Cat ferry helping NY man in bid to become first to row from Africa to USA

The idea of rowing from Africa to New York might seem - well, eccentric. But becoming the first to do so is a life-long dream for Victor Mooney.

Mooney, 43, has made two previous attempts, the latest of which ended in April, when his desalinators (which make seawater drinkable) failed.

But now, Mooney - who splits his time between working as an AIDS activist and managing public affairs for a college in Brooklyn - has a third chance to make the 8,000 mile trip.

In May, French adventurer Charlie Girard abandoned his effort to row from Cape Cod to France after 10 days at sea. Girard was rescued by the US Coast Guard, but his boat, the Caliste, was left adrift until it was recovered by the Canadian Coast Guard on June 2. The boat was towed to a Coast Guard base near Yarmouth.

Girard gave Caliste to Mooney, who renamed it Never Give Up and plans to begin his third attempt on World AIDS Day – Dec. 1.

But first, there's the matter of bringing the boat home to New York, in order to prepare it for the voyage and train in it. So Mooney contacted Bay Ferries, which operates the Cat - a high-speed ferry that runs between Maine and Yarmouth. "It's a pleasure to support a fellow mariner engaged in such a dramatic endeavor," said George Driscoll, vice-president of marketing for Bay Ferries. "We applaud Victor's efforts in this important cause."

Mooney will leave Portland at 8 a.m. on Sunday, June 28. On Monday, June 29, he'll depart from Yarmouth at 5 p.m. local time and return to Bar Harbor, Maine, arriving at approximately 8 p.m. He'll drive to New York from there.