Summary:
Jim Shekhdar (age 54) from the UK rowed by himself across the Pacific, in a seven-metre boat: 7,900 nautical miles over 275 days. During the trip he fought off 10 different shark attacks (with a hand-made “spear”, a knife tied to a stick). One night he woke up to see an oil tanker heading straight for him. The tanker missed him by about seven metres. ``I couldn’t sleep for a week after that," he said.
He left from Peru on 29 June 2000 and arrived at North Stradbroke Island, off Queensland state (Australia).
Records show about 100 attempts to row across the Pacific since 1892. Jim Shekhdar would be the first to accomplish the task.
But here’s the kicker:
His boat was swamped very close to shore, and he had to swim the last 150 metres. The article says that this might put his record in doubt.
So, does he deserve the title of being the first person to row across the Pacific? I say no! I say he should do it over. He got lazy at the end. Close, but no cigar. If we start allowing lax standards in Pacific-rowing attempts, where will it end? We need to put a stop to the decline in moral fibre that we see evidenced in the world.
Seems to me it depends upon how he swam in… As long as he had a line from the boat held firmly in his teeth, towing it along behind, it appears his accomplishment should stand. And he darn well better have been swimming in proper form - no wussy doggie-paddling allowed!!
I’m guessing this is one of those “because it’s there” things??
According to space-program analyst, James Oberg, Yuri Gagarin apparently bailed out of his capsule and parachuted the last few thousand feet. The way Oberg told it, according to guidelines once outlined by a French board of aviation Gagarin’s landing free of his capsule would have somehow disqualified him from the official claim to being the first human to orbit the Earth. So Russian scientists roundly denied the skydiving (which, by the Seventies, some began to admit). Given the nitpicky nature of the technicality, no government or government scientist ever disputed the feat. And rightfully so.
Hey, Mister Shekdar rowed all that way just to be screwed up by water over the reef. Is anyone going to be so tight-assed as to deny him his glory? The way I see it, he rowed far enough to get within paddling distance to shore. It’s not like he pulled a maritime Rosie Ruiz and hailed a water taxi. Considering the total distance of the voyage, what’s a hundred and fifty yards?
This man has been featured heavily on Australian TV. A little too heavily for some.
He is an extremely hearty english eccentric. His hair and beard are long and wild, and although his wife and daughters seem very pleasant, he is the kind of person you pray NOT to be seated next to on a long plane flight. So jolly, so irrepressible, so unendingly vigorous, a funny joke for every occasion. Born salesman.
The film of his boat overturning is actually quite disturbing. He’s in quite heavy waves, and is flipped right out of the boat which overturns and appears to come right down onto him. He climbs back into the boat, which a moment later is overturned again. Most dramatic.
He then swims the few feet left to shore, waving away the small launch wanting to help him. He is swamped a couple more times, by the high waves, then staggers out into the shallows. His daughters, somewhat excited, reach him at the same time as the first journalist, and, this being Australia, a man offering him a can of beer. Which he accepted.
Other film shows him sorting through the boat’s jumbled contents the next morning. With an “Aha!” he pounces on a wooden toilet seat, holding it aloft with a grin. “the most comfortable seat on the boat!”
A remarkable acheivement, and man with far more determination and strength than I’ll ever have. I just hope I don’t sound too sour on the whole deal. Wait till you catch him on Letterman.
Possibly up for a knighthood, the TV people say.
Redboss
By comparison, with my paddling buddies swims in rapids are discouraged, but falling out of your boat at the take-out does not count.
That Shekhdar dumped in the surf does not change his having brought the boat across the ocean under his own power without having required any rescue. He made it. The boat made it. The toilet seat made it. Inadvertantly swimming the last few metres is unfortunate, but no different than had he hopped out for a recreational swim in mid ocean. Not rowing the last few metres to shore is no different than it drifting in mid ocean while he was sleeping. The boat broaching in the surf is no different than had it broached but then continued in mid ocean. Seemed to be a fitting end to a fine adventure.
I personally like the drama inherent in the situation where he’s told his record is invalid. I see this kind of scenario:
Man arrives near shore, exhaustedly wading through the surf after the dramatic arrival as depicted by Redboss (thank you for the information Redboss!) TV cameras, news reporters, young school-children, etc… are there to greet him. Miss North Stradbroke Island (1992) is carrying a bouquent of irises to be bestowed upon the hero. The volunteer brass band starts playing a (more enthusiastic than skilled) medley of “Rule Britannia” and “For he’s a jolly good fellow”. Local journalists are shouting out questions and Miss Shekhdar falls into his arms sobbing. While the flashbulbs are popping, a pinstripe-suited gentleman wearing scholarly glasses and carrying a clipboard approaches him with a large certificate bearing the seal of the Queen of England. A hush descends upon the crowd, who is about to witness one of those solemn moments that you experience rarely in your lifetime. The gentlemean, an accountant from Penbroke and Llewellyn (a firm with a long and glorious history) extends the certificate towards Mr. Shekhdar. The cameraman from News 7 zooms in for a close-up of the document. Just as Mr. Shekhdar reaches his hand for the official confirmation of his exploit, the official snaps his hand back, and says in an indignant tone “I don’t think so, you wanker! You go climb back in that boat and return to Peru, without cheating this time!”
Muffin, good find on the vid clip. That was a pretty scary scene.
and Saint Zero, I meant to say that your comment «As soon as you can row it, you’ll be eligible to dispute him.» is a perfect one-sentence rebuttal to anyone attempting to dispute his record.
It’s got something to do with both taking off in and landing in his craft. I think it’s simply how the board defined success in–or failed to accomodate for contingencies in–the first manned spaceflight. They figured an astronaut should stay with the craft, much as a successful airflight consists of also landing the craft. Would anyone have taken the Wright Brothers’ first flight as seriously if the pilot had leapt from the plane while it was in the air? Sure, he flew, but…
Like I said, the nitpicky nature of the French aviation board’s guidelines for the spaceflight title were considered moot, even by Americans who might’ve enjoyed making the Rooskies squawk.
So to answer your question, it doesn’t.
You’re talking about two different standards. Flight is a cyclic process (take off, fly, land). Skydiving, by definition, is a one-way ticket (fall, land). Doesn’t matter if you start by base-jumping or riding a plane.
What if Gagarin did jump? It does not change the fact that he was the first man to leave the atmosphere. The mission was to get a man in space and return him safely to the Earth. Gagarin went to space, and he returned safely to the Earth. Mission accomplished.
Shekhdar made it to within 150 metres of the shore. I’d say that he was definitely within territorial waters, so he did cross the ocean. And both he and his boat did make it to the beach.
NEWS FLASH: The horse is still dead. Scientists say there’s little point in beating the thing any more. Hasn’t been for decades. Officials state that if anyone has a gripe about the horse (which, as of this sentence, is still dead and is quite pulpy and getting pulpier), they should take it up with the French. :rolleyes:
If we start allowing lax standards in Pacific-rowing attempts, where will it end? We need to put a stop to the decline in moral fibre that we see evidenced in the world.
How is the way he finished his landing supposed to negate what he did before starting reentry?