He’s making a solo journey of epic proportions across the entire width of the Pacific Ocean using only the power of his arms, yet it’s hard to find regular news coverage about Russian solo rower Fyodor Konyukhov.

The 62-year-old extreme adventurer is rowing across the Pacific Ocean from Chile to Australia.

A website with a satellite tracker puts his current position in the open ocean half way between Fiji and New Zealand’s North Cape, and about half way between of Tonga and New Caledonia.

He crossed the International Dateline on March 27.

A report on May 2 said he was 1930km in a straight line east of Brisbane.

The hull of his ‘Turgoyak’ one-man ocean-rowing boat is covered with water plants to the extent where he has experienced problems with getting drinking water.

Recently, in a satellite phone communication with Moscow, he said the equipment with which he desalinates sea water stopped working.

He had to dive overboard twice to clear the water intake pipe beneath the hull and afterwards could barely return onboard the boat.

“I got to the deck – hands and feet were trembling – I am very weak after the hundred days in the ocean, it was very difficult to climb back in the boat.

“I had not installed the ladder – was too lazy to look for it, hoped I would manage without it, but in reality it required great efforts, though the deck is not too high from the ocean surface,” Fyodor said.

He also said “it was scary in the ocean” as he saw “this black abyss underneath”.

“But anyway, I did what I had to do, have cleared the pipe, and the machine is working now.”

While under the water he examined the Turgoyak from stern to head, and all the time said he was looking around fearing to see sharks.

“Thank God, I have not seen any living creature,” he said.

The traveller also said in an satellite phone that he had suffered burns from a jellyfish caught on his fishing line.

“It is not a mortal burn, but it is necessary to stay cautious. In the future I will clear the lure in gloves,” Konyukhov said, adding that there were many jellyfish around his boat, but no fish or birds.

In a more recent satellite report to his blogsite he said he caught his first large fish – a dorado, on May 2.

“I struggled with it for half an hour, but pulled it out. Measured exactly 90 centimetres. This is the biggest fish I have caught and pulled on board for all the campaign from Chile.

“I butchered it, salted and hung slices on both sides of the boat to dry in the wind and sun, from the remnants of what was cooked.”

The Russian’s journey is at odds with the epic drift of castaway Jose Alvarenga who drifted across the Pacific for over a year, catching fish, turtles and seabirds to survive.

“Back in 1947, on Thor Heyerdahl’s raft, the crew caught tuna, and baskets of flying fish and fried them – I can only dream about such profusion,” Konyukhov said.

“Nowadays the Pacific Ocean is a desert,” Konyukhov has commented about his experience.

“There are no flying fish, and thus no tuna, dolphins or sharks. I keep daily notes, but I do not have much to register.”

Fyodor said he is fastened to the boat with a security belt at all the times.

“It is very complicated even for a good swimmer to catch up with a boat in a stream, so I’d rather not take risks.”

The Russian adventurer’s mission is to cross the Pacific from continent to continent, from South America to Australia, in 200 days.

His voyage began on December 22, 2013, in Chile’s Concon. To get to Australia’s Brisbane, his final destination, Konyukhov’s Turgoyak will have rowed some 12,700 kilometres.

He is covering the distance in daily efforts of between 50 and 130 kilometres, depending on the weather and currents.