Rower Aided At Point

Under gray skies hinting of rain, Rick Shalvoy rowed out of Montauk Harbor yesterday, resuming his quest to circumnavigate Long Island - 240 miles in all.

Only a day earlier, Mr. Shalvoy had been asleep in Dr. Gavino Mapula's Montauk office while he received a salt and sugar based solution intravenously. No one thought he would or could continue.

Mr. Shalvoy, a 44-year-old lifeguard who lives in East Islip and the father of four, began his journey from Jones Beach on Sunday. Fifty-two miles later he was forced to turn into Moriches Inlet after being slammed by a rough sea. He said the Coast Guard told him the inlet was not navigable, but, along with Fabian Olaya, who was traveling with him in a separate pilot boat, he managed to avoid grounding and continue on.

For Research

The trip in the 19-foot surf boat is being made in memory of a friend and former classmate, Robin Goldstein Roche, who died of breast cancer six years ago. The two attended Freeport High School together.

Mr. Shalvoy is hoping to raise awareness of the disease and funds for research. He is being sponsored by the Long Island Breast Cancer Action Coalition and the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Fund, either of which would appreciate donations.

On Monday, Mr. Shalvoy completed the 40-mile row from Moriches Inlet to Hither Hills State Park. When he arrived at the park, he found that lifeguards there had prepared a huge pasta dinner for him. But, according to Mark Hansen, the senior lifeguard, who is a friend, Mr. Shalvoy only wanted to shower and get back in the boat.

"Felt Great"

"I felt great - the wind direction and the moon were all in my favor," said Mr. Shalvoy. He left Hither Hills at around 8 p.m., rounded the Montauk Lighthouse at about 9:30 p.m., and finally docked at the Montauk Yacht Club at 12:10 a.m. feeling totally exhausted, according to Mr. Hansen.

That leg of the journey turned out to be exhausting. Mr. Hansen said that when Mr. Shalvoy turned the Montauk Point he was impeded by the southwest winds that had carried him forward on the south, or "backside," of the Island.

Once ashore, he was taken by car back to Hither Hills, where he went to sleep on an air mattress in the lifeguard shack. During the night, however, he awoke, complained of nauseu, and had trouble getting back to sleep.

At Dr. Mapula's office in the morning, he was diagnosed as dehydrated and told he needed liquids and rest. When the IV drip was completed, he went to back to Hither Hills and got some.

In Good Shape

After hearing that Mr. Shalvoy had resumed his trip, Dr. Mapula said, "He's in good shape. As long as he paces himself he should have no problem completing his journey."

Mr. Hansen said he was shocked when Mr. Shalvoy awakened him at 7 a.m. yesterday and said he was ready to go. Mr. Hansen said he questioned Mr. Shalvoy about the weather, which looked gloomy, and was told that only lightning would force him off the water.

As Mr. Shalvoy prepared to take off, a small group gathered. Someone asked if he had seen any interesting sea life during his journey. "I thought I saw a couple of dorsal fins near Hither Hills," he said, "but they turned out to be lobster buoys."

Mr. Shalvoy wears a huge straw hat and uses a no-name brand of sunscreen with a 45 sun protection factor, he said. He eats a lot of power bars and wheat bread and he relies on a sports drink called Professional Form Carbo Force, containing electrolytes. He downed two bottles, in fact, before leaving the Montauk Yacht Club dock. He also called home.

"I'm feeling great, don't listen to what you read in the paper," he said, and then he spoke privately to his wife, Ruth. He then conferred with Jeffrey Picken, an East Hampton resident and guidance counselor in the East Hampton School District, who was to become Mr. Shalvoy's guide to Orient Point, in a 35-foot power boat. They left Montauk at 10:45 a.m.

As he rowed past the town dock, where a family sat fishing, a woman called, "Oh, my God, it's him, the guy rowing around Long Island. Keep going, you can do it."

Mr. Shalvoy raised his arms over his head triumphantly and yelled back, "I'm going to do it."