Sonya Baumstein, 30 years old, attempts to be the third person to row solo across the Pacific and the first woman to row from west to east, HuffPost reports. "I was just thinking about the fact that I'm going to be leaving everything that I love for a really long time," Baumstein tells of her 6,000-mile expedition. "And I don't know the consequences."
Only two out of sixteen attempts to row solo across the Pacific have been successful -- Frenchmen Gerard d'Aboville in 1991 and Emmanuel Coindre in 2005, according to Ocean Rowing Society records, from the same report.
A person helping Baumstein in making this record-breaking attempt possible is the journey's operation manager Andrew Cull. "Once she leaves Japan, the next person she'll see will be in San Francisco," says Cull. "Unless maybe someone in a fishing vessel stops by to say 'Hi' in the middle of the ocean."
The recruited University of Wisconsin-Madison rower commenced her four to six months odyssey last Sunday, June 7, departing Choshi, port east of Tokyo, on her way to San Franciso which is the destination for this trip, foxnews.com reports.
Baumstein does the voyage in a custom-made lime green, 23-foot (7-meter) long vessel that weighs less than 660 pounds (300 kilograms) and has no motor or sail. Depending on the weather, the plan is to row 14-16 hours a day, taking sleep breaks to keep track of her location.
What did she pack for the months-long adventure? Here's a list of equipment and suppliesshe took on her months-long journey, foxnews.com reveals:
Food
More than 450 kilograms of food in the form of 900 dehydrated meals and 180 drink supplements to provide a daily calorie count of 7,000 to 10,000; and olive oil to help manage weight loss.
Water
She embarked with 60 liters (16 gallons) of spare water with her daily supply to be produced by two desalinating machines - one solar-powered, one electric - and are expected to generate 30 liters ( 8 gallons) of water per hour.
Clothing
Packed 20 water-tight baggies for both hot and cold temperatures.
Equipment
She has it all from the high-tech gadgets to the most simple and essential. Six oars; three buckets and elaborate devices to take seawater samples, check temperature, depth and wind speed, and the rowboat's GPS coordinates; lifeboat; solar panels; flares; and a life vest. To help locate her position, there is an automated identification system in place. Baumstein, in any emergency health situation, is equipped with IVs and the skill to establish a line on herself.
"The stars are incredible. They're my favorite thing," she said in an interview by Skype from her boat before her departure.
"It's very cool to see wildlife, but to watch the passing of the stars, because I row all night if it's good weather. To see the complete Milky Way," she said.
Her father on the other hand, Darryl, isn't as thrilled as she is. "I'm completely fearful and I think it's kind of ridiculous," he says in a HuffPost report. "But it's her goal. Everything in life is about taking chances." "If she didn't try it, for the rest of her life she'd regret it," he said
She has not made any predictions on arriving at San Francisco saying that "I only have 50 percent control over what goes on out there." "I've learned from rowing over the years not to think too far ahead," said Baumstein. "That's because I know there's going to be some pain followed by some more pain. I'm just hoping there's going to be some happiness at the end of it."
