An Atlanta man and his 18-year-old son rowed 2,400-plus nautical miles from San Francisco Bay to Hilo to raise awareness about, and funds for, veterans’ mental health.
Tim Crockett and son Harrison embarked June 3 aboard their 24-foot rowboat, the “Kraken” — named after a mythical sea beast capable of destroying a ship and dragging its sailors to a watery grave. Alone, without a support boat, the Crocketts aim to be the first father-and-son team to row the mid-Pacific route and set a new world record. It’s considered a solo row because one rows while the other rests.
They expect to dock at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo at about 11 a.m. Sunday.
“We are rapidly closing in on Hilo. We are under 300 miles (away) now,” Tim Crockett said Tuesday, July 16, in an Instagram video post. “We’ve got our approach plan. We’ve got a safety boat all set up for our arrival. … Light winds, so it’ll be a slow approach but a safe approach. And that’s all that matters, because we’ve come this far, and we want to make sure that we get the job done.”
The Crocketts call their mission “Tame the Kraken,” dedicated to hope and healing for military veterans struggling with post- traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other mental health issues.
The elder Crockett, a U.S. citizen originally from Hereford, England, is a Royal Marines Commando veteran. His military career includes braving icy Arctic deployments and active service during the first Gulf War. Helping veterans suffering from mental health issues became a mission for Crockett after a comrade-in-arms committed suicide.
“In 2018, I rowed solo 3,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic to raise awareness and fundraise for veterans’ mental health charities in both the U.K. and U.S.,” Crockett said prior to this journey. “To put it into perspective, more people have scaled Everest or have journeyed into space than have rowed across an ocean.”
The younger Crockett, also born in Britain, is a freshman at the University of North Georgia.
“Why shouldn’t I do this? I’m getting to do things that not many people my age get to do — and more than most other people ever get to do,” Harrison Crockett said in a Facebook interview a day before he and his father embarked on their journey. “When somebody asks, ‘What is my coolest moment?’ I’ll go back to this.”
The boat itself is a high-tech marvel. Its hull is a plastic composite, and it sports solar panels on the stern to power the systems aboard, including GPS navigation and beacons to alert nearby ships and avoid being hit. There’s also a device that provides fresh water for drinking and rehydrating their food.
The sleeping quarters are small, and there’s no bathroom — or, according to Harrison Crockett, “It’s bucket and chuck it.”
Bathing is done out of necessity in the ocean, as the intrepid mariners must scrape barnacles from the bottom of the vessel every few days to reduce drag and make the arduous task of rowing a bit easier.
Once Tim Crockett discovered ocean rowing, he found it therapeutic, with the meditative repetition and the physical act combining to make it a powerful tool to reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
The voyage itself is part of a larger campaign and work the elder Crockett does at home in Atlanta. He founded the organization Row to Recovery, where he works with veterans who are struggling.
Tim Crockett said he’s looking forward to seeing “friends, families, well- wishers and everyone else who’s online” when he and his son arrive in Hilo.
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For more about the journey — including a live GPS map, information about Row to Recovery, and a contribution portal — visit tamethekraken.us.
Source: The Garden Island
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