Outdoor pursuits fanatic Jim's Titanic voyage will see him spend two months rowing across the ocean in a homemade boat to raise money for charity.

The IT manager is the first Northern Ireland entrant in the Transatlantic Rowing Race and he hopes to emulate the feat of Olympic oarsman James Cracknell and TV presenter Ben Fogel in the 3,000 nautical mile challenge.

It's expected Hook and his partner Andrew Lothian will be at sea for around 60 days, working shifts of two hours rowing, two hours resting.

Their food for the entire journey - they'll need 7,000 calories a day from dried food and chocolate - will be stored around the boat, doubling up as a counter-balance.

Drinking water will be straight from the ocean and desalinated.

And the loo facilities are covered by the phrase 'bucket and chuck it'.

The boat - measuring 7m x 2m and made of plywood - is an identikit pack that is used by each of the race's 20 or so entrants, complete with solar panels to run navigation equipment.

While the finishing touches are being put to the boat, the pair are busy undergoing gruelling fitness training.

The physical side may not present a huge obstacle to Hook, a veteran of several endurance events including the 100km South Downs run.

But it's the mental aspect of the trip that will prove the biggest test, claims IT project manager Jim Hook.

He told Sunday Life: "The physical challenge I'm not too worried about - a good training programme should see us right on that.

"I see the biggest challenge being the mental challenge of two hours on, two hours off, 24-hours-a-day with nothing to see but water.

"That and the conflict you can have between two people stuck on a tiny boat together for that long.

"At the minute, I can be on the rowing machine at home for a couple of hours at a time.

"But doing that, while watching a movie at the same time, and being out in the middle of the ocean will be two completely different scenarios.

"The other challenge is, of course, getting to the start line, through the fundraising and sponsorship."

The pair hope to raise hundreds of thousands for the Children's Kidney Fund - the choice of charity inspired by Hook's wife Gloria, who works as a renal nurse at the Musgrave Ward at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

He added: "My wife Glo is obviously concerned about the trip, but is fully supportive.

"That's because she works along with the children in the facility that will benefit from the money, so she sees that side of it."

The pair hope to have their specially-built craft on the water in the next few weeks, before it's shipped to the Canary Islands ahead of the launch.

The pair will team up in the Canaries in late-November and be on the water on December 2 and they hope to be in Antigua before the end of January.

? To find out more about the event, raise money for the Children's Kidney Fund or make a donation go to www.titanic-challenge.org