LocalAll

Explore Page

Amy Xu

An unexpected setback - one week before departure On June 19, ‘26, one week before we are scheduled to begin our North Atlantic crossing, our boat, Spirit of Waubun, is bruised—but still standing strong. After a long journey inside a shipping container from the United Kingdom to Canada, the much-anticipated Spirit of Waubun finally arrived in St. John’s. She cleared customs and was transported to the beautiful Conception Bay Marina. We were so excited to finally welcome her—only to discover that she could not be safely removed from the container. Local friends and helpers generously stepped in, bringing a lift and crane and doing everything they could to help. During the lifting process, however, they discovered that the boat’s weight was not properly balanced. And then it happened: our boat was damaged. Watching the entire process unfold was heartbreaking. But after the initial assessment, we were relieved to learn that her main structure appears to remain intact. Our spirits began to rise again. This is certainly not how we imagined the final week before departure. But perhaps it is also a reminder of what lies ahead. Our journey across the North Atlantic will bring many challenges—some expected and others completely beyond our control. Spirit of Waubun knows why we are taking on this journey. Nothing will stop us from moving forward. Nothing will stop us from sharing God’s love, courage, compassion, and hope. Thank you to everyone who believes in us, supports us, and trusts in this journey. We will keep going. 💪

Amy Xu

We are all set to begin our North Atlantic rowing expedition soon! Meet Me, Ran and our boat “Spirit of Waubun”. I live in Minnesota USA and Ran lives in Shantou, China. We met in China and trained it together in the United Kingdom. We share a deep love for the ocean, adventure and challenges that push us beyond the boundaries of what we believe is possible. We will begin our journey from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, rowing approximately 2,300 miles across the North Atlantic toward our destination in Penzance, United Kingdom. The crossing is expected to take more than 40 days, although the actual duration will depend on the weather, winds, ocean currents, and the many unpredictable conditions we may encounter at sea. We will have satellite communication and tracking, but there will be no support boat, no resupply, and no routine outside assistance. I’ll share the raw, real journey—the beauty, hardship, fear, humor, and humanity behind every mile—while honoring those who fight severe and rare health conditions every day. Our expedition is completely self funded. Please follow along our rowing journey and you can track us in real time in the link in bio 😄

Explore | LocalAll