Stop Drifting Start Rowing by Roz Savage

This is more of an environmental and spiritual quest book than it is one of adventure. Sure a woman rows across the Pacific Ocean, but that's actually more of a side note.

Stop Drifting Start Rowing is the tale of Roz Savage's trip across the Pacific Ocean in her rowboat. Having already completed the trip across the Atlantic she wants to try to do the same with the Pacific to help promote awareness of her cause of taking care of the environment and the fight against plastic. (We will ignore the fact that in the picture of her supplies there is quite a bit of plastic, the stuff is just unavoidable unfortunately). Her first attempt at the Pacific ends in a Coast Guard rescue but she is able to try again the next year and starts a journey from California, to Hawaii, to Kiribati and then on to Papau New Guinea. All by rowboat.

Savage interacts with a lot of people on their journey and they all support her. Which is rare. She is fortunate in this as it allows her to complete these trips and attend functions for her cause to speak on taking better care of the environment. I do have to say that I had never heard of her before this book though and wonder where exactly her trip was being advertised. After all, there were a lot of plane rides and other resource consuming activities that accompanied these trips so I'm hoping the awareness she spread was more than enough to counterbalance that. I'm sure it was, but her journey wasn't really advertised here in the East side of the U.S. that I know of.

The book itself followed a fast and interesting pace. I enjoyed the transitions between the actual trip and some of Roz's thoughts on the environment and what she had done in her personal life to stop being as much of a consumer (although I did tire of hearing about Larabars, even though I too think they're good). Someone who decides to change their life in such a big way has got a pretty strong spirit. There's not many who could be completely alone out on the ocean in only a rowboat and stay sane. I also appreciated the pictures that she included of the trip as it really showed how small that boat was.

This was a lively book and Roz has led an interesting life. I'll probably check out her first book on the Atlantic trip she made just because this one was so interesting.

Stop Drifting Start Rowing
Copyright 2013
200 pages


**This book was received as part of the Amazon Vine Program**