I love single-handing. Sail, row, power. Always have. I like being caught in storm, heading into a short sea///if there's a shower at the end of the day. So I've never understood the transoceanic single-handers like Australian Tom Robinson.
When Brisbane man Tom Robinson was 14, he woke up early for rowing training with a big idea lodged in his brain: He was going to row across the Pacific Ocean.
Key points:
- Tom Robinson, 22, has built his own boat to row solo across the Pacific Ocean
- He will start from Chile, and wind his way home to Brisbane
- Some of the biggest potential dangers will be coral atolls and reefs
By the time he'd put the oars down that morning, his plan was already in motion.
Fast forward to today and the now 22-year-old — who has completed his apprenticeship in marine craft construction — is putting the final touches on the rowboat in which he plans to make the epic voyage.
Mr Robinson hopes to become the youngest person to row across the Pacific Ocean, and will embark on the solo journey from Chile, in South America, to Brisbane.
"Ever since I was a kid, I've always loved rowing and I suppose I'm a bit of an adventurer," he told ABC Radio Brisbane.
ABC Radio Brisbane: Edwina Seselja
)His boat is named Maiwar, the Indigenous name for the Brisbane River.
Once completed, his rowboat will be shipped to Chile in October.
Mr Robinson plans to reunite with his vessel in January, before making his way to Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Tonga and, finally, home to Brisbane.
"That's the plan, but when you're in a rowing boat, you can't always end up at the island you wish to end up at," Mr Robinson said.
