Russian traveller afraid stormy waves may break his rowboat in Pacific

VLADIVOSTOK, March 31 (Itar-Tass) - Famous Russian traveller Fyodor Konyukhov crossing the Pacific solo in rowboat Turgoyak is afraid that stormy waves may break down his rowboat. He has got “in a serious trouble” overnight to Monday. “Gusts of wind reached 30 knots (55.5 kilometres), a storm has stirred up the ocean for half an hour, the old ocean swell from the north collided with wind-driven waves from the south and the rowboat started rocking,” Fyodor told Moscow by a satellite phone late in the evening on Sunday. “Such a heavy rain started on the top of all that the rowboat was just pressed into the ocean, I was afraid that it will break into two,” he added. In the words of the traveller, it is absolutely senseless to row in such conditions, he has fixed the oars, got inside the cabin where “it was noisy as in the drum of washing machine.” Konyukhov could follow where the rowboat was drifting on the computer monitor. The Turgoyak captain has found with regret that his rowboat was swept to the north for the last night in the latitudes from where he had been rowing a day before. “I am feeling pity about forces and time spent, as I was working well to row to the south and now I am sitting and watching how I am being drifted to the north again. Headwind has been blowing all night long and starting moving eastwards only at dawn. I am gradually getting straight on the course and will be getting back on a latitude where I has already been yesterday,” Fyodor shared his sad thoughts. Despite all Pacific calamities Turgoyak has crossed the 160th degree of west longitude. Fyodor is left to row 1,200 nautical miles (1,931 kilometres) on the date line or transfer from western to eastern hemisphere. The Russian traveller started from the Chilean port of Concon on December 22, 2014. He plans to cross the Pacific in a solo rowboat voyage and reach the city of Brisbane on the eastern coast of Australia. For past 98 days Fyodor has passed 5,594 nautical miles (10,443 kilometres) in rowboat Turgoyak. He is left to row 2,608 nautical miles (4,830 kilometres) to Brisbane. Learn more on itar-tass.com