Woman Solo-Rows From California To Hawaii. Then She Comes Across The Continental Shelf

A woman is virally documenting her attempt to become the first American woman to row solo from California to Hawaii.

The trek, which lasts over 2,400 miles, has only been completed nine times in the past. British rower Roz Savage was the first woman to make the solo journey, taking 99 days to travel from San Francisco, California to Waikiki, Hawaii. Her record was later beaten by another British rower, Lia Ditton. Ditton managed to row from San Francisco Bay, California, to Waikiki, Hawaii, in 86 days, 10 hours, 5 minutes.

Now, American rower and TikTok user Kelsey Pfendler (@yourowkelsey) plans to make the trip herself — and, hopefully, set a new record in the process.

Throughout the trip, Pfendler is keeping fans around the world updated via TikTok. A recent update detailed her experience crossing the continental shelf, and it has viewers asking a lot of questions.

What’s Going On With This Woman’s Rowing Trip?

In a video with over 8.2 million views, Pfendler recounts her experience crossing the continental shelf.

For context, a continental shelf is the edge of a continent that lies under the ocean. These can vary considerably in width; for example, the continental shelf off of Siberia extends around 800 miles, while the continental shelf in parts of California can be less than a mile wide.

According to Pfendler, reaching the continental shelf off the coast of California meant traveling “about 50 to 60 miles out.”

“As I was approaching it, I was fighting a really, really strong current and some headwind,” she recalled. “I was making, like, maybe 0.8 knots and rowing my heart out to get there.”

This ordeal lasted hours, she says. Eventually, she states she became so tired that she knew she needed to rest — but when she attempted to drop a para-anchor, it began pulling her in the wrong direction. So, she decided to sleep without an anchor for two hours, which she says did not pull her far off course.

“Once I’ve gotten off the coast, I’ve been able to maintain, like, over two knots of speed when I’m rowing. And when I’m not rowing, I’m not going backwards, which is huge,” she laughs. “So, morale’s pretty high right now.”

She closes by noting that she needs to conserve power for her equipment. This includes an AIS, autopilot, and chart plotter, which she says are powered via a carefully-positioned solar panel. She also shows her hands; they are covered in calluses.

What’s The Whole Story Here?

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the 31-year-old Pfendler began her trip on May 21st, leaving from Monterey, California, with the intention of landing in Honolulu, Hawaii. She’s raising money for the Whale Foundation, which is an organization that supports the river guiding community of the Grand Canyon.

As one might expect, Pfendler already has an incredible breadth of experience in the field. She has been a professional rafting guide since she was 18, and today, she works a seasonal rafting guide for the Colorado River and leads trips through the Grand Canyon.

Prior to this trip, Pfendler participated in a host of rowing-related events. She competed on the USA Women’s Open Raft Race Team and was on Team USA in the 2022 World Rafting Championships. Last fall, she was part of a four-woman paddling team that won a national title at the U.S. Rafting Association’s race on the Trinity River. She also previously crewed on a sailboat that crossed the Atlantic from Spain to the Caribbean.

This trip — California to Hawaii — isn’t new to her. She’s previously rowed from California to Hawaii, skippering a four-woman rowing team across her current route for a trip that took almost 41 days. When the journey ended, she tells the Chronicle that she was “almost devastated that it was over.”

Now, she’s making the same journey — but this time, her only companion is her boat: a 24-foot rowboat dubbed “Lily.” The trek is incredibly difficult; when Lily is fully-loaded, she can weigh around 1,200 pounds. The Chronicle notes that other people who have attempted the trek often end it with severely atrophied legs and a body covered in salt sores.

Commenters Are Afraid

In the comments section, users expressed their worry for Pfendler’s safety.

“I really just downloaded a boat tracker for a stranger to make sure they get to hawaii safely,” wrote a user.

“You said ROWING?! Like no motor involved?! WHYYYY,” questioned another.

“Stay safe diva,” stated a third. “I’m going to bed rn in my warm cozy bed on land!”

BroBible reached out to Pfendler via Instagram direct message and email.