Guys,
Now that most all opinions are in, it's STILL a stupid & dangerous trek."Oh wow, I rowed to Hawaii".....really man, or was it just by luck you, thru no fault of your own, you survived the journey to begin with? I NEVER heard mention of chase boats being a part of this. REALLY, are you kidding me, where was the backup?
I believe, all of the other early explorers sailed these great distances, not rowed...DUH? If you want to kill yourself on an adventure's whim, you need to remember this one important thought. All areas of the planet have already been explored so, keeping this in mind, everything these early explorers have done, makes your attempt merely a broken record, nothing new. Where's the exultance in this, where's the real fulfillment of new exploration, what was done anew.........sadly not a thing except endurance.
We lose good people all year round, close in & offshore, experienced and/or not. Why then, should this be any different, it's not only a question of some getting caught up in semantics but, reasonable safety & a non-death wish incentive should be calculated. Are you a bigger-badass individual than mother nature? You really want to challenge HER? And if so, you will loose that wager most of the time. Is this a wager you REALLY want to make?
Argue all you want, there are no more modern Magellan's exploring this world, they have all blazed that path before you. If you want to risk your life on a folly-type adventure, so be it. However, you may want to re-think about how your wife & children would feel about losing you to a replayed, rehashed performance?
To the naysayers in this thread, and I quote Shakespeare, "Me thinks thou protests too much"............subsequently this is REALLY about nothing & everything .
I must ask the journey defenders, if they have EVER witnessed a dead body floating as a result of their brazenness and/or thru overconfidence or stupidity. Have any had to use a gaff to keep the dead body alongside their boat until the authorities arrived or, did they have to lasso the victim close alongside, sometimes face up until the authorities arrived?
I assure you, you will never rid you memory of that stare (I still see his face in my sleep). In my case, if floating for days, there is the also a non-forgetting smell that never leaves you. Something, surely stupidity, cost him his life. Never forget, Mother Nature packs a much bigger punch than a small man can counter. It ruined my day then & to this day, his stare stays haunting.
This is my last reply in this thread, as I feel I have debated & proved all the pros & cons with respect to proponents & naysayers alike. Alot of you guys know me, I only offer what I have witnessed & learned over the years. I am not infallible, but never would I speak of what I do not know. This is my promise to you. There are never dumb questions, only dumb answers.
Rant as you will, Die as you may. I'll not blaze that path with you, I fully realize my limitations & know I will not stumble into dying as a result of my stupidity & limitations. Have you ever seen a dead person floating, I assure you, you WILL never forget the stare from his eyes & I promise you, this will change your opinions forever.
CR