from Peru instead. Jim Shekhdar describes his boat ("Le Shark") as a "big boat", weighing 800 kg with a steel keel (and not custom designed for this event). Its length is estimated at 7 meters. Shekhdar set off from Peru on 29 June 2000 and arrived in Australia on 30 March 2001 having rowed approximately 8,000 miles in 274 days. During the voyage, he had ten encounters with sharks and a near miss with a tanker. Shekhdar originally thought the voyage would take only eight months and towards the end he almost ran out of food. On arriving at North Stradbrooke Island off Brisbane, his boat overturned and he had to swim the remaining thirty meters where his wife and children were waiting. Other adventures In 2003, Jim Shekhdar unsuccessfully attempted to row solo from Bluff, NZ, to Cape Town, and had to be rescued by New Zealand organisations, He tried again later, and had to be rescued again, in an operation costing a six-figure sum. Author In 2001 Shekhdar released a book about his adventures entitled, Jim Shekhdar. Bold Man of the Sea. My Epic Journey. References External links Open letters written to Jim Shekhdar BBC article English male rowers British male rowers Ocean rowers People from Leamington Spa 1946 births Living people