Catalan adventurer prepares to row across Atlantic, twice, without a motor or sail

David Barreiro, a 48-year-old adventurer from Sabadell, is about to face the biggest challenge of his life. 

After climbing glaciers and cycling across the planet, he will start a two-legged journey of the Atlantic Ocean in November, between Huelva and Cancun, in a rowing boat that has no motor or sails, which he has built himself.

Moreover, the plan is to cross the ocean alone and without stops. 

In an interview with the Catalan News Agency (ACN) at a training session in the seas north of Barcelona, Barreiro says that "unpredictable" storms brought on by climate change are the biggest danger he faces. 

Captivated by the feat of Andreu Mateu from Reus, who rowed across the Atlantic eighteen years ago, Barreiro began to come up with his own oceanic adventure during the pandemic. "I had time and it was a dream I had been putting off for years," he says. 

The departure is planned for mid-November, and the exact date will depend on the weather forecast. His return home will be more than half a year later. 

The first leg of the journey is expected to take three and a half months, but once in Mexico Barreiro will rest for at least a month to regain strength and fix possible damages to the boat.

It’s expected that the outward route will be to the south, while the return route will be to the north, to take advantage of the currents of the sea. 

The state of the sea and the possible storms that he may encounter are what worry him the most. “In a boat as small as that, which is always moving and is quite unstable, then coming across a rough storm is the biggest danger.”

Physical and psychological aspects don’t worry him as much, on the other hand. As a mountain and ski guide in Nordic countries, he has already achieved various extreme challenges, but this will be the first big adventure on the sea. Mentally, he also feels prepared to face the "tough times" that may appear.

"It's a small boat where you practically can't move and you have to use your time rowing," he explains. 

His plan is to row for around 12 hours a day, including rest stops, which will let him establish a routine that will "occupy his mind" and help him to not falter. "There will be difficult moments, but at the end of the day I’ll be doing something I enjoy," he reflects.

Another important preparation is food. Barreiro is preparing weekly food dietary regimes that he will store on the boat. These will be freeze-dried meals that take up little space, weigh little, and are easy to cook. 

The boat is also equipped with a desalination plant to use the water from the ocean itself for drinking.

In the months leading up to the November launch date, Barreiro will continue training on the Catalan coast, from his base camp at Port del Masnou, in the Maresme county north of Barcelona, while in October he will move his training south to Mar Menor, in Murcia.