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By Rosemary Pollock
LDS Man's Attempt to Row Accross Atlantic Swamped
MIAMI, FLORIDA -- It's official! The "Brother of Jared" rowboat was
officially certified as an ocean crossing by the Ocean Rowing Society
headquartered in London last week shortly after Richard Jones of Utah
rowed the 30-foot boat through the Caicos Passage just south of the
Bahamas and clear of the Atlantic Ocean. Yet, the voyage officially
ended when a tow from a passing fishing vessel swamped the rowboat
causing Jones to abort his winter-long odyssey less than 400 miles
from his intended destination of the Florida mainland.
"The boat was completely ruined," said Allison Newell, Jones' daughter.
In the 133 days he was at sea, Jones, of Midvale had rowed some 4,579 miles.
He was on a straight line from Los Gigantes to his stopping point in the
Bahamas where he had covered 3,675 miles with only 376 miles to go to the
Florida coast when he came ashore on Tuesday.
It was October 10, when Jones dropped his $100,000 30-foot fiberglass
rowboat into the waters of the Atlantic in the Canary Islands. While Jones
has moved through the stages of boat designer, boat builder and finally
boat rower, Alan Huestis has been the man behind the scenes of Jones'
journey. For the past five years, Huestis has dutifully chronicled Jones'
adventure for a TV documentary. The last thing Huestis shouted as Jones
rowed away was "Turn on the camera!" Now, five months and over 300 miles
from Miami later, Huestis is anxious to reunite with his friend.
"When he called Tuesday he said he was safe and in good shape. We just
haven't heard from him since, so we're all just waiting," said Huestis from
the Casablanca Hotel lobby where he waits with members of Jones' family.
"Richard is one of the more determined individuals I've ever met," said
Huestis of his friend.
"I've never seen anyone more determined to accomplish a goal. He'll make
it back in good shape. I have no doubt about that. Right now I'd guess
he's sitting on the beach with those fishermen cooking a mackerel and eating
a coconut." When he finally does make it to Miami he will be greeted by
his four children, Suzie, Allison, Scott and Kathy.
Sources:
Utah rower waterlogged but resilient
Deseret News 21Feb01 P2
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,255007638,00.html
By Lee Benson: Deseret News columnist
Utah rower waterlogged but resilient
Photographer eager to see friend who rowed the Atlantic
Deseret News 22Feb01 P2
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,255007943,00.html
By Lee Benson: Deseret News columnist
Photographer eager to see friend who rowed the Atlantic
'Man behind the scenes' chronicled ocean adventure
Deseret News 21Feb01 P2
By Lee Benson: Deseret News columnist
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