NORTH ATLANTIC — Chris Duff, an adventurer from Port Angeles attempting to row from Iceland to Greenland, was forced to abandon his efforts Saturday because of rough seas, said his wife, Lisa Markli.
He was not injured, although he was seasick, she said.
Markli said she spoke to Duff via satellite phone at about 4 a.m. Saturday morning Pacific Standard Time, and learned he had contacted Icelandic Search and Rescue to request a rendezvous and pick-up.
The rescue ship had not reached him as of about 5 p.m. PST, Markli said.
The last time Markli had spoken to Duff, “he was doing very well,” she said.
“He was really focused [and] got all his gear organized for the pickup.
Dramatic conditions
“He described the conditions as quite dramatic,” Markli added.
“There is a lot of big wave action and the wind is coming from the north and pushing him out of his planned trajectory.”
The storm was projected to increase in strength throughout the day, she said.
“He knew that the conditions were worsening, because of a weather report,” she said.
“He had called for the weather report, and the conditions he was in . . . were such that he could not run across the wind, meaning he couldn’t run perpendicular to the waves because the waves were to big and would have knocked him over and capsized the boat.”
All Duff could do was “put out a sea anchor, which is a device that holds him relatively in one place, instead of letting the wind just push” the boat.
“But still, even with that out, he was getting pushed too far south and would have missed Greenland,” she said.
“That is why he decided to call for the rescue” at about 3 a.m. PST, she said.
Duff embarked on his journey on Thursday, and expected to make landfill in Greenland in about two to three weeks, Markli said.
Modified boat
Duff is traveling on Northern Reach, a modified 19-foot Wayland Marine Merry Wherry vessel.
The boat was chosen for its speed, minimum weight, dryness in rough water and adaptability for modifications, Duff said on his website.
A sleeping cabin has been built forward of the rowing compartment and constructed so as to make the boat self-righting as well as offering a high degree of watertight integrity to the hull.
The forward cabin is fully padded so as to minimize injury in the likely event of a roll over in rough seas. An aft cabin has been built for gear storage and additional watertight integrity.
There are six watertight compartments in the rowing section of the boat.
Seasick, tired
Markli said Duff was warm and dry inside the boat, although seasick and unable to eat.
Additionally, he was “really exhausted because he has been probably awake now for more than 24-hours because you don’t get a lot of sleep when you are in that condition,” Markli said.
Duff needed to remain awake and aware so he could signal the approaching rescue vessel upon its arrival, she said, adding he would use flares to mark his position as well as a kite if the wind was not too strong.
The rescue crew initially expected to reach Duff in about six hours. That time eventually doubled due to the worsening weather conditions, Markli said.
The rescue crew is able to track Duff’s location, even though he is drifting, via a beacon installed on his vessel, Markli said.
First journey since 2014
This was Duff’s first journey since the summer of 2014 when he successfully rowed 300 miles from Scotland to Greenland, a feat he had attempted twice before without success.
“He skipped the summer” of 2015, “and this is his first attempt since,” Markli said.
Duff also circumnavigated Great Britain in 1986 and Iceland in 1996, and rounded New Zealand’s South Island in 2000.
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
