SUCCESSFULLY rowing solo across the Atlantic Ocean was the completion of unfinished business for Richard Wood.

In 2001, Richard was forced to abandon the 2,700-mile voyage from La Gomera, in the Canary Islands, to Barbados after his rowing partner retired and then he scalded his hand while pouring hot water.

However, on Saturday, May 1, 2004, after 101 days, the 48-year-old father-of-three become only the 24th person to cross the ocean from east to west, when he crossed the longitude 59.37 west.

"In total it has taken eight years to complete the challenge," said Richard, of Northwick Road, Worcester.

"It is a great feeling.

"It would have been nice to row to the pontoon in Barbados, which is what I had been aiming for.

"But in a sense, when I arrived there, that was the icing on the cake.

"Everyone goes out there to complete the crossing.

"The fact that I had been driven further and further north meant it was a relief to get across the finishing line."

When Richard, who works for a Worcestershire Youth Services communication project called Youth Comm, began the mammoth task on Tuesday, January 20, he was aiming to complete Ocean Rowing Society Atlantic Rowing Regatta 2004 in around 70 days.

"I had planned on being back home by Easter," he said.

"Of course I'm not disappointed because I was not racing. The most important thing was to complete the row."

However, things did not always go to plan, especially during the second half of the journey when winds blew him in every other direction other than the one he wanted to go in.

Richard's increasing frustration with the elements meant he was losing ground.

By the end of the journey, because of constantly being blown off course, the actual distance that he covered was 3,430 nautical miles - the equivalent of an ocean-and-a-half.

Disaster also struck when the rudder of his boat, named NaJoJo - after his children Nayna, John and Joshua, was severely damaged by strong seas.

"It took me about 10 days to work out how to build a makeshift rudder," he said.

"When I first attached it, I thought it would not last but as time went on and it held I thought it would last the rest of the trip."

But giving up was not an option.

Besides the physical aspect of rowing across an ocean, the other major hurdle was the mental challenge.

One thing that did help Richard - who spent two years with the Merchant Navy in his late teens as a deck cadet - was the 20 to 30 text messages a day he received from family, friends and well-wishers.

"They were a tremendous help. The big challenge is the mental challenge, so any support from the outside world was great."

Another difficulty was the months of loneliness.

"I went for three-and-a-half months without seeing anyone apart from the four people on the support boat.

"I missed my family and contact with other people because I am very much a team kind of person."

Richard quickly got into the routine of waking up before sunrise and start rowing at around 5.30am.

He would row throughout the day with breaks for food and rest before stopping at sunset.

He would then write up his log, have his evening meal and then sleep, waking the following morning and doing the same again.

He said his next challenge is to finish his book, for which he has already written 13 chapters about his first attempt.

"I was very pleased to have crossed that finishing line," he added.