The boat’s name is a play on the 1947 Kon-Tiki raft used to sail across the Pacific by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, and its voyage roughly followed the same route.

On March 20, 2010, the sailing vessel set off from San Francisco, California to cross the Pacific Ocean with a crew of six: British skipper Jo Royle, co-skipper David Thompson, expedition diver Olav Heyerdahl, filmmakers Max Jourdan and Vern Moen, and expedition leader David de Rothschild. The expedition projected landfall in Sydney, Australia and included plans to visit several sites en route of ecological importance or which were susceptible to environmental issues caused by global warming, for instance the current sea level rise, ocean acidification and marine pollution.

Plastiki arrived in Sydney Harbour on July 26, 2010, accompanied by a small flotilla of boats. Shortly afterwards, it was towed to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, where it was on display until late August.

This 8000-nautical mile journey across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Sydney is a revolutionary expedition of ecological importance with a mission and dream of giving our oceans a voice. Plastic pollution has been plaguing our planet, from the peaks of mountains to the depths of the ocean. Throw-away single-use plastics are the culprit, with over 74 million pounds of plastic bottles floating in our oceans. 

But how, you ask, did they build it?

The Plastiki team found the solution to the technological challenge in 2008 by using srPET, a material similar to fibreglass but made entirely of recyclable plastic. The bottles were filled with dry ice and then sealed and heated, to turn the dry ice into carbon dioxide gas and pressurise the bottles, making them rigid.

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Hydroptere is a French experimental sailing hydrofoil trimaran imagined by the yachtman Éric Tabarly. Hydroptere project was managed by Alain Thébault, the design done by naval architects VPLP design and the manufacturing by a group of French high-tech companies. Its multihull hydrofoil design allows the sail-powered vessel to reach high speeds on water. The design is based on experience from a range of hydrofoil sailcraft that Thébault built in cooperation with Éric Tabarly since the 1980s. On 5 October 2008 she reached a record speed of 52.86 knots (97.90 km/h; 60.83 mph), however this was over a shorter distance than the 500m necessary to qualify for an official world record. On 21 December 2008, the Hydroptere briefly reached 56.3 knots (104.3 km/h; 64.8 mph) near Fos-sur-Mer, but capsized and turtled shortly thereafter.

On 4 September 2009, Hydroptere broke the outright world record, sustaining a speed of 52.86 knots (97.90 km/h; 60.83 mph) for 500 m (1,600 ft) in 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) of wind. In November 2009, she broke the 50-knot (93 km/h; 58 mph) barrier for a nautical mile with a speed of 50.17 knots (92.91 km/h; 57.73 mph) in Hyères, France.

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Filmmaker James Aiken lives aboard a 33-foot yacht, which he sails around the North Atlantic, searching for waves and stories to tell from those who live at the wild edges of the world.

Last year he sailed from Cornwall to The Hebrides, with the trip documented in this brand new short, and is already planning future voyages to The Faroes and The Orkneys.

“I purchased the boat and spent some time on a partial refit in Cornwall before setting off and making my way North to Stornaway in the Hebrides.  She’s a Tradewind 33 so a solid and very capable vessel, and managable singe handed. My dream is to spend time sailing in the Northern waters, Scotland, The Faroes and Norway, surfing where possible, and meeting and documenting local people.“

The post The Oaken Yarn, the Life of James Aiken aboard a 33 foot sailboat in North Atlantic appeared first on Sail Universe.

PRETTY FAR NORTH

JAN MAYEN SKI&SAIL

AURORA ARKTIKA

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Today, the modern descendants of these explorers are circumnavigating the world’s oceans using the same techniques.

This story is a part of Great Big Story Planet Earth series. Great Big Story is a video network dedicated to the untold, overlooked & flat-out amazing. Humans (and sailors) are capable of incredible things & we’re here to tell their stories. When a rocket lands in your backyard, you get in.

Hawai’i—possibly the most remote island chain on the planet—was discovered hundreds of years ago by Polynesian voyagers wayfinding in canoes. These ancient explorers relied exclusively upon their knowledge of the stars, bird behavior, and ocean swell patterns to find speckles of land. Today, the modern descendants of these explorers are circumnavigating the world’s oceans using the same wayfinding techniques.

The post Sun, Stars, Swells: Sailing the Globe Using Nothing but Nature appeared first on Sail Universe.

Now, more than forty years later, Great Big Story team is capturing the feeling of sailing in this very reel. It begins with the story of an adventurous young man on a voyage of a lifetime—sailing the high seas with his pet chicken Monique aka Momo.

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The fleet has been sailing for just over 12 months since starting from Antigua in January 2022. With over 20,000 nm already sailed and now around the Cape of Good Hope, the significance of leaving the Indian Ocean behind and heading back into the Atlantic will, for many, feel like the final countdown on this amazing voyage of a lifetime. “I can’t believe how quickly the time goes – it just flashes by,” says Oyster 565 Infinity owner Ross Golding.

There are now only four months of sailing and some 7,000 nm left before the fleet cross the finish line at English Harbour, Antigua and where one of the yachts in the rally will formally be recognised as the 100thOyster to circumnavigate the world. 

Prior to enjoying the Christmas break, the fleet faced one of the most memorable and challenging passages of the circumnavigation from Reunion to Durban and then onto Cape Town. Hugh Mullens, owner and skipper of Oyster 565 Akoya said this was due to the combination of more upwind sailing in strong winds and sailing against the famous Agulhas current that made it one of the most memorable legs. For Ross Golding onboard Oyster 565 Infinity, it was rounding the Cape of Good Hope in winds of 40-45 knots, hitting personal breaking-record speeds over 20 knots – “our 565 was just razor sharp” he said.

Having lived aboard now for over a year, Ross added that for him and his family Infinity was “just like home, a very comfortable home. The quality and workmanship that goes into an Oyster makes us feel almost more comfortable than in our home!” Hugh agrees: “When you have family and friends crewing with you on the way round, you need to feel incredibly safe and she’s solid as a rock. Oyster yachts are without doubt the ultimate ‘get you home’ boat.“

Fully supported by Oyster’s Rally Support team and After Sales service, the fleet will set off across to St Helena having undergone essential checks of the rig, electronics, navigation and safety systems. 

Allie Smith, Head of Oyster Group Events comments, “The support provided by Oyster on the World Rally is one of the key features of this event and a main reason why people sign up to sail around the world with us. Whether it’s our Technical Support team helping service winch and hydraulic systems, carrying out rigging checks or renewing anti-fouling and replacing anodes, or our Logistics team assisting with official formalities, admin, and concierge services, or the After Sales team bringing out specific items from the UK, we’re on hand to ensure our Oyster owners are fully supported all around the world.“

Reflecting on lessons learned so far along the circumnavigation, both Ross and Hugh agree that having a positive attitude, sense of humour and a cool head are paramount. “There undoubtedly will be problems along the way, and these will often occur at the worst times, but a sense of humour and cool head enable you to work it out,” says Ross. Hugh agrees, and says his biggest surprise was how relaxed he felt and how well he had coped with long and sometimes challenging passages.

And their advice for future entrants in the next Oyster World Rally? “Just appreciate being disconnected with the world,” says Ross. “Before we left Antigua we were worried about getting into ports due to Covid, but in the middle of the ocean, you realise that Covid doesn’t exist, that politics doesn’t exist and you just forget about the need to be connected. You can just unwind and enjoy every moment.“

The Oyster World Rally 2022-23 fleet is due to arrive into St Helena around January 23rd. Some of the yachts will choose to stop over at Ascension Island, before heading to Salvador in mainland Brazil or choosing to sail to the archipelago of 21 volcanic islands that make up Fernando de Noronha.

The post New year, new ocean: Oyster World Rally 2022-23 sets off across the Atlantic appeared first on Sail Universe.

A determined Hylas 63 owner has demonstrated just how straightforward it is to island-hop across the far north of the Atlantic Ocean. With just a few cold-water improvements made to his yacht Shaima, Alberto Duhau and an ever-changing crew took 132 days to cruise from Florida to Valencia, by way of Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland and the Faroes. 

Duhau conceived of the expedition as a homage to the Viking navigators, and he was determined to do it in a comfortable non-expedition boat. “In studying the Viking explorations, I found that it was all about sailing in fast ships and in short hops, during favourable weather windows in the height of summer,” said Duhau. “If the Vikings did it ten centuries ago, why couldn’t we do it in greater safety and comfort today?”

Built by Hylas yard Queen Long Marine in Taiwan, Hylas 63 Shaima was already a supremely comfortable 8-berth bluewater yacht, with sleek lines from the incomparable Germán Frers. Her hull was a hi-tech sandwich construction using alternating layers of Twaron and glass fibre for stiffness and strength in collision, and she had been customized for offshore work. But key cold-water improvements included building a rigid cockpit enclosure with heating, installing a heat exchanger in the watermaker intake, reinforcing the davit bases for a 15ft tender, and beefing up the rudder bearings. She was also equipped with 120m of anchor chain and long shorelines.

Once the boat was expedition-ready, Duhau drew up a detailed passage plan whose key feature was cruising southwest Greenland, particularly the 57-mile long Prince Christian Sound. This narrow fjord separates the mainland from numerous islands to the south, while glaciers calve into its deep waters from the north. In places, it is no more than 500m wide.

With impressive tankage for 2,450lt of fuel and 1,450lt of water, and several fridges well stocked with fresh food, Shaima took the US east coast in one long hop. Then she put in at several spots along the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, reveling in the sight of humpback and pilot whales. “The small coastal villages of this part of Canada start to have the flavor of Scandinavian towns that dot the landscape for the rest of the trip,” noted Duhau.

“In studying the Viking explorations, I found that it was all about sailing in fast ships and in short hops, during favourable weather windows in the height of summer. If the Vikings did it ten centuries ago, why couldn’t we do it in greater safety and comfort today?”

Alberto Duhau

They waited three days on Newfoundland for a weather window before making the 700-mile jump to Greenland’s second ‘city’ Qaqortoq. With 15-20 knot winds from the south and west, it was a good broad reach most of the way, although there were plenty of bergie bits and ice sightings to keep the crew busy. “Sometimes we could scout for icebergs from the warmth of our cockpit enclosure, but often we had to stand watch unprotected from the side deck,” said Duhau. “Our one-piece survival suits and our Arctic boots were essential.” The warmth and comfort of the boat’s luxurious interior made a welcome respite from the cold and fog.

Some 90 per cent of Greenland lies under the ice cap, with only a strip of exposed land around the coast. In anchorage after anchorage, the crew explored to their hearts’ content, taking in iceberg climbing, sea kayaking and bountiful fishing for Arctic char. Care was needed through Prince Christian Sound, where high granite cliffs on either side are punctuated by 12 calving glaciers. Nonetheless, this was a highlight of the trip.

It was a much simpler crossing to Iceland across 660 miles of mostly ice-free sea. The passage took just four days, and the island is much better supplied with marinas and tourist facilities. Duhau had planned to cruise the wilder north-about route, but changed plans in order to make up lost time. “Reykjavik is welcoming, culturally vibrant and fun,” he said. “We spent 10 days there and never ran out of things to do.”

The cruise down to the Faroe Islands felt like downhill by comparison, although the islands themselves are beautiful, empty and wild. One can explore by sea readily enough, but it is quicker to do so by land, because the main islands are connected by tunnels.

Hylas 63 Shaima made a fast passage to Inverness, where she picked up the Caledonian Canal to traverse Scotland. Duhau enthused about “climbing up and down dozens of sea locks, sailing across the legendary loch Ness and reaching lovely Oban on the third day.” Tobermory and Islay came next, where the crew visited no fewer than six distilleries, reaping the inevitable reward the next morning. Highlights after that were Belfast, Dublin and then the Spanish rias, where the tempo began to rise as they hopped south and into the Mediterranean. 

Looking back on his adventure, Duhau noted that they had not spent more than six days in a row at sea – a far cry from the two to three weeks required for the direct route. “The route up North is just so isolated, so pristine, it touches your heart. You do not need an expedition boat to do this, just a seaworthy ocean vessel and a competent crew,” he added. “Island hopping across the Atlantic is a very feasible project.”

The post The 132-day Expedition of The Hylas 63 Shaima In The Wake of the Vikings appeared first on Sail Universe.

In this episode, we continue on our journey north toward Thailand. After getting smoked by a massive squall the day before, we pick up anchor and head back out to sea. Once again the sky is dark and the wind is up. Being a little more tentative this time, we lean on the side of caution and try our best to dodge the bad weather…

Watch Sailing Nandi’s previous episode

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Watch Sailing Nandi’s previous episode

The post Sailing Nandji Ep 288 – GETTING SMASHED by a STORM! Losing our Steering at SEA! appeared first on Sail Universe.