Konyukhov on solo voyage across Pacific encounters waterspout

VLADIVOSTOK, March 11 (Itar-Tass) - World-famous Russian traveller Fyodor Konyukhov, who continues his solo rowing voyage across the Pacific in his Turgoyak boat, encountered a waterspout. “It was frightful,” he said in his communication session with Moscow on Monday. The waterspout brought “huge oncoming waves, my boat is thrown from side to side. Nature has stood still in expectation, it needs a discharge. The ocean is full of storms roaring ahead on course,” Konyukhov said, adding that his boat felt these storms in oncoming waves. Australian weather forecasters say three tropical storms have been gathering strength in the western part on the south of the Pacific Ocean. Two of them will cross the Turgoyak’s designated route. Despite all natural cataclysms Konyukhov has been rowing one month ahead of the schedule during his voyage from South America to Australia. Favourable winds that had accompanied him for 60 days helped him to do this. The Russian traveller has been rowing across the Pacific for 78 days. He started his voyage in Chile’s Concon on December 22, 2013, planning to reach Australia’s Brisbane in 200 days. Konyukhov has already covered 4,677 miles. To reach his final destination he has to cover another 3,481 miles.