News from the Indian Ocean

The first week of March can be described in one phrase – “the situation is tense.”

The AKROS boat is currently in the western sector of an anticyclone, meaning Fedor now has a northeasterly wind, blowing exactly from the direction he needs to go!

For the past three days, Fedor Konyukhov he has been struggling against this headwind with varying success. The Iridium RockStar satellite tracker is tracing another “Konyukhov loop“. Most likely, there will be two full rotations. Here on the map you can observe the trajectory of the boat.

In past three days, Fedor has already crossed his own course twice, making a 360-degree turn. This once again shows how much a rowing boat depends on the direction of the wind, waves and ocean currents.

Those of you who followed Fedor Konyukhov’s crossing of the South Pacific Ocean from New Zealand to Cape Horn in 2019 will remember how Fedor was stuck for a week, unable to make eastward progress. Then, in February 2019, he spent over six days in the same area – advancing forward, only to be pushed back by the wind. He then wrote in his diary: “Six days thrown to the wind” (into a headwind).

Now, we are witnessing another battle between man and ocean, as the ocean tests the patience of the rower. In his diaries, Fedor wrote before how psychologically it is incredibly difficult to accept that you are not moving along the course, to watch on the map as you are being carried back to the same coordinates where you were three days ago.

There is also a small but intense cyclone south of Madagascar that is rapidly strengthening and requires attention. If it shifts southward, it could intercept AKROS.

When we planned this route, the calculation was based on the prevailing westerly winds (westerlies) – winds that drive waves from west to east. These westerlies are formed by cyclones, but even in stormy conditions, the boat was still moving towards Australia.

However, the farther north Fedor goes (into warmer waters), the greater the chance of encountering headwinds, which is what has been happening over the past three days. The closer Fedor gets to Australia, the more frequently he will experience episodes of headwind (easterlies). And to make things even more challenging, autumn is approaching in the Southern Ocean.

According to the forecast, the headwind will last in the region until March 5, and to avoid drifting too far west, Fedor is forced to descend south, towards the Prince Edward Islands.

Meanwhile, two cargo ships are approaching AKROS boat’s course from the west, with an interval of 12 hours from each other. The first, “MASTRO NIKOS”, is bound for Singapore, while the second, “KYPROS BRAVERY”, is heading for Taiwan. Both ships are sailing under the Cyprus flag.

The coming days will be stressful both for Fedor Konyukhov in the ocean and for the expedition team on shore.

Stay tuned.