Scott Donaldson's bid to kayak the Tasman ends

Tantalisingly close to landfall in Taranaki but frustrated by a week of winds blowing him away,  he decided to abandon his mission of becoming the first person to kayak the Tasman solo.

He was unable to change his battery pack and the possibility of spending Friday night in huge waves without communication was too risky.

‘‘Conditions were pushing me back to Aussie and I couldn’t compete without a rudder. I didn’t get out to change the battery so I was running short on power,’’ he said at a press conference last night in New Plymouth.  About 2pm yesterday, Donaldson climbed out of his cabin, pushed aside his kayak – which is now drifting at sea – and clung to rescue swimmer Mike Melody.

The pair were winched in to the Taranaki Rescue Helicopter where Donaldson was offered blankets and given a phone to call home.

What they said to each other ‘‘was between those two,’’ crewman Andy Cronin said.

Although the seas were rough and winds strong the rescue went well and by 3pm the helicopter landed at the hospital where Donaldson’s wife Sarah and an ambulance were waiting.

Sarah rushed to the side of her bearded husband, clutching at his arm as he took his first steps in almost three months.

Still wearing his wet weather gear, booties and a life jacket, Donaldson was ushered into the ambulance and off to the emergency room.

Two hours later a clean-shaven and showered Donaldson fronted media at the Taranaki Base Hospital.

‘‘Sorry I’m late, the hot shower was too good to move from,’’ he said.

A gutted Donaldson told media giving up was heartbreaking.

‘‘I didn’t want to go home, at the end of the day I didn’t get to the finish line and that hurts me,’’ he said.  Donaldson, who was kayaking to raise awareness of asthma and the need for physical activity, apologised for his failure though no one could fault or question his bravery.

‘‘I’m sorry I couldn’t get there, but there is nothing I could do about it,’’ he said.

‘‘I hope people gain something from what I did out there, I gave it everything I had.’’ This was Donaldson’s second attempt at crossing the ditch and was three years in the making. When he left Coffs Harbour in New South Wales  on April 19 he was expecting to take between 50 to 70 days to reach Port Taranaki, but after a strong start he began to face problems.

First his rudder was lost and then he was battered by storm after storm.

As the days dragged on he got low on food and water and two parcel drops were made.

But a determined Donaldson carried on and a week ago, after making up ground,  Mt Taranaki was in his sights.

Then the wind changed and Donaldson spent the next six days hunkered down in his cabin drifting further from New Plymouth and the Taranaki coast as easterly winds blew, and continued to blow.  The wind and waves rose and on Thursday night Donaldson faced what he said was the ‘‘nastiest night’’ he’d been in — but not once did he fear for his life.

‘‘I rolled three to five times and was on my side a lot, maybe 30 plus times,’’ he said.

During that time he suffered facial and chest injuries but what hurt more was being confined to the cabin.

‘‘Contrary to belief, lying down for six days is worse than paddling,’’ he said.

Although not completing his mission Donaldson said there was a sense of satisfaction in knowing he ‘‘left it all out there.’’ And while sharing his disappointment, Sarah said she was proud of what her husband had achieved.

‘‘His strength of character is priceless,’’ she said.

And as to the question of whether he would try for third time lucky?

‘‘Unlikely.’’

Fairfax NZ