Aurimas Valujavičius, a Lithuanian traveller, on Tuesday finished his four-month journey crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a single rowing boat.
“I’m a bit tired, but I’m fine. The last few hours were very difficult because it turned out that the port was somewhere else, and I had to row against the current for five hours. It’s a good feeling – I’ve crossed the Atlantic Ocean successfully,” Valujavičius told LRT journalist after completing the journey.
Valujavičius set off from Spain on December 26 last year and hoped to reach the US Florida shore in 110 days to break the world record.
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Although his journey took longer than expected – 120 days – and did not break the world record, Valujavičius became only the third person and the first Lithuanian to complete such a journey.
The traveller’s finish was postponed several times. First, the planned port of arrival could not be reached due to a strong ocean current that carried Valujavičius’ boat further north.
Then, he was forced to spend another night on the boat because he could not find a port, which would issue a permit for his arrival and welcoming by a group of Lithuanians, on short notice.
He was finally allowed to enter the Castle Harbor Boats – a small port in Florida where he arrived on Tuesday. He was met by around a hundred Lithuanians, as well as his family members and journalists.
“Pursue your dreams – everyone has their own Atlantic Ocean,” the rower said while nearing the finish line.
Valujavičius is an experienced traveller. He has cycled through Europe and Indonesia, climbed the volcanoes. According to him, however, this journey was much bigger.
“This was another trip, but bigger in every sense. I’m tired and exhausted, but that’s always the case. You recover and move on,” he said.
Valujavičius’ journey commemorated the 90th anniversary of the flight of Lithuanian pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas across the Atlantic Ocean from continental Spain to Florida in the United States.
The man has captured his historic journey across the Atlantic and is planning to make a documentary film, which is scheduled to premiere in Lithuanian cinemas in January 2024.
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