Sharks Ram Extreme Rower Ralph

[mrmoshe]

Here's one for all you Yak folks!

Sharks ram extreme rower Ralph

A Dutch adventurer has overcome constant ram raids by sharks, a painful burn and a broken freshwater pump to successfully row solo halfway from Peru to Brisbane.

Ralph Tuijn, 35, set off in a custom-made vessel from South America in March, planning to row across the widest part of the Pacific Ocean - a distance of more than 16,000 kilometres - without assistance.

Last week he made it to the halfway mark of his journey, a pinpoint in the ocean, 111 days after setting off.

The father-of-one expects to reach Brisbane in September.

An experienced rower, Tuijn has previously cycled across Greenland and Russia.

A daily internet log of Tuijn's trip updated via a laptop onboard his boat, the Zeeman Challenger, describes the daily obstacles he has had to overcome.

"A lot of shark violence again in the evening," he wrote a day after crossing the halfway mark.

"With pauses of about an hour, four attacks were launched against the boat.

"Of course the rudder was again the most beloved object.

"There was a brief pause, but when it was time to go to sleep the shark found it much too early and he cheerfully rammed against my little ship the whole night long."

One shark in particular has been trailing Tuijn, who eventually adopted it as his pet and named it Gomulka.

However, the constant attention from sharks proved particularly painful after Tuijn spilt scalding hot water on his foot while trying to make a morning cup of coffee.

"Bugger it, that bloody shark is swimming around the boat and I can't see where, so I can't just go and bathe my foot," he wrote.

The vessel's water pump broke down not long into Tuijn's expedition, forcing him to spend hours each day manually pumping water that he can then use for drinking and cooking.

His diet consists of fish and a selection of freeze dried foods, which has kept him healthy enough to row an average of 58 kilometres each day.

"Physically everything feels great and I can't help feeling that I could do this for 500 days, but mentally it's still hard to be on your own for such a long time," Tuijn wrote late last month.

"The birds still call to me regularly, but there's little to be had from that."

Tuijn also said his conversations with the flying fish are "rather one-sided".

The daring ocean crossing began only a few months after the death of another solo kayaker, Australian Andrew McAuley.

The 39-year-old was attempting to kayak from Tasmania to New Zealand in January when he struck trouble about 75 kilometres short of his destination.

His body is yet to be found.

Tuijn's travels are being eagerly watched online by his wife, Winnie, and the trip is aimed at raising funds for a children's home in Mumbai, India.

[Davemmm]

Its a pity the Sharks couldn't ram the bloody Bulldogs yesterday.

[bolan]

Okay Pete, tell me this...............

The guy is paddling a Yak.- capable of 60km per day...........faster than my ute.

Yet he has his own coffee machine, laptop, internet, cooler , bathroom and ensuite . etc,etc,etc.

Surley he has an anti shark bumping ,heat seaking, ballistic stun gun on board ?????????? or

simply a 44 Magnum Smith and Wesson ???????????????

(Obviously it isn't an Austin Martin Yak)- with bonnet mounted 55 cal machine guns

What idiot would leave home without them?

Cheers.

Stumpster

008

[bolan]

Obviously it doesnt have air-bags

[Boban]

Just looked at his website.

Guys, this is no ordinary kayak. For a start it is 7.2m long and 1.9m wide. Thats something I would be putting 200Hp of outboard on. Not to mention that totally laden it weighs in at 1100 kg.

I certainly would not want to arm wrestle this guy.