Pirate fear for global adventurer

Jason Lewis is heading towards coastline patrolled by pirates

A man attempting a human-powered round-the-world trip is heading into waters notorious for pirates as he nears the closing stages of his trip.

Jason Lewis, 38, from Bridport, Dorset, is on high alert as he drives his 26ft (7.9m) pedal boat Moksha towards the Horn of Africa.

"The 1,800-mile coast of Somalia has emerged as one of the most dangerous areas for ships," said the adventurer.

He and his friend Sher Dhillon have so far pedalled 1,070 miles from India.

They are now thinking of taking down the vessel's radar ball to avoid detection by pirates.

Hostage risk

"Somali pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues, using speedboats equipped with satellite phones," said Mr Lewis, speaking from his wooden craft.

"It is unlikely that any of these characters would know what to make of this little pedal boat even if they knew where to find us.

"But there is the danger of them taking us hostage for ransom and just abandoning the boat."

The next 72 hours are critical as they wait to see if a current continues to push them southwards. They are around 687 (1,105km) miles from their destination, Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa.

Since leaving Mumbai, India, the pair have been dogged by problems - the boat was damaged in an accident and their fresh water makers have failed.

The £26,000 pedal boat, built in Exeter, Devon, hit a sunken wreck and had to return to port for a new rudder.

In all, Mr Lewis has clocked up more than 40,000 miles (64,374km) around the world using kayaks, mountain bikes and roller blades. He hopes to finish in London this summer.