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Final countdown for solo Atlantic crossing           5/6/14

Charity rower Niall Iain Macdonald intends to set off tonight (Thurs) on a gruelling 3,000 mile solo challenge to row the Atlantic Ocean.

Strong head-on breezes which threatened to impeded his voyage have eased allowing the 39-year-old to prepare for a 8pm (BST) departure from New York.

He will set off from Liberty Landing Marina where his ocean rowing boat 'Alliance Trust' has been berthed for the past four weeks.

Nial Iain will row down the Hudson River passing under the Statue of Liberty towards open water.

He hopes to undertake the 3,000 mile voyage within three months.

All going well he should reach landfall in the Hebrides in August - before the onset of autumn gales. He hopes to make it all the way into Stronoway harbour.

His attempt is a tough one as only a handful of people have ever attempted rowing solo across the North Atlantic and even less on the North America to Europe route.

Most rowers prefer a South Atlantic crossing which takes advantage of the tropical trade winds blowing in the opposite east to west direction near the equator.

►    Islander to row from New York to Stornoway