BLOG #10 – NOVEMBER 2, 2021
​
Inside 40 days until race start!!! It’s getting pretty real. First an apology for no blog updates for the past couple of months – time got away from me.
​
First off I want to ask a big favor. Music is going to be an important part of my row. We are going to be loading up an iPad with a ton of music to ensure I have a lot of variety. To that end, I ask that you email me your favorite album suggestion. You can email your suggestions to owensrowing@gmail.com
During the past two months I spent three days on SF Bay; did a second Santa Cruz to Monterrey row; a second Newport Beach to San Diego row; and one final overnight row on SF Bay. I ended up with 233 training hours on Jack Keane, well in excess of the mandatory 120 hour requirement. Of course, if it were not for the global shipping crisis, I would have preferred to get in even more hours. I really would have loved to have done a row to Catalina Island.
![IMG_5994[58683].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d96f64_bc95117b2177437d88515068ba0d0ce6~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_328,h_246,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/IMG_5994%5B58683%5D.jpg)
![IMG_6081[60492].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d96f64_1fb8393df9c24599ab999c928fea0ded~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_328,h_246,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/IMG_6081%5B60492%5D.jpg)
![IMG_6091[59792].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d96f64_e8741ab409e64fef8a64621bb92d8179~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_338,h_254,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/IMG_6091%5B59792%5D.jpg)
We were fortunate enough to see some of you in SF to send off Jack Keane and also do a presentation about the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge to the Sausalito Yacht Club. We were blessed to have Okizu staff, board members and family members join us at the Jack Keane send off. We also had two grandsons and two great grandchildren of Jack Keane in attendance.
Before I could ship the boat to the race start, I needed to pack it. This meant buying the final pieces of mandatory gear that I was missing, as well as buying all my food. Fortunately, Sports Basement generously helped with the food purchases. This is what 515,000 calories looks like.
![IMG_6204[65392].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d96f64_ecb17b6d39394ad385121e7e418257ea~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_336,h_252,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/IMG_6204%5B65392%5D.jpg)
![IMG_6271[65386].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d96f64_fdf07603db14433da33f2117ba303790~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_336,h_252,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/IMG_6271%5B65386%5D.jpg)
In October, I spent 8 days driving from Reno to Savannah and back. 5,379 miles (8,662 km) traveling through 16 states. After a panic moment in KY when the boat winch strap broke and a stop off to see my friend and Humpback Whale sponsor, Brad Elphick, I dropped off Jack Keane on October 11th. After three shipping delays, the ship left Savannah yesterday and is currently estimated to arrive in the Canary Islands on November 26th. Three of the four United States teams are working together and using the same shipping agent and our boats are on the same ship.
![IMG_6288[65388].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d96f64_30f9f7b8bc8942cb95f04bc7100b2633~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_298,h_224,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/IMG_6288%5B65388%5D.jpg)
![IMG_6283[65390].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d96f64_73d54eded3854886b0520047a5aebe8a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_298,h_224,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/IMG_6283%5B65390%5D.jpg)
Now its back to strength training and long sessions on the erg (i.e. indoor rower). If weather permits, I hope to get out on the water with the Wherry I built last year. Thanks for following along and please send us you album recommendation(s).