Five weeks after leaving Lima, Tom passed the 1,000 nautical mile mark on Sunday 7 August. He is now nearly a third of the way through his first leg with around 2600 nm of, hopefully, plain rowing to go before he reaches the Marquesas.

“All is well on the mighty Pacific. My first few weeks were cold and wet and rough. I’m now into my fourth week and conditions are calm and peaceful.”

MAIWAR is fully loaded with enough food and water, spares and supplies to last me the five months. Her diminutive size means that for the first few weeks I’ll be sharing my bunk with my onboard pantry, I’ll by eating my way into more comfortable accomodation.

At no point up until now has it seemed unusual to send a rowing boat half way around the world to an unfamiliar, developing country, only to row it back home. But now I understand; it puts a smile on my face.

“My goal is, first and foremost, to become the youngest person to row across the Pacific Ocean.”

“Grasshopper, where does the wind come from?” .…“Why, the sun of corse! Sails harness the resulting movements of air.” It was only a matter of seconds and BOOM ! Another Paradigm Shift!

Bingo.! Augmented Rowing, A marriage made in heaven. Solar sailing if you like!

We lit a fire in the rain, which spluttered into life and then went out, so we drank some whiskey removed a leech or two and retired to our sleeping bags listening to the rain drum on the fly sheet.