Alone: The Man Who Braved the Vast Pacific and Won

On July 11, 1991, d'Aboville set out from Chosi, Japan, to row across the Pacific Ocean. One hundred and thirty-four days later, he entered the harbor channel of the Columbia River at Ilwaco, Washington, having rowed some 8000 miles. Although he had rowed the Atlantic from Cape Cod to Brest, France, 12 years earlier, the Pacific proved a greater challenge, with vicious currents, cyclones with 100 mph winds and towering waves that battered his 26-foot boat, Sector . But Sector had been designed to be self-righting--a vital feature, since it capsized more than 30 times. D'Aboville rowed 10 to 12 hours a day and lived in a watertight space 31 inches high, containing a bed, one-burner stove and communications equipment. Two desalination pumps provided fresh water, while solar panels fueled a ham radio and a computer telex. D'Aboville's description of his journey is a gripping story not just of physical endurance but of mental and spiritual fortitude. Photos not seen by PW . (July)