘locals’ awaiting to greet us.

Should we have to haul/tow the boat we have purpose built harness points on the bow so we can pull her over the ice from lead to lead - although obviously we hope we are not going to be doing too much of that. Arguably her most unique feature is the purpose built hull, with a design similar to that of a sledge, which will greatly ease any dragging.

Other crew news:

Jock managed to win Elite 4 (rowing) last weekend at the Peterborough multi-lane regatta. The young men he beat are still getting over it on hearing they were beaten by a crew who were older than their fathers. God however got his own back on Sunday when Jock ended up swimming off the dock as he got into the iceboat!

Hot off the press: Mark Beaumont joined the LDC team in an attempt to ride from Arch to Arc (London to Paris) in 24 hours. Incredibly he managed the feat with 17 minutes to spare! The man's a machine...

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more updates coming soon.