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Russian adventurer Konyukhov fights mother nature on epic journey, boat flips 20 times

Following the end of the storm, the 73-year-old traveler will be able to inspect the boat and assess the damage

MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. Famous Russian adventurer Fyodor Konyukhov’s rowboat has been battered by a storm in the South Atlantic, flipping over more than 20 times and sustaining damage.

Konyukhov, who has set a goal of going from South America to Australia via the Atlantic and Indian oceans in 200 days, has had to fight mother nature the whole way, most recently reporting encountering eight-meter high waves, according to the Telegram channel of the expedition’s headquarters.

"I am alive, the boat has held out. The waves are big and destructive. I cannot yet go out on the deck to inspect the damage. Over the past 24 hours, the boat rolled over about 15 times sideways and eight times over the bow. I’ve seen a lot, but when the boat remains overturned for several seconds before another wave hits, it’s scary. The waves are relentless, but I think the ocean is beginning to calm," Konyukhov texted via a satellite terminal, as quoted by the headquarters.

Following the end of the storm, the 73-year-old traveler will be able to inspect the boat and assess the damage. Then a decision will be made on the further fate of his round-the-globe journey. Konyukhov has reported that a wind indicator has been torn off and he can no longer determine the wind direction. He has a spare in the forward hold but cannot get to it at this point.

About expedition

As Konyukhov said earlier, he set out to cover the distance of 18,000 kilometers in 200 days. In order to accomplish this, he has to row 15 hours a day. The solo rowboat journey began at a point near 56 degrees south latitude. The passage to Australia will be the second phase of his circumnavigation across the Southern Ocean. Stage one took place in 2018-2019, when Konyukhov covered a distance of 11,000 kilometers in 153 days. On his current voyage, he is using the same boat as he did during his previous expedition, the Akros, which has been modernized.

The boat is nine meters long and weighs 400 kilograms when empty. The Akros is equipped with watertight compartments for storing food and equipment as well as for resting. It is built to endure storms and is robust enough to weather days of being hammered with waves and flipping over. Supplies onboard include 100 kilograms of freeze-dried food, allowing the weary traveler to eat 5,000 calories per day. The boat is outfitted with manual and automatic water desalination devices, satellite communications and solar panels.