The Storm Continues
A message from Fedor Konyukhov.
“The storm has continued into its third day, the wind isn’t changing direction, and blows from the South-West (240°). The waves are gigantic. It either hails or snows, and the hail and waves are smashing against the boat. To somehow drown out the noise I’ve been listening to Vladimir Vysotsky in headphones. I haven’t eaten hot food in two days; it’s impossible to turn on the gas stove. I can’t even sit up, and have to lie in the cabin fastened by a safety belt to avoid being thrown from side to side.
That’s been my 1st of February. It is the end of the last month of Summer in the Southern Hemisphere. For the people living in the Southern Hemisphere, this is our August.
From the starting point I have travelled 5,000 kilometres in total. Not even halfway, but close to it. It is about that far again to Cape Horn.
Periodically, I see the sun peek out from the haze. It is enough to charge the batteries from the solar panels. Never in my life have I had such efficient solar batteries. They begin to charge the moment the sun rises. In the Southern Ocean there is rarely a clear sky. It is usually fully covered by clouds as now, and yet I haven’t had any problems charging my batteries.
Thank God I am alive and still well. The boat is a beauty – she withstands every hit. Thank you to the boat designer, Phillip Morrison and the boat builders for building such a sturdy torpedo. 12 millimetres of hull separate me from the ocean. I can hear the ocean booming overboard. And when you look at the map, you realise that nobody can help out here. It is all up to God, the boat, and my own strength.
I ask for your prayers.”
Fedor Konyukhov
49’20 South
138’45 West