Every day, a range of vessels, from ocean-going barges to single kayaks, frequent the waters near Vashon Island. This Sunday, weather permitting, Vashon’s waters will host the beginning of a grand adventure.

Four rowers — three from the Seattle area — plan to circumnavigate the Island in preparation for a 2011 row across the Atlantic Ocean.

Their all-day Vashon row will mark the first time the four rowers will get in the 29-foot ocean-going vessel and paddle together.

“The race is 23 months out,” said team member Jordan Hanssen, “and we want to use the time we have wisely.”

The four plan to begin their round-the-Island trip

at Tacoma’s Thea Foss Wat-erway at 5 a.m., paddle up Colvos Passage, then down the East Passage back to Tacoma — a distance of about 40 miles.

“Hopefully, we are going to play the currents just right,” Hanssen said.

While the four do not know how long it will take, Hanssen said he would be happy to finish the row by 8 p.m that evening, happy enough to finish by 10 p.m. and very disheartened to finish at midnight.

In case of inclement weather on Sunday, the foursome plan to row from Tacoma past Vashon to Ballard, an easier trip and only about 35 miles.

No matter their route, they will be followed part of the time by a videographer from Seattle, documenting the story, and by famed area photographer Joel Rogers, who is donating his time for their endeavor, according to Hanssen.

In the 2011 Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race the men are training for, the foursome will row from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean, a distance of

2,600 to 2,700 miles, Hans-sen said, and a journey that typically takes about 34 days.

It will be an adventure, most certainly, and that is just fine by the men, all of whom are on good terms with feats of endurance.

In 2006, Hanssen and Greg Spooner — who will also row in the 2011 race — and two fellow University of Puget Sound graduates raced from the United States to the United Kingdom; they won after rowing for 69 days in the same boat they will row on Sunday. That row, from New York to Falmouth, England, landed them a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

For the 2011 Atlantic crossing, Hanssen and Spooner will be joined by Rick Tarbill, a flight test engineer for Boeing who used to row for the Huskies, and Adam Kreek, a two-time Olympic rower who won a gold medal for Canada in the men’s eight in the summer 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The four have a good shot at winning in 2011, Hanssen said, and “absolutely” hope to set a record.

Two years ago Hanssen was named a Tacoma News Tribune “Adventurer of the Year” for his 2006 Atlantic crossing, his 2008 bicycle trip — in the summer — across Australia and his attempt, with Spooner, at rowing around the Olympic Peninsula, which they fell 40 miles short of completing.

In the coming months, in addition to training alone and together, the foursome will be seeking sponsorships for their journey.

They hope to raise $1 million, Hanssen said, and give $500,000 of it to the international organization Right to Play, whose mission, according to its Web site, is to improve the lives of children in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world by using the power of sport and play for development, health and peace.

While they plan on securing corporate sponsors to fund their journey, they will accept money from anyone wanting to contribute.

“We have a lot of talent,” said Hanssen, “and not a lot of money.”

With all the water of the Sound beckoning, how did they pick Vashon for their first trial run, what they are calling their “shakedown cruise”?

Hanssen is fond of Vashon and used to ride his bike here, when he was training to bike across Australia.

“One of my favorite rides was to bike from Tacoma to Gig Harbor to Southworth to Vashon back to Tacoma,” he said, a distance of about 50 miles.

“I personally think Vashon is beautiful,” he said. “Very beautiful and very convenient.”

To donate to the crew’s 2011 race, write a check to OAR Northwest/ 2011 Crossing and send it to: OAR Northwest, P.O. Box 31402,Seattle, WA 98103. The group is a nonprofit organization.