Atlantic pair dodge tankers and dolphins

Rowing Column: They have been close enough to a tanker to hear its engines; have had their spirits lifted by some playful dolphins - and had the kind of dreams usually denied to the lawful. Eight days and 450 miles into rowing across the Atlantic, Gearóid Towey and Ciarán Lewis are getting into the swing of it - two-hour sleep shifts and all.

"We're having a laugh about the dreams," says Lewis. "I had a dream where I thought I was waking up from this weird dream of two guys out on the ocean - and then I really woke up and that's where I am!"

"For a while there we thought there was a third person on the boat," says Towey. "It's very strange, although we did expect it. Sometimes you wake up and think you're at home. Then you realise you're facing into a two-hour shift. There's only one way out of it - that's to row."

"It's been a lot of hardship," says Lewis. "But it's good. Nights are very tough. It gets dark at 8 o'clock and immediately your body wants to rest. You have to do your shift when you want to be in bed.

"But rowing at night you get a real sense of speed. Wave after wave comes at you. And it strikes you that you're surviving on a piece of plywood about 20 feet long in the middle of the ocean."

Their piece of plywood has been making steady progress. They have chosen to go south to catch the trade winds, and are conscious they may not appear to be covering the same distance as others, but they are happy with their pace.

They have the expected physical complaints. "All our muscles are aching and you never get a chance to really rest. But overall we're pleased enough," says Lewis. "We're in the leading pack, and it's the first week of a six-week row. The 40 days (the record for the traverse) is a good target."

"We've seen some incredible stuff," says Towey. "A school of dolphins came towards us and were playing with us. Things like that give you a lift."

There experience with ships was frightening. "It was about five o'clock in the morning on Tuesday so it was completely dark," Towey explains. "There were two tankers going different directions. One came so close we could hear its engines. I tell you we had the flares ready then."

The weather has included force four winds with white-capped waves. In recent days the winds have calmed, although there is a forecast of more bad weather. "We could be in for a tough time," says Lewis.

Back in Ireland, national coach Harald Jahrling and assistant coach Debbie Fox are casting their eyes over rising stars. Jahrling has a camp this weekend for under-23s in Cork - the injured Rory O'Connor is a notable absentee - and Fox a junior camp in Galway.

The Irish Indoor Rowing Championships at UCD on Sunday have fewer of the on-the-water exponents than might be expected, no doubt partly because of the intensive national programme this year.

Dave Kealy defends his men's open title. Lightweights Niall O'Toole and Jonny Devitt are also set for action, as are Ireland's premier women's open scullers, Caroline Ryan and Helen Walshe.

NATIONAL UNDER-23 ROWING CAMP (Saturday and Sunday, Inniscarra Lake): Invitees - Men, Heavyweight: Niall Kenny, Dan Barry, James Wall, Steven Keyes, Paul O'Brien, Paul Murray, David Meehan, Gavin Meek. Cox: Brendan Farrell. Lightweight: James Brinn, David O'Byrne, Liam Molloy, Vincent Ruane, Matthew Carroll, Gerard Ward, Ben Clarke, Stuart Wilson. Women: Orla Hayes, Siobhan McCrohan.