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| March 24,2001 |
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SATURDAYS STORY |
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by Dale Paget |
| GOLD COAST, March 24 AAP - A 54-year-old former computer salesman from England is less than 300km from becoming the first person to row without help across the Pacific Ocean to Australia. Nearly out of food and looking forward to a cold beer, Jim Shekhdar is in his row boat Le Shark off Queensland and should arrive on the Gold Coast or at Byron Bay within the next week. "Good news is wind has stopped, which means I won't overshoot," Shekhdar said in an email message sent via a laptop computer from on board his row boat today. "Bad news is the wind has stopped which means I have to row!" Mr Shekhdar left Peru on June 29 last year and has been at sea for 268 days - about 90 days longer than he expected. Rationing supplies has become a necessity. Last week he ran out of porridge, sugar, potatoes and soup. "Good news is I still have eight main meals and making very good progress." The Ocean Rowing Society, which monitors long distance rowing attempts, confirmed that Mr Shekhdar would be the first person to cross the Pacific Ocean without assistance and without being resupplied. Another British rower, Peter Bird, rowed from San Francisco to Australia in 1983 but was given fresh food and water near Tahiti. "Jim has not taken on board anything. No water no nothing so by now he has run out of everything," said society executive director, Kenneth Crutchlow. "I think it's been a tough time for him. It seems like he got committed to the idea and felt like he was six months out there so I might as well finish it and has been slogging on ever since. "Frankly there was no interest in him at all because I don't think anyone believed he was going to do it." Last Thursday Mr Shekhdar wrote that he would most likely arrive in Southport on the Gold Coast on April 1 "in case anybody wants to buy me a drink". Since then his course has changed slightly and he may row into Byron Bay. Winds and currents will determine his final landing place. Mr Crutchlow said it was incredible that Mr Shekhdar had come so far. "This will be the longest successful crossing of any ocean ever," he said. "He's thirsting for a beer and keeps talking about wanting someone to buy him a beer." Mr Shekhdar's progress can be followed at www.oceanrowing.com. AAP dp/cdh |
© 1983-2001 Ocean Rowing Society
