Four British ocean rowers came aboard the Hafnia Express in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Nine days later they walked down the gangway in Cape Town, having become part of the ship’s routine – and integrated with the crew.
On the afternoon of 13 September 2026, one of our tankers – the Hafnia Express received an alert from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Madagascar. A 28-foot ocean rowing boat, Monkey Fist, had suffered a rudder failure roughly 58 nautical miles from the Hafnia Express’s position. The vessel responded to the distress call, and within hours – all four rowers were brought safely on board and confirmed in good health.
Responding to people in distress at sea is a duty and obligation every seafarer carries, and Captain Robert F. Aguro and his crew would be the first to say they were simply doing their job. What followed once the four were safely aboard is the part of the story we are proud to share.
Six years of preparation, 65 days at sea
Billy Taylor, Susannah Cass, Glyn Roberts and Lara Vafiadis were more than 65 days into the Brain Waves Expedition – an unsupported 5,500-mile row from Carnarvon in Western Australia to Mombasa, Kenya. They were attempting the first mixed-crew and first non-stop continent-to-continent crossing of the Indian Ocean under human power.
They had already experienced storms, a full capsize, and weeks of rationed power after their onboard energy system failed. Then the rudder pin snapped, the spare bent during the repair attempt, and conditions made further work on the hull unsafe. They ended the attempt on their own terms, early – the mark of an experienced and courageous crew.
Their expedition is raising funds for Race Against Dementia, founded by Sir Jackie Stewart to accelerate research into a cure, and for Rock 2 Recovery UK CIC, which supports the mental health of veterans, first responders and their families. The crew were also collecting microplastics samples for research and running a live school’s program from their boat.
Nine days as part of the ship
Rather than remaining solely as rescued passengers, which would be the usual protocol – it has been heartwarming for both the crew and Hafnia to have experienced the four settled into the rhythm of the vessel. The four rowers ate with the crew, joined the ship’s wellness and social activities, spent time on the bridge and in the engine room, and held discussions on life at sea with the wider crew.
By the time they arrived in Cape Town, the distinction between the rescued and the rescued had largely disappeared. Beyond documenting their expedition, on their own accord – they additionally continued driving awareness of life at sea – this time as seafarer guests aboard a merchant fleet vessel.
The four disembarked safely in Cape to plan their return to the United Kingdom.
“The ocean tests everyone, and knowing when to make the brave, mature call to keep your crew safe is the ultimate sign of true seamanship. You arrived as a rescue call, but you left us as part of the Hafnia Express family.” stated Captain Robert F. Aguro to the rescued individuals at a speech made during a team-building event prior to disembarkation.
“Life at sea is not something most people ever get to see. It is a working life yes – however there is camaraderie, good food, humor, and a strong sense of looking after one another, and our industry rarely gets the chance to show that side of things to the wider world. Four visitors who do not know us or the merchant fleet well – shared this with their audience and we are grateful.” said Ralph Juhl, EVP Technical Director at Hafnia
Billy Taylor, Director of Operations and lead aboard the Monkey Fist vessel shared his experience as “From the rescue itself until the second that we were dropped off at Cape Town, the crew on board the Hafnia Express showed nothing but extreme professionalism and compassion for our situation.
Once on board all of the crew were extremely welcoming and we were made to feel part of everything that happened on board, from being given a tour of the ship and shown how this incredible vessel operates to being part of a table tennis tournament that spanned 4 evenings! We were provided with all the means to keep in touch with friends and family and the food was incredible, allowing us to get a head start on the 20 KG that both Glyn and I had lost during our own crossing.
Hafnia could not have been more accommodating and did everything that they could to ensure that we were comfortable and well looked after, even going so far as to arrange for us to be dropped off at an unscheduled stop that ensured our safe return home.
Although it was not the ending we had envisaged for our challenge, Hafnia team members gave us memories to treasure, and we could not have wished for a better experience. We will be forever grateful to all of those involved and hope that one day our paths will cross again!!
The Brain Waves Expedition fundraising target remains open.
Having had the four on board, where they shared an unbiased view of life at sea aboard a tanker vessel – we would like to help in drawing attention to what they initially set out to do. More information can be found here.
Fair winds to Billy, Susannah, Glyn and Lara. We wish them well in whatever comes next and look forward to seeing the Monkey Fist spirit back on the water in the near future.
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