*FREE SHIPPING* ON ALL ONE-TIME ORDERS OVER $100 IN MAINLAND USA

BLOG: Tame the Kraken’s Recap - His Row Across the Atlantic on CBD

Posted by Lynnea Bolin on

Tame the Kraken’s Recap - His Row Across the Atlantic on CBD

 

In April of 2018, we interviewed Tim Crockett, the total badass who was training to row across the Atlantic Ocean in the Talisker Whiskey Challenge race. With a lot of prep and some help from our CBD products along the way, he was able to row solo 3,000+ nautical miles from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to English Harbor in Antigua. We caught up with him after his journey to see what the experience was like:

 

UW:   What was most surprising or unanticipated from being alone out on the water for so long?


Tim: I think I was pretty well prepared for everything but had not anticipated there being 'no weather' or very little wind. I think like most other rowers we're expecting strong winds and big seas as a result, but when there are periods of nothing and the sea is dead calm and you're then having to haul a boat that weighs almost a ton through the water, it's a surprise.

 

UW:   Did you have a favorite thing or product on the boat with you?


Tim: I have a few but if I were to narrow it down to one it would be my bean bag chair. Having this allowed me to rest up on deck in comfort and spend many a night sleeping under the stars which were an added bonus.

 

UW:   What did an average day look like? Was there much variation or were they all the same?


Tim: The weather pretty much dictated what a day may look like as I was always trying to make the best use of what favorable weather we got, but even then the days didn't vary all that much. During the daylight, I would typically work or row for 3 hours and rest for 1, and then during the night work 2 hours and rest two, carrying out maintenance and eating during the 'working' periods or as needed. The main goal was always to try and keep the boat moving in the right direction and cover as many miles each day.

 

UW:   Were there certain thoughts or recurring places your mind would wander to?


Tim: Yes, sometimes on a daily basis or at a certain time of day just because it was part of my routine. Other times a song in my playlist may trigger a thought of memory and sometimes it would be when I was resting and flicking through photographs just looking for a distraction from the stressor of the day. It would always be family that I would think about during these moments, but it's also surprising what your mind does wander to when you allow it.

 

UW:   What did your ‘comforts’ look like?


Tim: Certain foods always brought some joy, my bean bag chair as I've mentioned, and that's about it. I didn't take a lot of unnecessary stuff and it is quite a spartan existence on the water, or it was for me, but then again you don't need a lot of stuff if things are going well.

 

UW:   At any point did you consider giving up? What did your moments of doubt look like?


Tim: Never considered giving up, that wasn't an option for me but there were a few times when I was incredibly 'low' and I didn't know how I was ever going to make it to the other side due to several factors that had stacked up on it other from illness, injury, equipment failure, poor weather and a lack of ability to steer the boat in the right direction. It was never one challenge in isolation as I think I had prepared to tackle most everything, but when they created the 'perfect storm' by all coming at me at once that became almost overwhelming. During these moments sometimes I'd need coaching or talking to from my wife Jennifer or technical reassurance and help from my team (Peter), and other times I just needed a little rest to look at the problem with fresher eyes.

 

UW:   Any particularly remarkable moments while out at sea?


Tim: Too many to mention them all here, but the sunrises and sunsets were spectacular almost every day, the encounters with whales and dolphins were amazing, and at night when you cover the navigation lights and panels the stars were mesmerizing.

 

UW: How do you feel that UnCanny CBD helped you out? How and when were you using it?


Tim: I had been using CBD throughout my training during the build-up to the crossing which allowed me to train harder and recover faster, especially being an older rower carrying lots of old injuries it really helped me get the body ready. During the crossing, I was taking 25mg capsules daily. That was the plan until I injured my knee, so I doubled the dose to aid recovery and deal with the inflammation while still having to row 12+ hours a day. I did then run out before the end of the 63 days and within days noticed a decline in performance, forcing me to rely more on anti-inflammatories instead.

 

UW: Any insights or words of wisdom to pass on to us that you gleaned while on the water?


Tim: I was amazed by what the body can endure when the mind is positive and equally if the mind is allowed to become negative with the wrong thoughts. It can be quite debilitating. Nothing is ever as bad as it first seems and there is always a solution to a problem if you give it a little time and a different perspective. Reframing a problem can sometimes work out to be positive. Then there are some things that can't be fixed or controlled, so just reframe them as something else!

 

UW:  How can we all continue to support you and your cause?


Tim: The TTK fundraising for my solo row will remain open until August 13th, 2019, which is 6 months after arriving in Antigua. Hopefully, by then, we'll have hit our goal of $44,000 ($22,000 for each charity). We are now looking at other potential challenges and ways to continue to raise awareness and funds for Veterans Mental Health. You can still find all the links on our website and social media (IG, Facebook & Twitter). We also have a boat that is 95% ready to row the Atlantic or another ocean by a solo or a pair, so if someone is interested they should get in touch (tim@tamethekraken.org)

 

UW:  What are you up to now? Any new challenges coming up that we can look forward to?


Tim: I’m back at work and in the gym, rebuilding the body and knee injured on day two of the row. The plan now is to set up a TTK challenge which is also an ocean row, but one that is easier to launch and scale for US participants. My hope is to launch this new campaign on the 13th of August as well and conduct a proof of concept row and fundraiser next Memorial Day (2020). The actual race would be planned for 2021 between Army v Navy v Air Force v Marines v USCG.

 

Want to learn more about Tame the Kraken, his backstory, or the charities that he’s been supporting? Check out his website or any of his social media pages below!

 

(Instagram: @tamethekraken Twitter: @rowatlantic Facebook: @RowtheAtlanticandTametheKraken)

 

← Older Post Newer Post →