row across the north atlantic sleep on paco pads

Rowing across the north- Atlantic Paco Pads in the Sleeping Cabin

Custom Paco Pad inside Challenger Cabin on the North Atlantic Row Crossing

Please see more videos and pictures about this crossing at this face book page

Product review – custom Paco Pads

‘You’re not rowing across the North Atlantic in that!’

This was the usual comment from friends and family when they first saw our old wooden rowing boat.

The troubling thing was that when Tommy and I started working on her this view begun to permeate our own thoughts, not because we were worried that the old girl wouldn’t make it across the pond, but because working on her (especially inside the cabin) was just so uncomfortable! We knew we needed a solution but didn’t know what it was.

We heard about Jack’s custom pads through a trusted friend. They looked and sounded great and we really hoped they’d live up to expectations.

When the pads arrived in New York we were still putting together the electrics, water maker and auto pilot. There was nowhere to store the pads so, not being able to put them inside the boat, they had to survive in the elements for three weeks while we got organized. This was no problem because straight away we could tell how hardy these pads were.

When we finally pushed off at 2200 on May 20^th Tommy and I were exhausted from working on the boat for the three weeks in the lead up to our eventual ‘weather window’. Nevertheless we were surprised at how quickly we settled into our shift pattern of rowing and sleeping 2.5 hours on and off around the clock. Initially the cabin was a place we didn’t want to venture but at sea, with the pads installed, it became our absolute refuge, largely because the pads were so unbelievably comfortable.

When we left the boat was heavy, laden with 100 days of food and equipment, and it wasn’t long before we had water inside the cabin which, with the boat so low in the water, we suspected was seeping through a spot in the keel. Water in the cabin was a major issue because of the perpetual risk of rolling the boat and the likelihood then of destroying the electrics.

Morning and evening we had to take out the pads, lift the floor and empty the compartments to sponge out the water. The pads almost always got wet, either from rain, oncoming waves or the water from the cabin, but this was completely inconsequential because any wind (let alone sunshine) dried the pads in minutes and (if there was none) the pads were easily dried by hand.

It took over 98 days for us to eventually reach England on 27^th August and, with one person lying or sitting on the pads for the duration, this was over 2,350 hours of continual use. Not only did they survive the elements, boiling water spillages and two capsizes, they looked and functioned as well when we arrived in England as they did that very first night leaving New York.

A few weeks after landing in England we sold the boat sight unseen to another adventurer, a crazy Latvian named Karlis. On driving over 1500 miles from Latvia to England and spending another full day loading the boat, Karlis had a choice: a warm bed in a beautifully heated Cornish home or a night out in his new toy, with the beloved Paco Pads.

Karlis told us that he only woke once during the night, to the sound of torrential rain hitting the cabin roof a few inches above his face.

I wonder, do recommendations come any higher than this?

This really is a great bit of kit and every water person, adventurer, camper and tramper should own one.

Thanks again Jack!

The pads were amazing but we didn’t have as much luck with the water catchment. There was plenty of rain but it was usually accompanied by gnarly conditions so very tricky to catch the rainwater with the wind and oncoming waves coming over. In another environment I think it would have been great.

Pete Fletcher

North Atlantic Ocean Rower

New York to Falmouth, May – Aug 2015

Jack's Comments:

The pads were a great success. These guys know how much a good nite sleep is worth. However on the same trip we had a rain catchment system that did not work well at all. At JPW We understand that trying out new things is risky. We also understand that we learn more from our failures than we ever do from our successes. So It is good to get a couple of ideas out there to try out on an expedition of this magnitude. I really appreciate Peter allowing us to try something new.

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