As he did last year, Coindre is rowing to raise money for the Necker’s Hospital for Sick Children in Paris. Even with his free airfare to Boston, Coindre has spent a large sum of his own money to repair, outfit and equip his boat, purchasing some items on credit. Coindre managed to secure only two sponsors for his trip, the Laureus Foundation and the Conseil General de Loire-Atlantique, a regional government entity that supports athletic and cultural endeavors.

But those two sponsors brought Coindre to only 25 percent of his fund-raising goal. To that end, he has had to reduce his expenses wherever possible. Asked where people could send money to support his row, Coindre said he would not accept donations. The funds, he said, should be sent to the Necker hospital, the address of which is posted on his Web site, www.emmanuelcoindre.com.

Though money is tight, the Ladybird is in good repair. The rudder which was broken in a storm during the last passage has been replaced, as have two spare oars which were snapped by a large wave. Work has also been done to repair the forward compartment, which began leaking during a severe storm off the Flemish Cap. He’s also bought two new portable CD players to replace the one that malfunctioned painfully early in his last voyage.

But there was no money left for one of the most critical pieces of equipment, a special satellite beacon which transmits the boat’s position around 15 times each day. Known as an Argos beacon, the device is similar to an EPIRB, but transmits regularly—not just when the mariner is in distress. It also can transmit for months at a time, not just a few hours. Tuesday morning, Coindre told the Chronicle he simply didn’t have the money for the beacon, and would instead use his one satellite telephone to relay his coordinates to shore each day. If the phone fails, Coindre said he would wait for a passing freighter to provide assistance.

When he learned Coindre would be rowing without an Argos beacon, Carlson spoke to Jane MacDonald and Andy King, who agreed to share the several-thousand-dollar expense of renting the beacon. The remaining challenge was how to get the beacon from London to Chatham. Because of heightened security, airlines often refuse to carry unattended homing beacons.

At press time, Kenneth Crutchlow of the London-based Ocean Rowing Society was working on procuring a beacon and getting it to Chatham. Last year, Crutchlow found funding for the beacon and actually flew to the U.S. to deliver it, days before Coindre’s departure. According to safety guidelines published by the Ocean Rowing Society, an Argos beacon is considered essential safety gear.

"I am prepared," Coindre said Tuesday. "I feel well, in my head and physically." Since he arrived in town, Coindre has been awake at 5:30 a.m. to go running, and then makes his way to Stage Harbor, where Harbormaster Stuart Smith has provided a mooring space for the Ladybird. Coindre then spends several hours rowing laps around the harbor.

Before he began planning for the Argos beacon, Coindre expected to begin his journey, weather permitting, Wednesday or Thursday. Depending on whether the beacon can be procured in time, Coindre’s departure might not be until the weekend or later.

Time is critical. Crutchlow and other experts advised Coindre to begin his trip in late June, not early July. If the beacon takes more than two or three days to arrive, and if there is a stretch of unfavorable weather, Coindre may find himself under the same perilous time frame as last year’s row.

Learn more at www.emmanuelcoindre.com and www.oceanrowing.com.

7/10/03