Famous traveller’s rowboat heading towards powerful cyclone

VLADOVOSTOK, April 10 (Itar-Tass) - The rowboat of world-famous Russian traveller Fyodor Konyukhov, who is crossing the Pacific Ocean on a solo rowing voyage, is heading towards powerful Tropical Cyclone Ita. In a week’s time, when the board approaches it, the cyclone will turn into a tropical storm. Stormy weather has persisted almost all of the time since Konyukhov started his voyage, with the exception for two past days, when the Pacific Ocean has lived up to its name. Konyukhov’s Turgoyak boat can be driven to the south of the Pacific Ocean, which may seriously frustrate the plans of Konyukhov, whose aim is to reach Australia. Konyukhov started his voyage in Chile’s Concon on December 22, 2013, hoping to reach Brisbane on Australia’s eastern coast in 200 days. He has already been on the voyage more than 100 days, and has covered 7,025 miles. The boat is to cover another 2,240 miles to reach its port of destination, Australian Brisbane. During the communication session with Moscow on Wednesday, Konyukhov sounded an alarming note, saying “I am balancing at 25 degrees south latitude. If I move a couple of degrees south, I will get into return current and will be driven to the Southern Ocean, behind New Zealand. If I get north, there is a danger to be driven to the debris of the archipelago of Tonga and further to Fiji”. The captain hopes to keep within 25- 26 degrees south latitude for another week to avoid this. On April 1, Konyukhov marked ‘one hundred days of solitude’ on his solo rowing voyage from Chile to Australia across the Pacific. Konyukhov feels comfortable without the everyday fuss that other people are so used to. Some time ago he wrote on the official website “If it were not for my next-of-kin, I would have switched off the satellite navigation system to be lost for the world for six or seven months”. Learn more on itar-tass.com