Simon's True Spirit

*A Man and His Boat - True Spirit of Simon*

True Spirit - Salvaged

Press Release 29-06-03 Yesterday afternoon at 13.30 BST, Simon Chalk finally arrived into Port Louise with the ocean rowboat True Spirit in tow. After a further 3 days at sea and an agonizing search for the lost vessel, the project has now come to its conclusion. The rowboat True Spirit was lost in storms just hours before being officially welcomed into Mauritius. The boat was then found by the local coastguard on transit from a previous mission. After 2 hours the salvage was abandoned by the coastguard due to poor weather.
The boat was adrift for a total of 8 days until finally found by Simon in conjunction with efforts by the local coastguard. The effort to then tow the boat was still far from simple and again the boat was lost in a storm. At first light on the 27th June the boat was found again, this time almost sunk. After nearly 2 hours of pumping her out, the journey towards Mauritius continued.

	Then just before dark on the 27th, the boat took on too much water to continue. Again the dangerous transfer between tow vessel and rowboat took place for the third time.True Spirit was located 217Nmiles from Mauritius, some 168 Miles further than where originally she was set adrift. The final three days at sea were amongst the hardest of the whole trip and at various times it seemed an impossible task that True Spirit would ever reach dry land.
" I am absolutely delighted and relieved to have True Spirit back in one piece. The Indian Ocean rowing campaign can now finally be brought to a conclusion. At last I can reflect over the project as a whole and show that what ever situation you find yourself in- never give up. I am incredibly grateful to all those who helped with the project." Simon Chalk Special thanks for the safe recovery of True Spirit:- The British High Commissioner, The Prime Minister of Mauritius, The Raphael Fishing Company, The Ocean Rowing Society, Argos Tracking, The National Coastguard of Mauritius and many others.

CLS Argos System
CLS Argos system is independent of the electrics of the ocean rowboat, is waterproof, floats and is self powered for 90 days. But this can last for much longer, as it has been proved more than once. In the case of Simon Chalk, Argos beacon left on board True Spirit has now ( June 28th) been transmitting for 121 days. ORS



PRESS RELEASE ON BEHALF OF WOODVALE EVENTS Friday, 27th June 2003 OCEAN ROWER AND “TRUE SPIRIT” ARE REUNITED (London, 27/6/03) Simon Chalk (30), the solo British rower who had to cut loose his boat “True Spirit” when it was undertow at the end of his epic voyage has been reunited with his beloved vessel. It is now nine days since Chalk watched his boat drift away in ferocious seas off the coast of Mauritius as she was being towed from Ile Raphael in Mauritian waters, where Chalk became the first Briton and first person to have been recorded to row the Indian Ocean. On Wednesday 25th June, Chalk chartered a private boat from Port Louis, Mauritius in an attempt to locate and recover the self-righting boat. True Spirit was later located at 10:00 GMT on 26th June, floating 140 miles West North West of Port Louis. After boarding her, pumping out the cabin areas and discharging ballast from below the decks, Chalk was able to secure lines to the badly damaged boat and embark on the gruelling journey back to Port Louis. It was in the early hours of this morning, however, that True Spirit broke free from her towing lines, forcing Chalk to board her once again, bail her out and secure new lines. She is once again undertow. Roger Chalk, Simon Chalk’s father, said: "True Spirit is part of Simon’s life and he is determined to bring her back to Newton Abbot. I was with him when she was cut free and can only admire his courage in trying to salvage her.” Chalk is determined to salvage True Spirit at all costs and is showing the same courage and determination he displayed crossing the Indian Ocean.