Across the Savage Sea

Over 1,000 men have climbed Mount Everest, 12 have walked on the moon, and only six have rowed the Atlantic from west to east. No woman had yet accomplished this feat-until now. In mid-June 2003, Maud Fontenoy, a young woman and a mariner of long standing, set out from Newfoundland in her 24-foot-long boat Pilot to row across the Atlantic. Her goal: to prove that a woman could do the impossible. She knew how hazardous the trip would be, but the reality was far more harrowing than even...
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Over 1,000 men have climbed Mount Everest, 12 have walked on the moon, and only six have rowed the Atlantic from west to east. No woman had yet accomplished this feat-until now. In mid-June 2003, Maud Fontenoy, a young woman and a mariner of long standing, set out from Newfoundland in her 24-foot-long boat Pilot to row across the Atlantic. Her goal: to prove that a woman could do the impossible. She knew how hazardous the trip would be, but the reality was far more harrowing than even she had imagined: violent storms and crashing 15-foot waves that capsized her sturdy but vulnerable craft not once but dozens of times; bouts of intense cold, hunger, and sheer exhaustion from long days of rowing; near-freezing waters; circling sharks; and huge freighters that suddenly emerged out of the thick fog, almost ramming her. Then there was her map, updated daily, that constantly reminded her how far she and Pilot still were from her goal. But her journey also had its share of wonders: breathtaking sunsets; the serenity of a quiet, star-studded night; her close encounters with dolphins and whales;and, especially, the overwhelming feeling of relief-and accomplishment-when at long last she reached the coast of Spain on October 7th, 117 days after her departure.