Ocean Rower Spends 336 Days Crossing the Pacific

Here’s a story I missed last month while I was on the road, but is still worth sharing now. It seems while I was off in upstate New York a few weeks back, an American ocean rower by the name of Jacob Adoram was busy wrapping up a solo, unsupported, and nonstop journey across the Pacific Ocean. Adoram set out from the state of Washington here in the U.S. on July 7, 2018 and he wrapped up his crossing by arriving in Cairns, Australia on June 8, 2019. That means he ended up spending 336 days at sea, covering some 7145 miles (11,499 km) in the process.

Obviously we’ve tracked more than a few ocean crossings over the years, including a handful of rowers who have crossed the Pacific. What helps to separate this one from any other that has taken place on that ocean is that Adoram completed the journey nonstop and completely alone. In the 11 months that he was out on the water he didn’t see another person, nor did he go ashore at any point to resupply or make repairs to his boats. Most other Pacific rowing ventures have either been done in stages, were not solo affairs, or saw the rowers have to pause to address certain issues. The other thing that is impressive is the sheer distances that he covered. By starting in Neah Bay in Washington state, he had to travel further than most other Pacific rowers too, some of which have launched from California for instance or even South America.

After rowing for weeks on end across the Pacific, the last few miles of the journey proved to be more challenging and hectic than Jacob would have liked. Strong winds made it impossible for him to dock at the marina in Cairns as he had planned, but he didn’t want to lose his “unsupported” status at the last minute, so he beached his boat unceremoniously on a nearby shoreline instead. After getting out and celebrating with some friends and family who had made the journey to Australia, the coast guard there insisted that he return to his watercraft and be towed into the harbor. After he had completed that last requirement, he was free to celebrate and chat with the press.

That was all more than a month ago at this point although the former fighter pilot and Eagle Scout is apparently still enjoying some time in Australia. He’s also started working on a documentary of his voyage, the trailer for which you’ll find above. Where he goes from there is anyone’s guess, but after spending such a long time alone on the ocean, I don’t think anyone would blame him if he just took it easy for awhile.

Thanks to ExWeb for sharing information about Jacob’s row.



Source: https://adventureblog.net/2019/07/ocean-rower-spends-336-days-crossing-the-pacific.html