SAN DIEGO (KSWB/KUSI) — A man set sail on what could be a historic 8-month journey across the Pacific Ocean from San Diego to Australia in a solo rowing boat Monday night.
If he succeeds, 44-year-old Aurimas Mockus from Lithuania will be the first person in the world to complete the 12,000-kilometer (nearly 8,000 mile) trip alone in a rowing boat, without help or stops.
Mockus was seen off by a crowd of supporters at Shelter Island in San Diego Monday afternoon. His plan is to sail — or rather, row — to Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, in a single-seater boat.
The boat itself has already been on quite the journey. It was built in Ukraine, modified in Lithuania, and shipped to California just in time for Monday night’s launch.
Mockus began preparations for the trip back in the fall 2023, according to his website. After several steps, like boat preparations and swimming preparations in the spring and summer of 2024, he is now ready for the journey that he expects will take until March or May 2025.
The community was invited to see him off at the Shelter Island Boat Ramp on Monday from noon until he set sail around 6 p.m.
You can follow his progress during his entire journey at share.garmin.com/KURSIS. As of Tuesday afternoon, he was about 20 miles from the boat ramp.
Mockus’ website says he sails with the message “Lithuania stands together” and aims to honor “Ukrainians who died in the war and to remind the world that we cannot stop helping the country fighting for the freedom of us all.”
He is raising money for his trip with a GoFundMe, “Solo across the Pacific Ocean: row for Ukraine.” Funds raised will go to the organization founded by Mockus to help him complete his journey.
“Everything is possible if you want,” Mockus said. “The best news I can hope for is when the journey is over is to hear that the war in Ukraine is over.”
Learn more about Mockus’ trip at aurimasmockus.lt. You can follow his progress at share.garmin.com/KURSIS and on his social media pages.
