After 4 months alone at sea, a British rower is closing in on Adak.  28-year-old Sarah Outen left Japan this April in a one-person partially enclosed boat, in an attempt to become the first woman to row solo across the North Pacific Ocean.

Outen’s latest reported position is about 167 miles from Adak.

She’s faced rough seas this summer, and had to hunker down in occasional gale-force winds.  In a satellite phone dispatch late last week, Outen says she’s had to stay alert even when sleeping. She reports waking up to a giant roll: 

"Apparently not a hot bacon roll, but a roll of the 360 degrees type," said Outen.

Besides getting some gear wet, Outen turned out fine.   

Once she gets to Adak, Outen’s putting the trip on hold.  She’ll fly home to England and train over the winter before coming back to Adak and resuming the trip. It’s all part of a larger three-year expedition across the globe by kayak, bike, and rowboat. She’s already biked 10 thousand miles across Europe and Asia. 

As she gets closer to Adak -- and her break point -- Outen says she’s growing anxious about life on dry land.

"It’s quite a jump to get back to a world where there's choices, and people, and different places to put things, and etiquette, so we thought it would be good to have a bit of a plan in place," said Outen.

But planning can’t cover everything. Outen’s first attempt to row across the Pacific ended last October. A tropical storm damaged her boat, and she required a rescue by the Japanese Coast Guard. 

Adak is aware that she is coming, but the detail are still coming together for her visit.