46 Days in the Ocean
This is an important number for me. In 2002, I crossed the Atlantic Ocean aboard the rowboat “URALAZ” from the Canary Island of La Gomera to the island of Barbados in 46 days.
It is the 46th day of my current journey, and I still have the whole Atlantic Ocean stretching before me. As of today, I am 2 850 nautical miles from Cape Horn. That’s the direct distance. In fact, I will be travelling about 20% further than that.
In the Atlantic, there was not a day when I didn’t hear chatter from passing vessels and yachts communicating over the radio with each other. There was always someone nearby, and you had to watch out to make sure you weren’t run over by some supertanker heading for the Panama Canal in the middle of the night. In 2002, the course was plotted through the lively trade winds. Here in the Southern Ocean, the radio is dead quiet. I listen to it over channel 16 out of habit, but the VHF radio is silent. There is no-one around.
And the ocean is empty. There are no whales, no dolphins, and even albatrosses are a rare sight. Take away my daily phone call to Moscow via satellite phone, and I might begin to think it’s just me and the Ocean. Where are the 7 billion people?
It is my sixth journey through these latitudes, and with every journey I notice less and less wildlife. In the last 30 years we have emptied the oceans, eaten and exterminated all life. It seems to me that I have the right to speak like this. My observations are quite accurate. When you travel by yacht or by rowboat, you notice all of the details and the little things. Such observations would escape you aboard a research vessel.
For reference:
1990-91 – Circumnavigating the globe aboard the Yacht “Karaana” (Sydney-Sydney, Australia)
1998-99 – Around the globe race “Around Alone” aboard the Yacht “SGU” (USA – RSA – New Zealand – Cape Horn – Uruguay – USA)
2005 – Circumnavigating the globe on the Yacht “Alye Parusa” (England – Tasmania – Cape Horn – England).
2008 – Sailing around Antarctica (Albany – Albany, Australia)
2009 – Ferrying the Yacht “Alye Parusa” from New Zealand (Auckland) to the Falkland’s Islands.
I am preparing for a storm. I have tied down everything that can be washed overboard. I have pumped some more water up on the Epiphany Day, so I have holy water in my canisters now.
I have shifted everything that I can to the stern in order to weigh it down. Large waves force it up. Today there is a lull, but tomorrow is going to be an onslaught. The forecast predicts waves in my area of 6-8 metres. If you add the wind crests to this, then the boat and I are guaranteed 10 metres this week.
I ask for your prayers.
Fedor Konyukhov
48’11 South
147’ 55 West