HAVING battled against the elements sailing across the Atlantic, a Macclesfield man is going one stroke further by rowing the famous Christopher Columbus route.
Adventurer Dave Clarke, 43, will set off on his epic journey from Tenerife to Antigua in January 2008. It’s expected to take between 60 and 90 days.
Almost 13 years since sailing across the Atlantic in 1995, Dave will set off to single-handedly row the 3,000 mile journey in his most physically and emotionally exhausting challenge yet.
The Sutton businessman says he owes his marriage to his previous mission. He proposed to wife Elaine, 38, in a desperate telephone call after surviving a terrifying leg of his journey from the Canary Islands to Cape Verde. And this time he will again have to be parted from his wife and their two young boys, Bradley, eight, and Joel, five.
Dave, who believes he will be the only person to have both rowed and sailed across the Atlantic, said the challenge will be harder this time.
He said: “I think my body is a lot older now so I don’t think I will take the bumps and knocks so well. The physical side of this will be hard and I think the mental side will be difficult, leaving a wife and kids behind.”
The feat will be undertaken in a light-weight rowing boat, specially built by Jamie Fabrizio to be able to roll in violent waves.
Dave, of Gonville Avenue, admitted there are more than a few risks involved with the journey, from whale attacks to getting washed off the boat.
He added: “I’m very respectful of the danger but I feel positive because I have seen the boat, built strong enough to withstand a hurricane.”
Dave, who spent his teenage years living in Saudi Arabia and sailing in the Persian Gulf, said it was a boyhood dream to sail the Atlantic.
He recently relived the journey while sifting through reams of old journals for his recently published book, An Ocean Away, written with John Holloway.
Dave, who spent 30 lonely days including six without food travelling from Tenerife to Barbados on that trip, said: “I think it was just determination that got me through. I wasn’t prepared for the loneliness.
“And there were times when I started to question ‘just how big is this ocean?’ and ‘when will I reach the other side?’.”
He said salt sores are an occupational hazard, and he has been sharing tips with internationally acclaimed adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who described Dave’s book as: “An inspirational read with a wild touch.”
Dave’s new project, the Solo Sprint, will raise funds for Sports Aid, which gives funding to talented athletes with no financial backing.
For more information, check out Dave’s website at www.solosprint.com
