29 Mar, 12:59

Konyukhov's voyage in rowing boat across two oceans ends due to technical failures

The traveler was going to get from South America to Australia, covering a distance of 18,000 kilometers in 200 days

MOSCOW, March 29. /TASS/. Due to numerous failures of the control and life-support systems of his rowing boat, traveler Fyodor Konyukhov decided to end the crossing from South America to Australia on the 114th day of the voyage, the expedition headquarters reported on its Telegram channel.

"At the moment, the boat's key control and life support systems have failed. <...> After assessing all the damage and malfunctions on board the rowing boat, the team suggested to Fyodor Konyukhov to finish the crossing for technical reasons and be evacuated on board a passing ship. <...> On March 30-31, favorable weather conditions will be established in the area where the Akros boat is located," the statement said.

"Fyodor confirmed yesterday that a new malfunction has been added to the current ones: the autopilot control unit has completely failed. This means that in the conditions of future storms, the boat will not be able to stay on the set course, it will inevitably be on the side of the wave, which will lead to new overturns and critical damage," the headquarters pointed out.

About expedition

The traveler was going to get from South America to Australia, covering a distance of 18,000 kilometers in 200 days. The passage to Australia became the second stage of the round-the-world route in the Southern Ocean, the first part of which Konyukhov overcame in 2018-2019. He then sailed 11,000 kilometers in 153 days.

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