Simon Chalk: Boat hull is now covered in barnacles

Simon Chalk, 38, of Newton Abbot, left the coast of Australia on 28 February alone, after his partner dropped out.

Since then he has been hit by 130mph winds and sprung a couple of leaks in the customised boat, the 23-foot (7.3m) True Spirit, which damaged his emergency glass fibre kit and satellite phone.

He has also had problems with his navigation and steering equipment and has been blown back by strong winds.

Click here to see map of journey

In temperatures above 40C, he was seriously sunburned and had blisters on his back.

And with 2,700 of the 3,478 miles still to row, Mr Chalk has now encountered more bad weather.

Writing in his diary for BBC Devon Online, he said: "There's another bad weather system to the north of me which could turn into a cyclone.

"That's going to be really dangerous if it happens."

I can't run out of tea - it can't be a British expedition without tea Simon Chalk Click here to read all his diaries

He added: "I was talking to the weather router last night and he couldn't believe that in 41 days I haven't had a whole day where I've had conditions with me. It's a nightmare!

"Everything's in the lap of the gods at the moment."

He has also seen a number of sharks and thought he was awoken by one hitting his boat.

The bottom of his boat is covered in barnacles, but he does not want to clean them off, without someone to watch out for the sharks.

Mr Chalk has been also been checking his provisions, he has food for 63 days left, 66 days of gas, 35 days of water and 55 days of tea and coffee.

"I can't run out of tea. It can't be a British expedition without tea!" he said.

Mr Chalk has given up his hope of beating the 64-day record for rowing the Indian Ocean, but he is still hoping to become the first Briton to row the ocean, and the youngest person to do so.

The only time the Indian Ocean route has been completed was in 1971 by Swede Anders Svedlund.

Mr Chalk's last attempt on the Indian Ocean last May ended with Chalk and his partner clinging to their capsized boat for 15 hours in shark-infested waters before rescue.