Somewhere off the Norwegian coast, four rowers are deep into an attempt no one has completed before – a coastal row from Kirkenes to Oslo. We caught up with skipper Glyn Sadler as the team, and their Jotron safety gear, arrived in Tromsø.

Update August 20, 2026 - The team has since reached Ålesund, concluding their attempt short of the original Oslo goal. Read on for the original interview and read a summary of the trip from the team at the end of the article.

Breaking records, one stroke at a time

Glyn Sadler doesn't sound like a man who's just spent 10 days rowing against the Barents Sea in two-hour shifts. "So far it's been a mountain to row from Kirkenes to Tromsø," he tells us, "but we arrived there this morning. We will continue the journey early next week to Oslo."

That's the understatement of the expedition. Named Nordic Endeavour, Sadler and his three crewmates are attempting the first-ever coastal row of the entire Norwegian coastline – Kirkenes to Oslo, battling counter-currents, fjord terrain and a rowing schedule that would break most people: two hours on the oars, two hours resting, repeat.

"No one has ever attempted this before," Glyn says. "We are proud to be the first 4-person team to make it this far. With every stroke of the oars, we are the furthest a 4-person team has been before."

The local community makes the endeavor worth it 

The journey hasn't been smooth. "Our rudder was damaged by a fishing boat whilst waiting for a weather window," Glyn explains. "We had fixed it but the damage took its toll on another leg and snapped completely. The boat is designed to be very light and strong but not strong enough to withstand impacts from fishing boats."

What's kept them moving, he says, is the people. "We have been amazed at the wonderful community in the north – everywhere we stop the people have been only too happy to help us, including using workshops to fix rudders and accom to sleep."

The gear that carried them through the endeavor 

For a crew rowing a boat with a top speed of 3 knots through some of the strongest currents in Europe, safety kit isn't an afterthought, it's mandatory. Onboard, the team carries:

• 1x Jotron EPIRB, mounted next to the stern cabin hatch
• 4x Jotron PLBs, worn at all times on the crew's lifejackets (sponsored by Viking)
• 1x handheld VHF radio, kept in the grab bag as backup

"Safety is everyone's responsibility," Glyn says. "Wearing a life jacket with a PLB attached is mandatory. Whatever happens, everyone will come home safe in the end."

Helping them meet the safety bar 

Glyn set the safety bar high from the outset. "The minimum I was happy with, safety wise, was the same requirements as an ocean row." And the currents make that non-negotiable: "There are some very strong currents out here. We could very easily find ourselves being swept out to the open sea and northwards."

When the crew are outside the cabin, they're clipped to a safety strop running the length of the deck – but Glyn is candid about what happens if that fails. 

"If they should however get detached and man overboard, separation is a distinct possibility. We are rowing a boat with max speed in good conditions of 3 kts. Trying to turn around and save a fellow crew member in difficult conditions could be very difficult if not impossible. We have throwing lines and a safety buoy to throw, but the PLB would be an absolute lifesaver if separation happened."

The EPIRB covers the other worst-case scenario. "The EPIRB would come into effect if we had severe damage and communications were down." And on why they're not simply trusting AIS or a phone: "The Russians have been known to tamper with AIS up here, so a reliable positioning device is key to our survival in this situation."

Why Jotron

The choice of brand came through the expedition's sponsor network as much as reputation. 

"Jotron had a link at the time with our other sponsor Frequentis, and the whole system of communications linked," Glyn says. "In any case, Jotron’s reputation in the industry is well known. Our other sponsor Viking had also recommended your products."

This is Glyn's first time using Jotron kit – and 10 days in, he's forming clear opinions. "The EPIRB is mounted neatly away and the PLBs are no hindrance to rowing, attached to the lifejackets. Light and bright orange – as a captain, it's easy for me to check and see my crew have them on at all times."

Living with it, day after day

Beyond the hardware, Glyn talks about what the gear does for the crew's state of mind on a stretch of water where help is not close by. 

"The need is absolute, and the feeling is one of safety and security. This means we can go about our daily routine of rowing and sustaining our bodies – that will deteriorate the longer the expedition takes."

It's a small but telling detail: on an expedition defined by physical attrition, the crew's peace of mind is doing as much work as their arms.

Arriving in Ålesund

Since this interview, the team's plans changed. Battling conditions that made the remaining stretch to Oslo unachievable within their window, Glyn and his crew made the call to conclude the Nordic Endeavour in Ålesund instead. 

It doesn't diminish what they achieved: the furthest a 4-person team has ever rowed along this stretch of the Norwegian coast, powered by two-hour shifts, no small amount of grit, and a set of Jotron safety gear that never left their sides.

Photo credit: Glyn Sadler