3 times across the Atlantic by kayak

Philip.AK · Jul 11, 2021

This was a good listen. It recounts the 3 times the Pole Aleksander Doba crossed the Atlantic Ocean solo and [mostly] unassisted and tries to explain his motivations.

NYTimes podcasts The Daily

SWriverstone · Jul 15, 2021

Great podcast! Thanks for sharing. Hard to imagine that amount of paddling. Of course, I've always felt it's a bit of a stretch to call the "vessel" he paddled a "kayak," but it was still under human power, so still impressive!

I'm interested in learning more about the longest/most perilous ocean crossings ever made by people in "normal" sea kayaks. Just because I don't know what is considered the upper limit of long-distance, open water travel in a normal sea kayak? (As opposed to coastal paddling, where I'm assuming people have paddled thousands of miles.)

Scott

CPS · Jul 15, 2021

SWriverstone, look up Ed Gilett's trip to Hawaii. Pretty much the limit, I'd say.

JohnAbercrombie · Jul 15, 2021

Yup, Ed Gillet for open water crossing in a standard kayak, and Freya Hoffmeister for coastal travel would be the exemplars IMHO of course

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cougarmeat · Jul 19, 2021

Ed did it without GPS and no “support” crew to set up camp and cook meals. I’m not impressed with just paddling long miles. The skill/challenge is in handling your own logistics without some truck/van following along on shore to meet you at the next camp site.

JKA · Jul 19, 2021

SWriverstone said:
I'm interested in learning more about the longest/most perilous ocean crossings ever made by people in "normal" sea kayaks.

If by 'most perilous' you mean died doing it, Australian Andrew McCauley almost made the crossing from Australia to New Zealand in 2007. Tragic, and quite harrowing at the time.