This report just in from Will Garnier on Aluffe :
Well done Graham, a fantastic achievement.I went in search of Graham, the solo atlantic rower. I mentioned in a previous email how I had met with Graham (www.oceanrowing.com) in the Canary Isles prior to both of us setting off across the Pond. When I left I never thought I would see him again because he planned to arrive in Antigua after I had left.
I have been following his progress across the sea and realised in the past days that ther was a chance that we would in fact meet. Due to adverse currents and wind he missed Antigua and then Barbuda to the north by a whisker. He then made strenuous efforts to make landfall in any of the islands of St Barts, St Maarten, or Anguilla. Yesterday morning he was so close to St Barts I rustled up some fellow searchers and commandeered a 27ft powered catamaran. With vague coordinates representing where he might be we
raced across from St Maarten to St Barts and, would you credit it, found him! First boat on the scene and heros to boot.
Actually he is the hero by a 3000mile margin. A truly tremendous effort on his part and he made landfall on the 100th day at sea. Having made contact he found his voice very quickly and has kept up a steady torrent of words since. He is in very good spirits, a bit thinner, and tanned as one might expect.
He has been quite the celebrity in this millionaires paradise and the mayor was so moved to put him (and me by virtue of my vice like grip on his coat tails) up in a plush hotel, all expences paid. Not sure how long that will last but Graham has a series of radio, television and paper interviews to conduct tomorrow. If anyone deserves it, he does.
For myself, I am stuck today on St Barts having missed the ferry back to St Maarten which means I will be departing for Bermuda tomorrow morning, 24hrs after my ETD.
Bon voyage
William
Graham leaving San Sebastian, La Gomera on Feb 3rd 2007
