Corner Brook -
Peter Bray still hopes to settle down in western Newfoundland someday.
Until that day comes, there's a world full of extreme adventures he still wants to conquer and the former British soldier is now back on The Rock preparing to set off on another of his monumental expeditions.
The last time Bray tried to row across the perilous North Atlantic Ocean, he wound up with a bronze medal for bravery from the Royal Humane Society instead for saving a crewmate's life when their boat split in two.
Bray and the three other men aboard the Pink Lady were just three days shy of reaching Falmouth, England when their specially-designed vessel was broken apart by the tail end of Hurricane Alex in early August 2004.
When one of the men's survival suits began filling with water and he began sinking beneath the waves, it was Bray who rescued him from drowning.
All of the three other crew members have since gone on to more mundane activities, but the dream of successfully rowing across the Atlantic has never left Bray and now he intends to do it on his own. The former Special Air Service (SAS) commando has spent the last four-and-a-half years contracting himself out as a security advisor in the Middle East to raise the funds required to make his daring solo attempt.
"I hate not finishing things, so this is unfinished business for me," said Bray, now in St. John's, from where he hopes to leave in his customized rowboat later this month.
In 2001, Bray set a world record as the first person to ever kayak solo across the Atlantic. That took him 75 days.
The goal this time is to row a 21-foot fibreglass composite boat from St. John's to the Scilly Isles in less time than the current land-to-land record of 64 days, 10 hours and 48 minutes, set by fellow Briton Rob Munslow in 2006.
Bray will actually finish the voyage in Falmouth, but the Ocean Rowing Society International recognizes the Scilly Isles as the destination where the record will be set.
The 22 intermittent miles from the islands to the mainland are fraught with ferocious ocean currents that make single-handed rowing nearly impossible.
After arriving at the Scilly Isles, Bray will be towed in past those nasty currents and will row the final leg into port.
"I am very fortunate in that once I do get across, I will have two records," explained Bray.
"I will be the only person that's ever kayaked and rowed across."
The 53-year-old, who plans to complete the proverbial triple crown by sailing across the Atlantic eventually, will actually have a third record as the oldest person to have ever rowed across.
He was also part of a team of four kayakers who set a new world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia in 2005.
Bray's vessel arrived in St. John's from Britain this week and he will soon be keeping an eye out for a window of good weather conditions to set sail. He figures he'll have the boat itself ready to go any time after this weekend.
Among the special features of his boat is its self-righting capability, accomplished by air-filled fenders which run overhead when it is right-side-up. Its design has incorporated a skeg more so than a regular keel, which will allow the boat to maintain a straight course should the rudder break off.
The boat has a forward cabin to store gear and an aft cabin which will house Bray's communication systems and will serve as his living quarters while at sea.
The vessel will also have a desalination system to convert sea water to fresh water. Bray will have 14 10-litre containers of fresh water for ballast, which he could resort to drinking if he needs to. If it comes down to that, Bray said he'd re-fill the container with salt water to maintain buoyancy and stability.
Prior to heading to St. John's, Bray spent some time visiting friends in western Newfoundland, where he has spent time and worked with outdoor adventure businessman Joe Dicks of Steady Brook. He said it's all dependent on finances, but moving to western Newfoundland is still in the cards.
"I touched base with Joe and some friends to keep the dream alive of coming over," said Bray, adding he has looked at some property in the area.
