Photo by Larry Edmond Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Foley, U.S. Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon commanding general ( left) meets with explorer Wave Vidmark April 22 in Signal Towers. Before the Summer ends, explorer Wave Vidmark will set out to cross the Atlantic Ocean on a 3,300 mile journey alone in a row boat.

Now he is building the boat on the banks of the Savannah River in North Augusta, S.C.

There are many unique aspects to his planned odyssey.

One factor in particular drew Vidmark to the U.S. Army Signal Center recently.

The fact that he will be completely alone without a chase boat brings into question the communications gear Vidmark will use in his quest to make the solo journey of some three months on the North Atlantic Ocean crossing from Cape Code, Mass. to England.

"When I heard about what he was planning to do with this solo crossing and the need for reliable high-tech communications on the open ocean, my first thought was Fort Gordon and the Signal Center," said James Frye, National Science Center director.

Frye and Vidmark came to Fort Gordon to advance plans for the trip. Collaboration has evolved between the National Science Center, Vidmark and the Signal Center.

Vidmark said his explorations always have an education component that he wants to share with the world.

In this case, there will be new dimensions unveiled in human physiology and technological processes revealed as Vidmark pushes against the physical and psychological boundaries of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Foley, U.S. Signal Center and Fort Gordon commanding general said, "The lessons learned in what Wave [Vidmark] is doing are directly applicable to the Army—the preparation, the physical training and the courage to do these tremendous tasks alone are values we cherish. And it is not just our Soldiers that act courageously. Our spouses and kids go through the same—doing courageous things…the list goes on and on."

Vidmark will be sharing his journey via a planned documentary on the Exploration Channel; a video diary and with schools.

He said his explorations are like being in a laboratory. "I get a great deal of satisfaction from the explorations and approach them like a NASA {National Aeronautics and Space Agency] mission," Vidmark said. Most important Vidmark says is the ability to share what he learns with others.

Vidmark moved to the Augusta area last month to be near his fiancé, Amy Jake, a 513th Military Intelligence Brigade information technology director at Fort Gordon. To get to his new home in North Augusta, the California native rode his bicycle from California. This was not the first time he had made the bicycle trip. In September 2000 he made the trip in 31 days. This time he says he took a more leisurely 60 days to cross the country.

The boat that Vidmark is building on Hammond's Ferry in North Augusta, S.C. to cross the Atlantic Ocean is 24 feet long and six feet wide at the midsection. It is composed of a carbon fiber, Kevlar and foam core. It will weigh about 500 pounds when completed.