British solo rower towed back after equipment failures

Story filed: 07:09 Friday 17th October 2003

Jim Shekhdar was just 50 miles into his 9,000-mile solo ocean row when he called for a tow back to the port of Bluff on New Zealand's South Island.

A global positioning system navigation unit and the rowboat's wind generator both failed during Shekhdar's first hours at sea.

The 56-year-old said he had to decide whether to carry on, or go back in while people weren't going to be in danger if they went to get him. "I decided it was prudent to come back", he said.

While he carried two spares of both pieces of equipment in his 26ft rowboat, Hornette, he said there was "no point in starting a trip with one of the spares already used".

He plans to make another attempt at the voyage, which is expected to take seven months, in a week.

Mr Shekhdar, from Northwood, Middlesex, is the first person to attempt rowing from New Zealand to South Africa in a trip that would take him past South America's Cape Horn.

The wind-powered generator provides power for radio, computer and electronic steering equipment.

Mr Shekhdar rowed the Atlantic with a partner in 1997. In 2000-2001 he made the first solo and unaided Pacific Ocean row from Peru to Australia, a trip that took 274 days.