Adventurers of the Year Update: Colin and Julie Angus on Rowing Around the World

Photograph courtesy of Colin and Julie Angus

In 2006, Colin and Julie Angus completed a human-powered circumnavigation of the globe in 720 days. We were so captivated by their good humor, skills, and determination that they were the obvious choice for our second Adventurers of the Year. Here is a look at what they have been up to recently. (Then learn about the 2010 Adventurers of the Year.)

What challenges did you face on your latest expedition?
Colin: Our latest expedition connecting our ancestral homeland by rowing from Scotland to Syria had these challenges: packs of Romanian stray dogs; 7,000 kilometers of rowing; and dodging big ships on the English Channel. We got through those challenges by drowing our sorrows in plentiful cheap French wine and German Weiner Snitzels.

What's one surprising item you always bring on an expedition?

Julie:

We always bring epoxy resin. This can be used to fix almost anything, including holes in the bottom of the boat. And if you're really bored, you can make a mold from clay and create epoxy figurines (we were never that bored).

When did you decide you were hooked on adventure?

Julie:

When my father took me to Yellowstone National Park as a kid, and I wanted to see what other wonders the world had to offer.

Colin:

When I read the book Dove, about a teenager sailing around the world, and I was hooked on the vivid descriptions of adventure.

If you weren't adventurers, what would you be?

Colin:

A chartered accountant—that's why I went into adventuring.

Julie:

A molecular biologist—that's what I was doing before getting into adventure.

What do you look forward to most when you finally return from an expedition?
Julie: The thing we look forward to doing most is eating a home-cooked meal.

What's next?

Colin:

This summer, we plan to retrace the route of the ancient Phonecians in a small sailboat while Julie researches for her upcoming book, Olive.