Rowboat in a Hurricane: My Amazing Journey Across a Changing Atlantic Ocean

by Julie Angus

In 2005–06, Julie Angus, with her fiancé Colin, rowed 10,000 kilometers across the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first woman in the world to travel from mainland to mainland in a rowboat. The 145-day journey gave Angus, a trained scientist, a unique perspective on the ocean. The slow-moving boat became an ecosystem unto itself, attracting barnacles, dorado fish, trigger fish, turtles, sharks, whales, birds, and more, which she was able to observe and document. Angus also saw unmistakable signs of the ocean’s devastation, with far more plastic bottles, wrappers, toys, and bags than sharks or other once-common sea life. Four cyclones, including two hurricanes, hammered the small boat so intensely that Angus and her companion weren't sure they would survive. Rowboat in a Hurricane records this amazing journey in meticulous, dramatic detail, in the process offering a personal record of an awe-inspiring ecosystem, its fascinating denizens, and the mounting threats to its existence.

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure, Canada, Travel, Biography Memoir, Biography

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2008

Reviews

[Atesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. I was able to vicariously experience the adventure. Also had an opportunity to hear Julie speak and an event. Found both her writing and speech to be highly motivational!!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 ⭐️

[Kathy Stinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about a feat few people would be crazy enough to attempt but not as inspiring a read as I'd hoped for. I didn't find Julie Angus's insights into what she observed about the ocean or about her relationship with her fiancé, or even about why she felt compelled to take on this amazing journey or its longterm impact on her particularly insightful. It was nonetheless a pleasant way to pass hours during a far less adventurous ocean crossing - by plane.

(I received this book in a Bit Lit giveaway promoting the fact that if you own the paper version of this book (and many others), you're entitled to a discount on the ebook version.)

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rowing from Lisbon, Portugal to Costa Rica in a seven meter long rowboat is not my idea of what a sane person would do, Julie and Colin Angus did just that and weathered a couple of hurricanes in the process. It is a tale that is well written and includes facts about what is happening to the ocean and its wildlife. Now I'm going to read the book by Colin Angus about his travels around the world by his own power.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Both as a feat of human perseverance and a first-hand account of the changing Atlantic Ocean in the worst hurricane season in recorded history. I could not put this book down. I do not envy the life they led on that boat, but I am impressed that they did it. I appreciated that Julie's account of their travels is interspersed with summaries of research on oceanography and marine biology that they looked into to explain their observations once they got home. Highly recommended read.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing (incredible!!) book. I loved every minute of it. It is exciting and thoughtful and informative. These two have got to be the coolest couple in the history of the world. I want to drive out to Comox just to meet them.

[Carl Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring. I want to get out on more adventures.

[Clivemichael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the honesty with which she chronicled this amazing adventure. Heroic and inspiring.

[Gemini · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! I had no idea what to expect. I just can't believe the incredible & tumultuous journey that Julie & rowmate/fiancée take. I mean wow, simply wow. Rowing is hard enough on calm waters for a few hours. How they did this for months & months on choppy waters (understatement) is not only a huge undertaking but a life-altering experience. I love how you are basically taken into the author's writing which is full of details. The learning of rowing, how she started on this epic adventure & what she endured is quite inspiring. Not many people have done anything like this & they did so in epic proportions. Since of course there were weather interruptions & other hiccups that came along the way; they still managed to get through all of it together. The fact that this was actually only part of the journey is an even bigger achievement. Since most of us will never get to or want to do such things is no matter, this book is pretty damn amazing.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impressive feat - Julie Angus was the first woman to row across the Atlantic. She and her fiancé Colin set out from Portugal, headed for Miami, in what seems to me to have been a very small rowboat. That should have been challenging enough on its own. But they had the bad luck of doing it during what turned out to be a record year for hurricanes. They survived the trip, and their relationship survived too. As amazing as this voyage was, it was just one leg in Colin’s self-propelled trip around the world. His “Beyond the Horizon” is now in my stack of books to read.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good change of pace.

[Karen Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging book that describes an incredible adventure with just the right amount of detail, drama and humility.

[Surreysmum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this as a sort of adjunct to Thor Heyerdahl's Ra book, which is also about an Atlantic crossing in an unpowered boat. The similarities, either between voyages or between the resulting books, are not very great, but there are some. Both authors are of a somewhat ecological bent (Angus more so) and have points to make about ocean pollution, though interestingly about different kinds of contaminants or problems; Heyerdahl, in the '70s, oil; Angus, in 2005, plastics and the effects of climate change. Both have written a highly readable account of their preparation and journeys.

Angus' title gives fair warning of what the principal incidents of her story are going to be: hurricanes. With all the advantages of modern communications and GPS tracking, which meant they had every right to expect a smooth crossing, Julie Angus and her husband Colin ended up having to contend with two very late-season hurricanes ("Vince" and "Epsilon") and a severe tropical storm besides. That notwithstanding, we're never left with quite the same mortal dread that we get from the actual sinking of Heyerdahl's first reed boat in mid-ocean. It appears - who knew? - that quite a lot is known these days about how to build an ocean-going rowboat.

Whereas Heyerdahl had a crew of seven or eight, the Angus expedition consisted only of this married couple (still married; I checked) of adventurers. As such, though we get something of the interpersonal, it is nothing so dramatic as you might expect from enforced close quarters for six months. The journey, for all its drama, is told in curiously domestic terms, with lengthy descriptions of food and other "household" arrangements. Rather oddly, the two rowers, while cheerfully fishing for some of their meals, also made pets of some of their marine followers, naming them and recognizing them as they reappeared.

People like Colin and Julie Angus appear to people like me as a slightly different species. The question that books like this one never answer to my satisfaction is why anyone in their right mind would undertake such a harrowing, uncomfortable, life-threatening project, financially unsustainable and without any real lasting renown. (Julie Angus' accomplishment is very carefully phrased as "the first woman in the world to voyage across the Atlantic from mainland to mainland in a rowboat") However, I suppose, "because it's there" will just have to be good enough!

[Bren Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read quite a few ocean rowing books lately and this is definitely one of my favourites. Often the adventurer is big on guts, but short on writing skills. That is not the case with Julie Angus. She writes this journey beautifully. It hits on all the best bits. Not too much time on the lead up to the row - which I find can get kind of boring, just the right amount of antidotes of what could be a very monotonous story (eat, row, sleep). They had some pretty bad luck, but were rewarded with incredible experiences and great stories. The story of accidentally catching "Legend" their large loyal Dorado fish was amazing.

She kept it informative but not preachy or heavy handed. I really got a sense of the connection she had to the nature, the experience, and how it all fit together in her life with Colin. I loved the depiction of their relationship. You can tell they have a deep soul connection. And whoa, how incredible that they not only rowed an ocean but also biked around the world. Intense. Two very unique people.

One of my favourite parts was her meeting John Ridgway who rowed across the Atlantic in an open dory in the 60s. His advice, "never give up", and emphasis on the mental focus was inspiring even me, the reader.

Great book. The only thing keeping it from a 5 rating, I thought, was something more personal, something that would get me deeper into her psyche, some more vulnerability perhaps. But, all in all, I loved it.

[Joe White]

This is an account of a contemporary crossing from Lisbon to Costa Rica in 2005. Costa Rica was not the intended destination but due to weather and currents, it ended up as the destination. The boat is still impounded there as of 2009, and will cost more in government bribes and shipping than it may be to salvage. Note that these ocean rowing boats cost upwards of $100,000 when fully rigged, not including food. This is a contemporary adventure story which has had the benefit of past experiences in boat design, speed and weather dealings, and also benefits from contemporary communications. There were hardships, but the end result had fewer unexpected circumstances than earlier rows, and also had a more prescribed timetable format and approach then the early pioneers. It is still worth reading.

[Phobos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good adventure book about a couple crossing the Atlantic (from Spain to Costa Rica) in a rowboat. I'm a fan of survival books, the type where the survivor doesn't put themselves in the situation. Think Adrift: 76 Days Lost At Sea by Steven Callahan. In this book however, the adventurers put themselves in a survival situation, they aim to cross the Atlantic in a rowboat. After a while, I was convinced, okay they go through two hurricanes, a tropical storm, they are true adventurists and survivors.

Their luck, or lack of it, meant that they had many stories to tell from their journey from Spain to Costa Rica. This is a good non-fiction book for people who aren't big fans of non-fiction. I'll say it again though --- non fiction can be much more interesting than a lot of fiction. More people should definitely take a look at non-fiction adventure/survival stories.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my idea of a good time but, since I am thinking of sailing across the Atlantic and somewhat fearful of that, I thought I might get inspiration from reading this. Indeed I did. Sailing across the Atlantic in a 36' boat is now sounding like a luxury cruise compare to what Julie and her now husband, Colin survived! I almost felt like I was there with them riding 3 storey waves,only glad that I wasn't! Her descriptions of their marine accompaniments were rather touching. this is the first adventure story I have read but it has spurned me to read more! in fact, my next read is the story of this couple's adventure from Scotland to Syria by boat and bicycle. Endearing too that they are a Canadian couple, currently living on Vancouver Island.

[Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really speedy read and quite good (though I thought her fiance was a bit of a douche) about a couple who decided to row across the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, in a rowboat - a special ocean rowboat equipped with a tiny cabin & storage space - but people powered the whole way. Crazy adventures and lots of storms, including a couple of hurricanes passed their way. This did remind me of the ocean-crossing memoir, Maiden Voyage that I liked a bit more.

[Ines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insane. These people are absolutely insane, in a very admirable way and positive way.

(I wouldn't call the book particularly well written, but in this case it's something you can't help but look past because of the sheer magnitude of the journey they undertook.) Definitely a book I would recommend.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read on something I would never consider doing. Why would you want to?? But still fascinating to read the logistics of how its done, and her changing feelings as she crosses the Atlantic. Lots of interesting and sobering facts about the changing face of oceanlife given humanity's impact on it.

[Martha☀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

How can you make a book out of the monotony of a 5 month row across the Atlantic? Julie Angus does it and it is a really enjoyable read. She adds in all sorts of information about the changes taking place in the ocean and the impact that humans are causing to all sea life. As well she gives a riveting account of rowing 17 hours a day and surviving hurricane force winds.

[Noella Allisen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friend read this book and raved about it. I guess he's more of an adventurer than I am. I mean...what's the point of it all? Why bother? It was a good read that captured the highs and the lows of the whole undertaking but I just can't imagine why anyone would even want to row across the ocean. It just is so not my cup of tea.

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think I'd be as hooked into a rowing story as I was.

[Jilanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started Aug 2.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an incredible, engaging, and educating story/journey! As the pages turned and I knew I was approaching the end I was worried it would end abruptly or I'd have questions left unanswered, this was not so. A great job by Julie, and I'm now off to search out more of her, and Colin's work.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating adventure and endurance story that smoothly weaves in background information on biology, history, and climate. A great read by an inspirational person.