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Pavel Rezvoy - US Coast Guard pick up take two!

May 30, 2004 16: 32 EST
Pavel had a calm day yesterday, which he needed after the past days drama. Two days ago it was Teddy's (his son) birthday. Teddy was the rower who was picked up by the US Navy last year when trying to row from New York. Well just in time for Teddy's birthday - his dad almost had a rerun on his son's events! This is the log from Oceanrowing:

"May 27th 2004
18:55 GMT
Just now we received a call from Pavel. He is rather worried - for approx 1 1/2 - 2 hours an American plane and then a helicopter were flying above him. All attempts to contact them on VHF were useless. It looked like people from helicopter were filming him.

Then at last Pavel got a response on channel 16, but could hardly understand the officer, so he gave them the phone number of ORS, which the officer repeated correctly.

Pavel managed to explain that he is an oceanrower, and that he is heading either to Cuba or Miami, depending on winds and currents. Its understood, that Pavel was nervous - it's not a usual thing to attract such a persistent attention in the middle of nowhere. "I am absolutely anxious - what if they will try to pick me up?"

Kenneth F. Crutchlow (ORS) immediately called Miami Coast Guard and spoke to Duty Officer Anderson, who said that most likely the plane came from San Juan, Puerto Rico and was on routine patrol. Kenneth referred the Duty Officer to ORS website and told him that Pavel has enough food and water supplies and needs no assistance (at this time).

20:45GMT We had a call from Duty Officer Patrick Castro from the US Coast Guard in San Juan (Puerto Rico). D.O. Castro had received an e-mail from Miami Coast Guard and he confirmed that the plane and the helicopter were looking for a suspect high-speed power boat and wanted to know if Pavel had seen it.

He then informed ORS that it is their intention that in the next 30 minutes a US Coast Guard cutter will approach Pavel and put a zodiac-style boat in the water as they want to question Pavel. Tatiana has phoned Pavel who said that he will welcome and cooperate with the US Coast Guard (as long as they do not ask him to leave his boat), and he understands that they are doing their job.

21:15GMT Just called on satphone to Pavel, but he said, that he could not speak as the Coast Guard cutter was just approaching his boat.

21:32GMT
Called Marion-Lviv, Pavel answered and said, that he had a guest on his deck and they were peacefully chatting. Kenneth asked Pavel to give the receiver to his guest and spoke to Lt. Scott Bobin of the US Coast Guard Miami, who was onboard the boat. Lt. Scott Bobin said, that he found Pavel "very cooperative" and that he wanted to make sure that Pavel was safe. Now Pavel will proceed and the cutter will leave him and resume its patrol.

21:55 GMT A call from Pavel: "Everything looked VERY impressive - two cutters approached me, one of them - with a helicopter onboard. They put zodiac on the water and a blond officer came by it to my boat. He studied my passport thoroughly, I explained him who I am and what I am doing, and I showed him my charts.

It was a nice talk, after which Lieutenant wrote down an official letter and left it with me, so that if I am stopped again, I would be able to show it "to who it may concern" so that not to be checked again. I had chance to take photos of the cutters and of the officer, but it was most impressive indeed - when a small boat is being surrounded by huge cutters with machine-guns, and I had nothing but a harpoon onboard :) ( "Thank you, Fraser!")
Well, now I am going even to drink some rum - after all my mileage still was not going to be so great today..."

May 29th 2004
Today is 36th birthday of Pavel's second son - oceanrower and ORS webmaster Theodore Rezvoy.
Happy Birthday, Teddy!!!

And now Pavel is alone with the sea again

May 28th 2004
22:50GMT "Everything's fine - nobody is disturbing me... so far:). The weather is brilliant, may be even too brilliant - too much of sun-shine. I am permanently in a fishing mode, trying to change tackles, bait and fly - with no result. So different to the Atlantic, where fish was always in sight, and here - I do repeat - there is even not a single fishing vessel at sea.

Yesterday, before going to bed, I checked - as always - my fishing line, and of course in the darkness I failed to notice that there was a Portuguese-Man-of-War reeled on it. Well, it was just a slight touch. During day-time I would see it for sure - it's very colourful and, in fact, really beautiful: its "sail" resembles a balloon of oval shape, up to a feet in diameter, filled with air - transparent, with violet pattern and bright red dots, - and long dark-blue tentacles, which go in the water for several meters down.

So, I touched it with my hand and the whole night long it was itching mercilessly. It was only ointment "Rescuer", that gave me some relief. Now it's better - the redness has gone though the hand is still swollen a bit. But - never mind, it is passing already.

Now I am enjoying my prolonged breakfast - with a cup of gooood coffee and a cigarette - and I am completely happy!"

Pavel's son is none other than Teddy Rezvoy, who has previously rowed the Atlantic from East to West in 2001 and set out to row solo in the reverse direction last summer, before he had an unwanted visit from the U.S. Navy. Teddy will make another attempt this summer.

At 65 years old, Pavel Rezvoy, a geologist from Ukraine, is the oldest ocean rower in the history of ocean rowing. When he, after 62 days, crossed the finish line in Barbados, he arrived as number two of the solo class in ORSARR 2004, only 2,5 days after the 23 years old winner.

But then grandpa refused to go home: -"There is nothing to do in Ukraine for senior citizens", he said. So Pavel Rezvoy headed to Cuba, May 14th, at 14:00GMT.

This is going to be a tough row, but he is absolutely looking forward to it, saying, that he still has a really big Dorada to fish! And this time he has ALL the fishing tackle ready for the adventure. He also has a new rudder.

"I have caught insuperable desire to set out on the ocean – until now, five sixths of the globe has been unknown to me. It's time. It's time to set sail (oars) … while I still can."

Pavel’s interest in ocean rowing began years ago. His younger brother was a part of Peter Bird’s support team for his attempt to row the Pacific from Vladivostok to San Francisco. But he truly caught the bug when he helped his son Teddy in his preparations for his row from the Canary Islands to Barbados.

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