'Loneliness is the hardest part' - Maltese rower reaches Atlantic halfway mark

A man aiming to become the first Maltese to row solo across the Atlantic has spoken of his loneliness, lack of sleep and loss of appetite as he reached the half way point of the World’s Toughest Row.

Steve Chetcuti, 55, left La Gomera on December 14 heading for Antigua, 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, rowing solo and unsupported. He is one of 43 teams participating in the World’s Toughest Row and is expecting to reach Nelson’s Dockyard around February 7.

Speaking to Times of Malta over a Starlink connection, Chetcuti had to pause a few times to regain his composure as he talked about missing his family and battling loneliness.

“I had a bit of a wobble a few days ago. It was a bit hard over Christmas and New Year. It was one of my daughters’ birthday and in two days’ time it will be my eldest daughter’s birthday. These times are really hard,” he said.

Chetcuti, who has already rowed across the Atlantic in 2021 as part of a five-person team, is dedicating this event to raising awareness about loneliness which affects more than half of Malta’s population.

“I knew it would be like that, and that is why I want to raise awareness about lonelines,s because it is really tough. In four weeks I will be back on land, and it will all be ok but if you are always lonely, it is really tough.”

Daily phone calls from his Swiss wife Desiree have been a “massive boost” to his morale, not to mention the support he continues to receive from his mother, sister, three daughters and team manager Daniel. The event organisers check in on him every day too.

“If my wife weren’t there, there is no way I could do this event.”

Loneliness, heat and exhaustion at sea

On Saturday, day 28 of the row, Chetcuti had covered around 1,348 nautical miles, rowing up to 12 hours a day, with a further 1,393 nautical miles still to go. The crossing has not been without setbacks: one of his oars was damaged, forcing him to carry out a temporary repair using a zip tie. Conditions at sea have also been challenging, with the weather swinging from days of calm and little wind to powerful gusts that left Chetcuti “exhausted”.

He also has to face scorching heat with daytime temperatures hitting a real feel of over 40 degrees with only a hat for protection from the relentless sun.

During the first few days of the crossing, he had to battle severe seasickness which affected his appetite.

“Till today, I still haven’t got my appetite back. I am struggling to eat the calories I need, and I have resorted to doing something I had said I would never do, which is to hydrate my food with cold water instead of hot. It is quicker to prepare, but tastes horrible. I guess I am only managing around 2,500 calories when I really need closer to 6,000 calories a day.”

The calorie deficit is already showing as Chetcuti looks visibly slimmer in his regular update videos he posts on Instagram.

Steve Chetcuti is rowing across the Atlantic in a 7.3m long Rannoch 25 boat named Kamila after his daughters. Photo: World's Toughest Row

He has now settled into a routine of rowing up to 12 hours a day in three-hour intervals starting at 5.30am and stopping at around 10pm. However, rest does not come easy, and so far, he has not managed longer than 90 minutes of continuous sleep as he is constantly keeping an eye on the chart plotter to ensure his boat is always pointing in the right direction.

So far, the biggest highlight for Chetcuti was the day he came across a fellow solo participant Alan Fortuin. “It was great speaking to another human in the flesh,” Chetcuti said.

Meanwhile, he’s had the odd dolphin and a bird that has been following him since day one to keep him company as he whiles away the often boring hours listening to audio books and Maltese music.

Chetcuti is rowing in a 7.3m long Rannoch 25 boat named Kamila after his daughters Kim, Mia and Lea. The boat is just 1.7m wide and has two cabins at either end. After 28 days on the sea, and counting, he admitted he is finding the restricted movement confining.

“I miss walking, but above all, I miss being still. The boat is constantly rocking from left to right and even going to the bathroom is a military operation.”

Will he do it again? “This is definitely my last one,” he insisted, adding he will probably just go for a hike with his wife next.

Chetcuti’s journey can be followed on the World’s Toughest Row’s website.