THE LONGEST ROW

36 year-old Englishman Peter Bird sets out on the 1st of October 1980 for an adventure to row alone across the Pacific Ocean. The 6,500 mile journey will take him from San Francisco to Australia, take him way off course, force him to row over 9000 nautical miles and take well over the expected time. His rowboat, Britannia 2 was made for a journey with Sylvia Cooke and John Fairfax journey across the Pacific nine years earlier. On his 180th day at sea, Peter celebrates his birthday by turning his sleeping bag inside out!

Home to Peter is London’s East End, here his family is interviewed and give their opinions on Peter’s up and coming voyage, which is estimated to take about a year. In the middle of the Pacific, Peter has a rendezvous with a yacht carrying a New Zealand film crew and has his food restocked. Weeks later, off the coast of Northern Territory, he is picked up by an Australian naval vessel, only hours before his boat splits in two.
On the rocky coast of Hawaii his hopes were dashed and so was the Britannia 2.
After 4 months and 4,000 miles he missed the harbour entrance by just 150 yards. Despite his unfortunate journey, Peter already has another boat in the making and will repeat his Pacific journey in November.