Their goal is straightforward: To be the first Estonians to ever make the crossing in that way, rowing from Gran Canaria, to Barbados, a distance of 5,000 kilometers, which they plan to cover in 50 days, with fair winds and currents.

Even so, the conditions are pretty extreme; the boat, the Kena Reina, is not large and will be the place they sleep, cook and rest as well as spending a huge amount of time rowing – galley-slave like – for the next month-and-a-half.

Despite the hardships, both said they were excited to finally be getting their odyssey underway.

Kuusk, who will serve as the Kena Reina's navigator, told "Aktuaalne kaamera": "Honestly, I feel a sense of relieved emptiness inside, as the journey up to this point in time has been quite long and difficult."

"But I am very, very excited to step aboard and start my rowing shift, although it will come after Hannes's, as he will start rowing first," Kuusk went on.

Hanso, the Kena Reina's captain, shared his anticipation: "Yes, I, too, wish we could finally get on the water and start doing this. You think about it for weeks."

Kuusk chimed in that he is fully prepared for the challenge: "The readiness level is ten out of ten, so let's go!"

The pair's preparation included some intense physical conditioning and meticulous planning, and testing out the boat on the Baltic.

Kuusk and Hanso's progress can be followed on the Uhhuduur Facebook page here.

A documentary series is planned to chronicle the crossing too.

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