The magazine that puts the fibre into carbon........ News p 6 »

 

In 1966 David Johnstone

and John Hoare, who were trying to be

the first 20th century Atlantic rowers,

were lost during Hurricane Faith, with

only their 15-foot wooden boat Puffin

found after the storm subsided. Expe-

rienced ocean

rower Graham

Walters recently

found Puffin in

a museum and

decided her unfin-

ished voyage

had to be com-

pleted. On 20th

December four boatsful left San Sebas-

tian de La Gomera to start an east-west

Atlantic crossing in memory of Hoare

and Johnstone. Walters was rowing the

40-year-old Puffin, now refitted, while

Bhavik Ghandi, Victor Gavrishev and Stu

Turnbull/Ed Bayliss were in three more

modern boats, each of the four vessels

sporting a Puffin logo in honour of the

men who were lost.

The modern Puffin contingent set out on

20th December 2006, from La Gomera

harbour, after months of delays. Unfortu-

nately after only 8 hours rowing, the Puf-

fin was stopped by Spanish coastguards,

searched, and impounded when they

discovered some equipment which did

not comply with regulations. A bail of

30,000 euros was set to release the boat,

which was damaged on the way back to

harbour while being towed. Victor Gavr-

ishev and his boat suffered a similar fate,

as did Ghandi, the latter restarting at the

end of February. Turnbull and Bayliss

were too far out to catch when the coast-

guards arrived, and completed the row on

21st February. Walters restarted his row

on February 3rd and is still on the Atlan-

tic. He is gaining inspiration and helpful

hints from reading chapters from Merton

Naydler’s book ‘The Penance Way’ based

on Johnstone’s journal, discovered intact

when the Puffin was found.

February has seen several teams com-

plete rows, apart from Turnbull and

Bayliss. On 26th February Dutchmen

Wendel Rontgen and Gijs Koning landed

in Antigua, on the way resupplying the

famished Turnbull and Bayliss - an ocean

rowing first. The two crews met up on

Valentine’s Day, rendezvous-ing at 17

degrees 20 minutes north, 55 degrees 38

minutes west, transferring much-needed

supplies to the British boat and sharing

The magazine that puts the fibre into carbon........ News p 6 »