Solo sailor Adrian Flanagan who’s currently over four and a half months into his westabout global record attempt has made a decision to head to Honolulu.

Flanagan set sail from Falmouth on 28 October aboard Barrabas, an 11m stainless steel sloop and rounded Cape Horn on 20 February. However, damage encountered during the rounding means he needs essential equipment to carry out repairs.

Heading to Honolulu means that Flanagan will be able to pick up the equipment sent out from the UK without compromising the ‘non-stop’ aspect of his voyage.

Chattting from the boat Flanagan commented: “After long consideration, I have decided to take a supply drop off Honolulu. I do not say stop, because I will not actually stop. DHL, one of my existing sponsors, have very kindly agreed to transport some items from the UK. A boat will rendezvous with me offshore and literally hand over the items. I will not compromise the ‘non-stop’ aspect of my voyage, though its ‘unsupported’ status will go.”

Flanagan’s heating system which was damaged during a knockdown is still in need of repair and essential items including the heating control unit will be part of the package.

Flanagan continued: “I will be taking on additional charts, those for the Canadian Arctic region. My planned route is to go by way of the Russian Arctic and so bisect all meridians of longitude. However, we are not having much luck at getting round the Russian insistence on placing an ice-pilot aboard, which I am not prepared to accept as my voyage would then no longer be single-handed, the most crucial element for me. Thus, the Canadian Arctic may be an alternative, since the Canadian authorities do not place restrictions on transit through the North West Passage. Because of the necessity of these items, I am taking the opportunity of restocking on reading material as well. Campbell Armstrong, a terrific thriller writer will be sending out a number of his books. There will be additional fishing tackle, some rigging items and a few luxuries, like a decent coffee cup and a new sleeping bag!”

Progess up the Chilean coast this week has been exceptionally slow for Flanagan who has, for the last three days, been stuck in a patch of no wind. “It is incredibly frustrating and peculiarly disorientating, concluded Flanagan. “The reason for my frustration is that after Hawaii, I need to travel 3,000 miles to a point among the Mariana Islands, south-east of Japan. This point is my selected antipodean point and is diametrically opposed on the earth’s surface to a point I passed in the Atlantic, off the coat of Brazil. A least one pair of antipodes is needed to define a circumnavigation. With over 5,000 miles to sail to Hawaii and a further 3,000 form my antipodean point to the Bering Strait, time is tight. The last thing I can afford is to be becalmed. Amazingly, I lost almost a month because of calms during my run down the Atlantic and that has had a significant impact on my Pacific schedule.”