"Millions around the world were thrilled by the unforgettable sight of Jim Shekhdar wading ashore in Queensland Australia. He had become the first person to row across the Pacific single-handedly even if he did have to refuse offers of help 150 yards out so as not to invalidate his attempt. In the tradition of great and eccentric travellers, his journey started badly when he was refused permission to set off from Chile; when he departed from Peru, he realised he had set off without a tin opener, and then ran out of cooking gas. The journey became more perilous when he had to fend off sharks with a makeshift spear, as telecommunications equipment failed and as an oil tanker nearly ended Jim Shekhdar's life. Here, the man himself, recounts his epic tale."--Provided by the publisher.