Fedor Konyukhov is rowing around around the world

December 7, 20183min read

Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov has started a new circumnavigation. In the path of the new Zealand port of Dunedin in the direction of Cape horn , he went on a nine-meter rowboat “AKROS”.

The length of the route — 16 thousand nautical miles. The journey is divided into three stages, which will take approximately 120 days. Each of them will take place from November–December to February.

The first stage is the transition from New Zealand to Cape horn, the second (from December 2019) — from Cape horn to Australia (Cape Luin, Albany), third (December 2020) — from Australia to New Zealand. For advancement. you can view the tracker on his personal website.

“I had a plan to go into the ocean in mid-November, but it all went in a natural way — the launch site must pay at least a month. So it was in Chile, when we were waiting for the right window to access the ocean for more than a month; so it was in Australia when we had an extensive anticyclone and calm weather to fill the shell of the balloon “MORTON”; when climbing Everest requires a minimum of a month to acclimatize, it was not this time without the long wait for weather Windows” — shared grooms thoughts on your website.

He also expressed the hope that may be able to cross with members of the race of the Golden Globe Race.

Konyukhov need to hurry: the perfect weather conditions will continue for just a couple of days and at the weekend he was once again faced with the oncoming East wind. During this time, he needs time to away from the coast.

“Bay, which we are, has a very strong tidal current, and need to go only with the outgoing water with the tide. The first night of Thursday to Friday will be difficult, the boat is near the shore, fishing vessels, passenger liners — it all adds stress for Fedora. Farther into the ocean, the calmer”, — TASS quoted the Oscar Konyukhov, one of the organizers of the expedition.

The boat “AKROS” for the project was developed by the British designer Phil Morrison (Phil Morrison). He has repeatedly collaborated with Konyukhov: that Morrison was the author of a rowing boat “URALAZ”, which the traveler in 2002 for a record 46 days crossed the Atlantic, and the boat “TURGOYAK”, which he in 2014 for 160 days went from Chile to Australia. New “AKROS” is the same “TURGOYAK”, only modified with the features of the southern ocean.
The construction of the boat engaged the British company Rannoch Adventure.

In the bow of the boat located the crash-box and two waterproof compartment in which to store a year’s supply of products and special equipment (during the journey of the grooms is going to conduct a few experiments). The cockpit was reduced as much as possible — this reduces the risk that the paddler to be thrown overboard by a wave.

But aft compartment has increased by as much as two feet. There are three watertight bulkheads: the closer to the center of the boat to the right navigation cockpit, to the left is the galley and on the aft compartment for the rest. The steering device is separated by another bulkhead.

Professionals Rannoch Adventure to one of the systems in the cabin to relax and the bed. It will be possible to include a timer for one hour to pre-position the compartment to sleep.

Energy including for this system Fedor Konyukhov will be able to obtain from three independent sources. First, from highly efficient flexible solar modules (efficiency greater than 22%). According to information on the website of the traveler, such as the batteries are installed on the aircraft “Albatross”, which will make a circumnavigation flight in December 2020.

Secondly, the “AKROS” has two wind generator Rutland 504. Constantly will only work one of them, the second is provided only as a backup.

Thirdly, on the boat placed the EFOY power plant, which uses the cartridge with methanol. As a result of chemical reaction products are only carbon dioxide and water in the cartridge generates free electrons that is produced by an electric current.