A CHARTERED surveyor trying to set a record by surviving on a rocky outpost in the Atlantic suffered a setback yesterday when he was unable to land on the rock 250 miles to the west of the Outer Hebrides.
Nick Hancock, 38, from Ratho, Edinburgh, was forced by bad weather to retreat to St Kilda with a view to making a fresh attempt to land on Rockall today.
He wants to better the 40 days former SAS soldier Tom McClean spent on the rock in 1985 which still stands as the solo occupation record. The 42-day record three Greenpeace activists set in 1997 is also in his sights.
He has converted an 8ft long, 3ft 6in high water storage tank into a shelter. It will be bolted to the rock to act as his home for the 60 days he hopes to stay on it.
He will also have a small wind generator, solar panel, battery and satellite system including a phone to keep in touch with the outside world.
He plans a daily routine of exercises and safety checks. "I'm also going to be carrying out some sample collections for St Andrews University and the Hunterian Museum," he said.
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