When Chris Tipper heard about plans to travel around the world using only muscle power, he dismissed them.

That was seven years ago and now the Brighton-based boat builder and furniture designer has changed his mind and is to make his first voyage in the unique wooden pedal-boat he helped build - 1,200 miles across the Pacific Ocean.

He is heading out to Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands in May to join the Pedal for the Planet expedition, which has already completed two-thirds of the round-the-world trip, for the crossing to the Solomon Islands.

Chris, 34, of Hamilton Road, has been involved with the project since the beginning and, after one of the two-man crew gave up half way through, he jumped at the chance to get on board.

He said: "Jason Lewis and Steve Smith were friends of friends and I met them again by chance. They said they wanted to pedal around the world and I thought it was a brilliant idea. I was really surprised no one had thought to do it before, but it wasn't something I ever considered doing."

However, Chris was interested in helping to build the special light-weight, self-righting, pedal-powered boat the pair needed for the expedition. He spent a year crafting the £26,000 vessel, Moksha.

"I always thought I would just be involved as the boat builder, but then when Steve dropped out I decided I wanted to do it. After all, I had built the boat and the expedition had been on my mind for more than five years. It felt right actually taking part."

Now he is preparing for the five- week pedalling marathon on the high seas with sessions in the gym to build up his leg muscles. For the duration of the journey, which is being used for a worldwide learning project, he will be taking it in turns to pedal the boat, four hours on, four hours off, and sharing cramped living quarters with fellow crew-member Jason, of Bridport in Dorset.

He said: "I'm not that worried about spending so much time with Jason. We get on really well and although I know there are bound to be arguments, I'm sure we will get over them quickly. The heat and humidity concern me most, but I will get used to that."

He has no worries about the boat. He said: "I built her. I probably have more faith in her than anyone else. As for the weather, I could just as easily be run over by a bus and we are in the hands of mother nature."

Chris, a former pupil of Tideway School in Newhaven, believes his love of the sea and interest in boat-building came from his childhood in Newhaven which he spent "messing around in boats".

Although a trained boat builder, he has spent the last year working at his furniture design company, Wild Wood, after one of his chairs was commissioned by the Conran Shop.

He said: "I am taking a couple of months out of the business to do this, but I am expecting it to give me more focus and determination in my life. I will return home after reaching the Solomon Islands, but hope to rejoin the expedition later."

Jason began the epic journey from the Greenwich Meridian in July, 1994. With Steve Smith, 32, from Wolverhampton, he achieved the first 4,500-mile, 111-day, east-west, pedal-boat crossing of the Atlantic in Moksha. From Florida, Jason took to the road and completed the first crossing of the United States on in-line skates, while Steve cycled across the country.

Jason's arrival in San Francisco was delayed for several months by an accident in Colorado in which both his legs were broken by a car. The pair then pedalled Moksha 2,200 miles from San Francisco to Hawaii in two months. Jason pedalled the next 2,200 miles to Tarawa alone in 73 days, landing last July, after Steve left to pursue other projects.

The world's first muscle-powered global trek still has an estimated three or four years to run. Schools can follow Chris and Jason's journey on the internet and sign up for special educational projects linked to Pedal for the Planet, at www.goals.com

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