He's off again! Andrew Halsey - the first disabled person to row single-handed across an ocean - is back behind the oars ready to conquer the elements and the sea.

The 42-year-old from Clacton, who suffers from epilepsy, stunned the rowing world when he crossed the Atlantic, travelling 2,800 miles from Tenerife to St Lucia in 116 days.

Now he is taking on the Pacific from San Diego to Sydney, a journey of some 7,000 miles, which he estimates will take him eight months.

It is a challenge which has never been conquered before.

Andrew, of Avondale Road, set off last week with the backing of the Ocean Rowing Society.

And this time he is far better equipped with a computer system and internet on board his boat the, Brittany Rose, which was named after his daughter. There is a solar panel to provide the power.

He also has a global positioning system, a machine to convert sea water into drinking water and a single burner gas stove, along with food to last him 250 days. But his mother, Barbara, admitted she was far from happy.

"I don't feel any happier about him going this time than I did the last," she said. "He was a long time preparing for this and I did not think he would go.

"The week before he pulled his tendons in his knee and it had to be in a brace. But he then got a special support and felt he was fit enough to go."

She added: "Ever since his last trip he has been giving talks and interviews in America and Canada but there was no way of putting him off from this trip."

"He also wants to do the Indian Ocean, which is pretty small compared to this, and then I hope he will hang up his oars for good."

During his last epic voyage, Andrew lost his rudder and the harpoon gun used to catch fish, his navigational equipment failed, he ran out of water, sprang a leak, suffered two fits at sea but made it safely across the Atlantic to live to tell his tale.

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