Sailor Crosses Atlantic Ocean Using Only Sun and Wind
A Portuguese man has crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a small boat powered only by the sun and wind. He used kites to move the boat and solar power to use lights and equipment on the boat.
Francisco Lufinha arrived on the island of Martinique on Dec. 20. He hopes his trip will earn him a place in the Guinness World record for the Fastest Solo Atlantic Crossing by Kite Boat. He also hopes his trip will help people understand the need to protect the oceans.
4,000-Mile Journey
The kite-powered boat reached top speeds of over 18.5 mph (30 kilometers per hour). Lufinha traveled 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) in 25 days. The 38-year-old set out from Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal on Nov. 3 and arrived on the Caribbean Island of Martinique on Dec. 20.
Lufinha was not at sea for all that time, however. He made a planned stop at the Canary Islands on Nov. 8. He had to stay longer than planned because of strong winds. He remained there until Nov. 30.
Lufinha made the crossing completely alone in a 23' (7.01 m) trimaran with an 18.3' (5.58 m) beam. This kind of boat has three long, thin hulls, with a small room for sleeping and shelter.
Making Fresh Water
Lufinha used a hand pump to produce water for drinking and cooking.
“To produce water, I need to use this water maker,” he said. “I have two of these, which I can pump and every hour I can make around 4 liters of water.”
The water pump has a special filter to remove salt from the sea water. Lufinha used the water to add to dried food he carried with him on the boat.
A ‘Learning Experience’
Lufinha called his trip a big learning experience after logging nearly 4,000 miles and 25 days on the water.
“It was a big test of my resilience. I learned a lot. I learned most of all to look at my problems relatively,” Lufinha said. “I had so many problems all of the time, kites getting torn, kites exploding and the only way to not suffer was to think, 'it could be worse.’”
Mentally Tough Journey
Supporters followed Lufinha’s trip on his Facebook page. The main sponsor that supported him during his trip was the energy company EDP.
Lufinha said his way of thinking during the difficult crossing helped him. “To get through it hour by hour, day by day, week by week until I got here to the Caribbean and finished this EDP Atlantic Mission,” he said.