For the average newlyweds, a honeymoon consists of toes in the sand and perhaps a margarita in hand.
But as one couple put it, it’s all about the “journey and not the destination.”
Last Thursday, Riaan Manser, 42 and Vasti Geldenhuys, 38 embarked on an expedition across the mighty Pacific Ocean.
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They’re rowing their seven-metre long, 1.5-metre wide boat from Monterey Harbour in California to Hawaii.
“We want to make it super special. We want to have a great story to tell our children one day. We want to do something extraordinary,” Manser said.
The couple has already conquered what many people believed to be impossible when they took on the mighty Atlantic Ocean, rowing from mainland Africa to New York two years ago.
Together, they became the first ever in history to conquer such a journey.
“When we rowed out of that little Moroccan harbour, we didn’t know what we were in for. We had no idea of how dangerous it’s going to be and now it’s exactly the opposite.”
Manser and Geldenhuys believe their trip to Hawaii will consist of two months of intense shoulder to shoulder rowing. But this time around, they know what their getting into and they’re planning ahead for the dangers.
“We’re feeling apprehensive, we’re feeling nervous but we want to be brave,” Manser said.
The couple is geared with a high tech row boat, one that has solar panels, a water filtration system, a marine map plotter and a radio that allows them to communicate with upcoming boats.
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But their biggest challenges will be rough seas and avoiding whales.
“You can’t find the ocean because the ocean never gets tired,” Geldenhys said.
The front of the boat has a little cabin that has enough space for the couple. “If there are big storms we can lock ourselves in and hopefully survive,” Manser added.
The California coast is quite dangerous and very strong winds rush down toward San Diego, explained Manser. So by locking themselves in the cabin, they hopefully will bob like a cork until the storm passes.
But one thing the couple won’t do this time around is veer off from the row boat. On their last trip rowing adventure, Manser went for a swim and was pushed away by big waves.
“It was the most dramatic, dramatic time. I tried to swim back but the sea was so choppy,” Manser said.
“We’re going to be careful this time around. We’re not going to swim frivolously; we’ll always tie ourselves to the boat,” he added.
But besides being vulnerable to rough seas and avoiding large mammals that swim through the deep ocean, the couple will have to remember to be patient with one another.
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“You know when you’re in a situation where you’re only cooped up with another person, all situations are stressful like that,” Geldenhys said.
The couple remembers on their cross-Atlantic trip, Manswer and Geldenhys didn’t talk to each other for two straight days. Not a word, they said.
“Of course there are going to be times that we don’t like each other, it’s just normal. But it’s about the journey and working together” she said with a chuckle.
Besides the obvious focus of surviving through the treacherous Pacific Ocean, the couple said there will be joys as well, including dolphin and porpoises swimming alongside and frequent visits from sharks. For Geldenhys, she loves fishing for Mahi-mahi, her favourite fish.
Asked what would be the first thing they will do once they arrive to Hawaii, the couple said they’re going to have a traditional celebration around a fire.
“As long as we go with the motion of the ocean and not try and fight it, we’ll be okay. For goodness sake, we’re going to try and have a little bit of a honeymoon,” Manser said.