We asked Keith some questions so you don’t have to…

Q. Why Row Naked?
A. As the Ocean is a very salty environment, clothing tends to become encrusted with salt. I will have no means of cleaning this from any clothing at sea, so wearing this clothing when full of salt would lead to severe salt sores on my body which is why I will be naked for most of the journey.

Q. What will you eat?
A. As I will be rowing for up to 10 hours every day, burning up to 10,000 calories, my diet is crucial. My meals are mainly made up of dehydrated freeze dried ration packs. On top of this I will be supplementing my diet with energy bars, chocolate snack bars, electrolyte drinks and other high energy snack foods.

Q. How much water will you take with you?
A. I have a water desalinator on board which converts salt water into drinking water. This is probably the most crucial piece of equipment I’ll carry.

Q. What happens to the boat when you are sleeping or not rowing?
A. The simple answer to this is; the boat drifts with the current. I will set the rudder in a locked position and hopefully the current will be in the right direction. This is the one major downsides of rowing solo.

Q. What happens if there is a big storm?
A. In bad weather I will take refuge in the aft cabin. This is an air tight cabin and is also where I will be sleeping. The boat is designed to right itself if it gets flipped over in big swells. Sort of like being in a washing machine on a roller coaster!!

Q. What happens in an extreme emergency?
A. I have a satellite phone on board which can be used to call for help if necessary. If I have no power in my batteries on board I can activate an EPIRB (Emergency positioning indicating radio beacon). This sends a distress signal back to the UK. The rescue services will then contact my shore based team to ensure it has not been set off accidently. If required, they will then contact any vessels that may be in my area. They will then come to my aid. This will only be used in a life or death situation.

Q. Will there be anyone near you or alongside you?
A. No. To complete this challenge solo I will have to be totally alone and unsupported. All my equipment and supplies will be on my boat. I will not see another human being from the time I leave Australia until I reach Mauritius approximately 3 and a half months later.

Q. What technology is on your boat?
A. I have a Global Positioning System on board along with a chart plotter and GPS repeater. I will also have a number of handheld GPS back-ups. I’ll have an AIS tracking system, which allows other vessels to see my position, hopefully preventing me from being run over by oil tankers! In addition to this I will have a tracking system on board, which will allow visitors to my website to see where I am at sea and what the weather is like around my boat. I’ll be carrying a laptop for blogging and tweeting and I’ll be taking a number of iPods for music and audio books.

Q. Is it dangerous?
A. Taking a 23 ft boat into an open ocean is not for the faint hearted. The Indian Ocean is very unpredictable weather-wise and that’s what makes it dangerous. I will be facing 50 ft swells, sharks, whales and everything else this huge Ocean throws at me. I hope to reduce the risks to my safety by being well trained and having my boat well prepared. After that it is up to luck, faith and NEPTUNE!

Q. What will the weather be like on route?
A. The unpredictability of the Indian Ocean will leave me facing everything from scorching sunlight and mill pond sea conditions to monsoon type rain, 50 ft waves and raging storms.

Q. What do you use for a toilet?
A. Unfortunately, there’s no en-suite on board, so my facilities in this regard can be illustrated by the phrase… “BUCKET AND CHUCK IT!”