Final journey for one man and his boat

Shaun Quincey, who rowed across the Tasman this year, is donating his boat to the Maritime Museum. Photo / Natalie Slade

After achieving one of the "last great firsts" of world adventure, Kiwi endurance rower Shaun Quincey this morning sets out on his last journey aboard Tasman Trespasser II.

The 25-year-old, who in March became the first person to complete the west to east solo crossing of the Tasman, will leave Westhaven Marina at 6.50am and row along the sea wall to the Maritime Museum.

He will then donate his 7.3m boat to the museum.

The 1km between Westhaven and the museum at the entrance to the Viaduct Harbour will be much easier than the gruelling 54-day journey he made across the Tasman at the beginning of the year.

But it will be tough emotionally for Quincey, who will be letting go of what has become a symbol of his mental and physical endurance.

"It's kind of starting to dawn on me that 'Far out, this is really it'," he said.

"Right now it's kind of like 'Thank God it's over'. But a big part of me misses the adventure. You get used to that high level of stress and excitement. It's great it's over, but sometimes feelings of 'It'd be great to go right back out there' still stir inside me."

The decision to give his boat to the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum provides another nice piece of symmetry between Quincey's journey and that which his father Colin undertook 33 years ago.

One of Quincey's main motivations for attempting the voyage was the desire to complete the return leg of the journey his father started all those years ago.

In 1977 Colin Quincey became the first person to row across the Tasman, spending 63 days at sea in his voyage from New Zealand to Australia.

Quincey snr donated his boat, Tasman Trespasser, to the Maritime Museum, where it has remained a popular attraction. The experience of sitting in his dad's original boat during a visit to the museum 2 years ago cemented in Quincey's mind the idea that he wanted to replicate his father's famous journey.

Now his boat will be exhibited alongside his father's at the museum to inspire the next generation of budding adventurers.

"Of all the places it could go, this is the best place," said Quincey.

His mother Nanette, who has flown from Marlborough to witness the occasion, believes it is the right time for her son to farewell his boat.

Quincey last week completed a 33-day road trip around New Zealand with his boat, visiting 62 towns from Kaitaia to Invercargill.

"I think it will be hard for him, it's part of who he is," she said.

"It was his first home, and in a way, his outer shell for a very long time.

"But the roadshow has been a really good swansong for him."