🌅 Hometown Row – The Reunion, The Ferry, and the Final Countdown

Hello everyone,

The countdown is well and truly on — and this week marks a big moment in the journey.

✈️ The Team Comes Together

Paul leaves the US tomorrow, beginning his journey across the Atlantic by air… before crossing it again in a boat!

I’ll be leaving the UK on Sunday, and we’ll finally be reunited in Tenerife after months of planning, training and preparing on opposite sides of the world.

From Tenerife we’ll travel together on the ferry to La Gomera, the beautiful (and slightly nerve-wracking!) island where it all becomes real.

🛠️ Safety Checks & Final Preparations

On 1st December, our boat will undergo its pre-race inspection by the World’s Toughest Row safety team.

This is a thorough, everything-checked, nothing-missed kind of day — equipment, communications, safety systems, food, spares, and all the tiny details that keep us alive at sea.

Once we get the green light, we’ll spend the following days fine-tuning, packing, running drills and mentally shifting into ocean-mode.

🚀 Race Start: 12th December

The race begins on 12th December, and from that moment we’ll disappear over the horizon, rowing our way into the Atlantic swell.

We can’t wait to get going — after everything that’s gone into this project, the adventure truly begins here.

📡 Follow the Journey

You can follow everything — the tracker, daily updates, and behind-the-scenes content — through our website and social channels.

🔵 Social Media:

Search “Row Aurora” on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

🌐 Website:

👉 www.rowaurora.co.uk

Here you’ll find:

• The live tracker (goes online nearer race day)

• Daily blog updates once we set off

• Links to donate to the campaign

• Links to support our chosen charity

Your messages, likes, shares, and support genuinely carry us across the ocean — especially during the long night shifts and tough weather days.

The next time I write, Paul and I will finally be together with the boat in La Gomera… and the race will be just days away.

Thank you for being here with us. This community is something special.

Until next time,

Dawn 🌅

“I am Dawn Smith, Paul and I are rowing home — the long way round!”