Britannia: Rowing Alone Across the Pacific

Fairfax, John. Britannia: Rowing Alone Across the Atlantic. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1971. Print.

First Sentences:

"Seven! Seven out!"

"Seven! Seven out!" Once more the recollection of those fateful words brought a savage curse to my lips; and the sight of the dark, majestic mass of Buckingham Palace, invoking visions of untold splendors within as it loomed in the mist of that chilly winter's night, did nothing to mitigate my fury.

Description:

John Fairfax is a man prone to whims. He calls himself a "professional adventurer," taking on menial jobs to finance the exotic challanges he dreams up. One such brainstorm in 1966 was to row a boat solo across the Pacific Ocean from England to the United States. With only a bit of sailing experience "as a pirate" on a fishing boat and no skill in rowing, no boat, and no financial backing (he's lost his stake gambling as in the quote above), he forges ahead anyways toward his goal. The resulting preparations and actual voyage are documented in his book, Britannia: Rowing Alone Across the Atlantic.

He talks Uffa Fox, England's premier boat-builder, into designing the perfect open-sea boat. Fox's creation, The Britannia, is 25 feet long with a rubberized self-righting chamber so the boat cannot capsize, self-drains any sea water from waves that crash over the sides, and has square oar-locks to assure perfect rowning style with minimal effort to position the oars for each stroke.

But why take on this task? It is the quest that catches his attention. He wants to be the first to row solo, as it had been done by a two-man boat once before.

I hate rowing.... [But then] why row across the Atlantic? Because, with a bit of know-how, almost anybody can sail, but I was after a battle against nature at its most primitive and raw. 

The actual voyage is fascinating. Fairfax recorded in his daily problems of storms, lack of sleep, sharks, sickness, loneliness, rowing time (over 12 hours per day), contrary winds, and almost being run over by passing boats. Navigation was by the stars and sun rather than computers, so cloudy days were problematic, as were unexpected currents and a balky radio antennae that kept him cut off from friends and family in London. He tossed out most of his food for taking up too much space and being disgustingly unflavorful, choosing to rely on spear fishing instead. Much of his success was determined by a Ronson lighter, the sole source of fire to start his tiny burner and cook food.

Fairfax is a survivor, a confident man willing to take chances to achieve his goal to reach the United States alive and in precisely the location he intended. No drifting around or being towed during the final 100 miles as he was tempted to do. 

I loved following his adventures, his matter-of-fact style of solving problems as well as his anger over daily misfortunes, like when dolphins attacked and ate all the fish that had been following his boat. A reader never feels any obstacle will prove too great to stop him and end his quest, and [spoiler alert] of course he reaches America exactly as planned. A true adventure, matched only by his next rowing trip, this time across the Pacific, as recounted in his next book, Oars Across the Pacific. Can't wait to read that one as well.

Happy reading. 

Fred

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Fairfax, John and Cook, Sylvia. Oars Across the Pacific

Fairfax rows across another ocean, this time the Pacific, this adventure undertaking with girlfriend Sylvia Cook.