Officials look to stop rower

The Maritime Safety Authority may use legislation to stop British rower Jim Shekhdar from making any more attempts to row across the Southern Ocean.

Shekhdar and his 7.8m fibreglass boat Hornette were hauled on to the Government research vessel Tangaroa about 9pm last night about 1200km from New Zealand after he was hurt and the boat damaged in a storm on Monday.

An Air Force Orion was also sent from Whenuapai, near Auckland, yesterday to act as a spotter for the Tangaroa, at a cost of about $100,000.

An authority spokeswoman said Shekhdar might make another attempt to row from Bluff to Cape Town in South Africa via Cape Horn.

New Zealand vessels had to go through some formalities before they left, but these did not apply to Shekhdar, she said.

"He doesn't need to ask for permission. He's a foreign person with a foreign vessel."

If Shekhdar did try to set out again, the authority might use a clause in the Maritime Safety Act regarding vessels being fit for purpose, said the spokeswoman.

The legislation was generally applied in health and safety cases when vessels were unsound.

"We would be strongly advising him against it [another attempt]. We would rather he decided it was not worth the risk of his life and anybody else's life that might have to go and rescue him."

It was Shekhdar's second attempt at the voyage.

On October 17, a tug was sent to tow his boat back to Bluff after a navigation instrument failed and his wind generator broke 8km from Kaka Pt in South Otago.

National Rescue Co-ordination Centre spokesman Paul Harrison said yesterday's 10-hour Orion flight would cost about $100,000.

A spokesman for the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, which operates the Tangaroa, said it did not yet know the cost of diverting the ship.

Shekhdar would remain aboard the Tangaroa until it returned on December 10.

Last night, he said he was disappointed to call the trip off.

"I had a lot of plans for when I finished, but I didn't have plans for when I didn't finish. So I'm going to take a couple of days to sort things out."

- NZPA