He’s at it again.

Victor Mooney, 45 and a Freeport native, embarked Saturday morning on his third attempt to navigate the Atlantic Ocean by rowboat.

Mooney hopes to row from Cape Verde – off the coast of West Africa – to New York harbor, a trip that could take six to eight months. Mooney, who now lives in Queens, said he was trying to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

“”For every stroke I make towards New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, I hope someone can get tested for HIV/AIDS and into treatment if necessary,”” he said on a website about his voyage.

Speaking to The Associated Press by telephone from the island of Sao Vicente on Thursday, Mooney said he was ready for the nearly 5,000-mile trek.

“”We did some test runs,”” he told the AP. “”All the electrical systems are OK. I’m enjoying these last minutes.””

There will be no fourth attempt, he said.

“”That was the deal with my wife,”” said Mooney, on leave from his job as a publicist at the ASA Institute of Business and Computer Technology, which has offices in Manhattan andBrooklyn. “”She said, ‘Victor, this is it. Write it down. This is a family contract.’ “”

Mooney said he might not make it all the way home; merely crossing to an island like Antigua is a journey of 2,500 miles.

“”I would prefer to go all the way to New York,”” he told the AP.