John is on the move from his Shelter Island base, bound for Cape Cod and the official start of his Atlantic crossing bid.

He has set his sights on a weekend departure from Plymouth.

The "Shepherd Purple Heart" aka Orca came through a storm within 24 hours of leaving and John reckons he grabbed just a few hours sleep during the first 48 hours.

Tides conspired to pose him problems and progress was painfully slow, with the sea anchor rolled in and out 10 times.

John stressed: "I knew the storm was coming and felt it was important to test myself and the kit on board in these conditions. There's no point discovering problems with the equipment when I'm in the middle of the Atlantic. It was always part of the plan to give it a vigorous test, including time spent in darkness, and this certainly fitted the bill.

"It has been a tough few days but I've enjoyed it."

Now John has been joined by boat designer Roy Finlay and, sharing duties on the oars, the pair have made rapid progress en route to Buzzard's Bay.

"We have to take care because the waters around here are rather busy, with ferries going by on a regular basis.

"It's great to get out on the water for genuine sea trials in testing conditions after being in the States since the middle of May.

"Preparations have to be spot on for the challenge ahead. The trip so far has thrown up a few comminucations problems and an issue with the solar battery chargers. That will be addressed when we get to Cape Cod and the weather people tell me the weekend looks good for a departure."

John has thanked Eric, Fanny and the team at Clark's Marine Repairs for their vital input over the last few days.

They've rolled out the welcome mat at their Shelter Island yard and marina.

And John said: "They have been absolutely fantastic. They have gone the extra mile for me. A few days ago I didn't know them and now I regard them as friends. They really know their stuff."

The boat measures 30 feet and weighs 2000 pounds fully laden.

John is delighted that all is shipshape with the Shepherd Purple Heart, with support team members Graeme, Porky and Mark responding to an all-hands-on-deck demand to tweak Orca for the demands of the North Atlantic.

"The boat is certainly looking the part," said John. "It is adorned with our sponsors logos."

While the wait for a suitable weather window is frustrating John admits it has bought more time for familiarisation time on the water off Shelter Island.

An array of supplies has been loaded to see him through the record bid and slipped into pods along the bows of the core unit.

John has been ensuring his various hi-tech gadgets are in perfect working order, with a Jetboil particularly appealing.

He said: "It's all the best of gear and the Jetboil takes just 60 seconds to boil water. It's not just for making a brew. Hot water is vital for my hygiene regime."

John's Atlantic row has been attracting media attention in the USA.

Susan Gatti from Que Productions was intrigued by his ambitious adventure and turned up at Shelter Island to put John's project in the spotlight.

Having already been interviewed by the BBC and Grampian before leaving Scotland, John took it all in his stride.

He said: "It was nice of Susan and the crew to go out of their way to pay us a visit."