Rowing solo and unaided, Bhavik Gandhi has crossed the halfway mark rowing from Spain to Antigua. Over grueling 1600 miles Bhavik has been at sea for over 47 days. In pursuit of a world record, Bhavik has been relentless in pushing the boundaries of equipment, body and mind beyond limits.
On Day 28, a broken rudder made rowing next to impossible. Makeshift repairs have kept the rudder back in place. All the while Bhavik rowed without a movable rudder.
Heard about a quiet ocean being deceptive! How about waking up to a 300 ft rust bucket within a 100 ft of running you over because the cargo ship didn’t have its radar turned on. Add to, lack of proper sleep, salt sores and the desalinator not working - all a part of a normal rowing day across the coean.
A water leak further compounded problems. Bhavik recently discovered that 5 liters of seawater had found its way into the 3 watertight compartments just under the sleeping area. Substantial food supplies were lost. Several manuals, books and videotapes were damaged beyond repair and the cabin turned damp and smelly. Bhavik overcame the odds and found a way to fix the leak to reduce the water seepage considerably. Bhavik has however decided to head to the nearest shipping lanes, which would help in case an emergency arose and he needed help quickly.
Despite facing all these obstacles, Bhavik is well on his way to setting a World Record. Bhavik has now caught the favourable trade winds and is in good spirits. He is once again making good mileage despite the extended duration of the journey. Despite having battled nature and all she threw at him, Bhavik is now closer to Antigua, to realizing a lifelong dream and in the process setting a new World Solo Ocean Crossing Record.
Bhavik Gandhi halfway to World Solo Ocean Crossing Record
2007-04-28 10:23:44
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