The rower, who was part of the crew rescued by RNLI off the coast of Kushendor after suffering, explained her terrifying order and her dramatic mission to secure them.
Bruce, an Oxfordshire scientist, was one of six teammates who tried to go around Britain on the GB Row Challenge when he was forced to warn on Saturday due to bad weather conditions.
The Red Bay RNLI lifeboat was deployed at 5 pm to assist in a “very difficult situation”, but strong winds and rough waves prevented it from operating.
Passing tankers acted as a cushion against strong winds, allowing the crew to move safely from a small rowboat named Endurance.
As a member of Team Albatross, Cat, who included collecting environmental data, praised his teammates for their calm because they had never experienced a storm in the ocean.
She also thanked the “amazing” RNLI lifeboat team and the Cushendall community for their kindness and hospitality who took them to the shore by 11 pm.
“The GBRow Challenge was very difficult due to tides, strong winds, 2 hours on and 2 off, and 24 hours of rowing, but it worked very well,” says Kat.
“About a week ago, a large weather system came down into the Irish Sea. We evacuated for a few days to wait for it.
“When we came to the Irish Sea, a southerly weather system was in place.
“Unfortunately, as the Irish Sea narrowed, we ended up in a tricky position at the top of the Irish Sea.
“The southerly wind was pushing us north and there was too much land around us, so it was likely that we would be blown into the land.”
As the days went by and the winds got stronger, the team placed a line behind the boat to slow it down and not push it north.
There was concern that the boat might be pushed against the rocks of the Mall of Kintyre as strong winds were expected to last for several days.
The team was concerned about the weather and made a precautionary decision to seek help before dawn in case of an emergency.
Cat, who has been rowing since 2005 and just started rowing in the ocean last December, initially said it was “terrifying,” but knew he was with his experienced teammates.
“It was really scary to be on a small boat in a very big ocean-it’s scary, really-. It was the first experience of a storm at sea,” she added.
“But all my teammates are sea sailors or rowers. They say it’s more scary than dangerous that we’re safe and the boats won’t tip over. I kept saying.
“For the first few hours I was afraid of these big waves hitting us, but at the end of the day I felt,” Well, here is another big wave. ” “
After they issued the alarm, RNLI lifeboats and Coast Guard helicopters from Prestwick were sent to the scene.
The helicopter was unable to approach the ship and the lifeboat crew had a hard time trying to transfer the rower to the boat in strong winds and rough seas.
A nearby tanker was asked for help and provided a windshield to allow Team Albatross to board a lifeboat.
All six members of the crew escaped unharmed and returned to the dry land of Cushendall at 11:00 pm. “I couldn’t fully admire the crew of the Red Bay RNLI lifeboat. They were great,” Cat said.
“When we arrived in Kushendor, we had no place to sleep and only had clothes we wore for two weeks, but the community took good care of us, accommodation, clothes, and lots of clothes. He gave me fish and chips.
“I couldn’t imagine the hospitality we received.”
Cat and her team broke up on June 12th with a challenge from Tower Bridge in London.
She said it was no longer their focus to win the race after regaining their boats, if the weather allowed, while they were planning to continue the expedition.
“What happened didn’t put us off. I had the opportunity to sit back and look back. I want to continue collecting environmental data,” Kat added.
“It doesn’t matter how long it takes to complete the expedition now. Our main concern is to move safely.
“I’m very proud of our team and the decisions we made. Before embarking on this expedition, we didn’t really know each other, but what happened brings us closer. I think it helped. “