Brazilians put NYC castaway back in the ocean

SAO PAOLO, Brazil—While surfing the internet on Monday, Victor Mooney, 45, of Forest Hills, New York found that Gerson Canton was selling a ocean rowboat named Brasileiro. After an exchange of emails, a deal was made that Mooney will purchase the boat for $10,000.00.

The 19 foot custom made boat was built by Flavio Antonio Rodrigues of Flab – Construção Artesanal de Embarcações and designed by Luis Gouveia of B&J Yacht Design.

According to Mooney, he wants the boat repainted in the national colors of Brazil and a small amount of iron-ore embedded into the bow. Before the rower who lost one brother to AIDS and has another that’s HIV+ sets off from Las Palmas, Canary Islands to New York on December 1, World AIDS Day, he plans to train in Santos and rechristen the vessel—The Castaway.

Greece based Diana Shipping Services vessel MV Norfolk, a dry bulk container ship, rescued Mooney on March 10 and brought him to Sao Luis. Mooney credited Pope John Paul II for keeping him alive during his 14 days adrift on a life raft in the Atlantic Ocean after his boat took on water and sunk. The Pontiff blessed Mooney on World AIDS Day at the Vatican in 2004.

Mooney was making his third attempt to row across the Atlantic Ocean to encourage voluntary HIV testing and raise money for AIDS medicine.

“This time I’ll have a billion people praying that I make it”, said Mooney at his home in New York. On Sunday, marks the 30th anniversary of the discovery of HIV. It’s estimated that 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide today.