In case you missed it over the weekend, on Saturday, the New York Times ran possibly one of the best obituaries ever in honor of John Fairfax, who remains the only person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll want to read the entire article, which covers his life from gun-wielding Boy Scout to professional baccarat player, but this section covering some of his younger years gives you some indication of what kind of guy Fairfax was:
At 13, in thrall to Tarzan, he ran away from home to live in the jungle. He survived there as a trapper with the aid of local peasants, returning to town periodically to sell the jaguar and ocelot skins he had collected.
He later studied literature and philosophy at a university in Buenos Aires and at 20, despondent over a failed love affair, resolved to kill himself by letting a jaguar attack him. When the planned confrontation ensued, however, reason prevailed — as did the gun he had with him.
In Panama, he met a pirate, applied for a job as a pirate’s apprentice and was taken on. He spent three years smuggling guns, liquor and cigarettes around the world, becoming captain of one of his boss’s boats, work that gave him superb navigational skills.
When piracy lost its luster, he gave his boss the slip and fetched up in 1960s London, at loose ends. He revived his boyhood dream of crossing the ocean and, since his pirate duties had entailed no rowing, he began to train.
This article appears in Feb 16-22, 2012.
Hey you put my picture up!
John Fairfax was a great adventurer, and I admired him for many years. He was the first person to row solo across the Atlantic (or any ocean, as far as is known) but he is certainly not the only person ever to have done so. John was an inspiration to many, and a number of people, including amongst others Tom McClean, Don Allum, Sidney Genders, Hugh King-Fretts and Sean Crowley, have followed in his wake as solo Atlantic rowers. The curious will find comprehensive details on the Ocean Rowing Society website.