An Ohio biology teacher has set off on a rowing mission across the North Atlantic that could make history.

If he makes it, Bryce Carlson, a 37-year-old extreme athlete and private school teacher, could become the first American to make the 3,219-kilometre journey with a crew of only one.

Carlson is rowing across the North Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to England with no tag-along safety crew — it’s just him and his custom-made 20-foot rowboat Lucille, named in honour of his late grandmother. His solo mission has stunned some members of the local community of Quidi Vidi in St. John’s. And for good reason: It’s a long journey that less than half of those who have attempted it have completed successfully.

“There are all sorts of fears and anxieties,” Carlson told NTV before go-time Wednesday. “I’m sure there will be lots of challenges that I haven’t yet anticipated and I’ll have to figure it out when I get there.”

He’ll be running on dehydrated food and a system dubbed “Walter” that will convert salty ocean water into drinkable water. The machine can produce about 1.5 gallons of fresh water per hour, Carlson tweeted. He was supposed to depart early last week, but after a delay due to problems with a previous water-making machine (that one dubbed “Wally”), he departed on Wednesday morning from “The Gut,” the local moniker for Quidi Vidi Harbour.

He said a big part of the challenge will be “self-reliance,” but Carlson is no stranger to the extreme.

“This isn’t the first adventure I’ve taken on,” he said. He’s been preparing his entire life. “It’s been a series of events, each building off the other,” he said. From his high school days as an athlete, to years of collegiate rowing, to marathon and ultra-marathon running in his 20s and 30s. All of that has set him up for this new adventure, rowing across the Atlantic.

“This was an opportunity to combine my experience and interests in taking on ultra-endurance challenges with a love of the ocean,” he said. He’s anticipating some interactions with marine animals, and has his video-equipped drone to accompany him to capture moments like that.

“This is going to be a very special moment for me—hopefully many moments—getting to encounter dolphins and whales, maybe seals, on their terms,” he said.

His fiancée, a pediatric doctor in Cincinnati, Ohio, wished him well saying “Go get it, I love you,” during their final phone call before departure Wednesday morning.

His own farewell words to his followers before departure were short and confident. “Bon voyage,” he told NTV. “See you on the other side.”

Carlson will be posting updates of his voyage directly to Twitter @BryceRows, satellite connection permitting.