Row Boat Arrives in Golden Gate -- From Japan
British boaters cross pacific under their own power
By JACKSON WEST
Updated 4:00 PM PST, Fri, Nov 13, 2009
Mick Dawson and Chris Martin (no, not that Chris Martin) made landfall in San Francisco today, 190 days after leaving from a marina in Japan.
And, amazingly, they did it in a rowboat -- named "Bojangles."
A specially designed rowboat, sure, but a rowboat none the less. The 5,100 mile crossing is the first human-powered trip without a support boat across the Pacific in modern history.
Dawson and Martin, of London, managed to lose about 20 percent of their body weight in the process.
They might have lost more if it hadn't been for some help from some Napa residents.
Wayne Lackey of Wine Country Helicopters, who had been following the race with friend Gary Wooten, read on the trip's blog that they were running low on rations.
So Lackey and Wooten flew out to meet the boat, and dropped four packages of food and drink -- including hamburgers and fries from McDonald's. (The brits probably didn't know better to order In-N-Out.)
Upon their arrival in San Francisco, they were joined by a flotilla of well-wishers and given beers. Afterwards they were treated to a proper breakfast at the Golden Gate Yacht Club.
The trip also raised funds for children's charities in Martin and Dawson's native England.
Jackson West has to hand it to these blokes -- rather impressive.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Nov 13, 2009 3:35 PM PST
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