Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Dynamic 40 Leaderboard

Szymon Kuczynski crosses the equator for the second time on Atlantic Puffin

by Zew Oceanu 6 Apr 2018 06:13 PDT
Szymon Kuczynski sailing around the world on the yacht Atlantic Puffin © Szymon Kuczynski

Szymon Kuczynski while sailing around the world for the second time on the yacht Atlantic Puffin has again crossed the equator and returned to the northern hemisphere. He has been sailing on the small Maxus 22 of the Northman shipyard for 230 days now and having completed 85% of the journey, he is well on his way to the finishing line.

Since February, the yacht has been sailing with reduced sail area because of the mast being weakened by a dent that occurred during a sudden listing near Cape Horn. Despite implementing additional tension to the mast, Szymon tried not to overload it - using mainly forward sails and a reefed main. By the end of February, he left the Southern Ocean and sailed near the coasts of South America where he had calmer seas and could do the necessary repairs. He corrected the spreaders, the navigational light, and the AIS antenna on top. Furthermore, the tropical temperatures allowed him to laminate an overlay which he riveted to the weakened section of the mast.

Sailing near the continent unfortunately caused him to cover less ground. For three weeks Szymon complained about light, changing winds and foul tide, which made him slow down even more. The middle of March was the worst time of the whole journey – in one week the Atlantic Puffin had made only 320nm. The slow progress negatively affected the sailor's morale. In order to use every occasion to improve his speed, Szymon changed the sails 7-8 times per day, which had proved to be even more difficult because of the additional tension stays applied to the mast and the lowering of the boom. Moreover Szymon particularly dislikes high temperatures. The Maxus 22 has a hermetic cabin with one big companionway. The only other entry point is an emergency hatch placed on the waterline, so it cannot be opened while sailing. This means there was no way to make air circulate inside and the temperatures got really high.

Fortunately these difficult weeks eventually came to an end. From the 22nd of March the Maxus 22 is sailing with the trade wind at a speed of over 4 knots. The distance he covers gets better every day. The yacht steers itself - it can easily be adjusted to do so in every course. The hydraulic autopilot is not being used as it requires a lot of power. Power is a problem at the moment because the large solar panel hasn't been working for a few months now, electricity is provided by two backup smaller panels. The other electrical autopilot ceased to work after a few months of sailing. There is a self-steering device on board in case it would have been needed, so far however there has been no need for it.

As Szymon wrote in his summary of the 32nd week: "This gives a ray of hope to better the time of Alessandro di Benedetto. In 2010 he circumnavigated the Globe in a modified Mini 650 in 268 days. He broke his mast at Cape Horn and finished with it damaged. Until now our stories have been very similar. I've given myself a finishing deadline at the breakwater of Plymouth on 14 May 2000 UTC. This will be exactly 268 days of my cruise. Until then the race is on!"

Call of the Ocean is an around-the-world cruise by Szymon Kuczynski in the yacht Maxus 22, 6,36m long (20ft 10,4in). The sailor departed on the 19 of August 2018 from Plymouth with the intent of a non-stop circumnavigation. At this moment he has already passed the three capes and is left with around 4000nm to the finish line. The yacht was built and adapted for the cruise in the Northman shipyard. Call of the Ocean is Szymon's second circumnavigation. In 2016 he finished the Maxus Solo Around, using the same yacht, going through the Panama Canal, and being able to enter ports.

Pictures from the deck are available in the gallery, photos.app.goo.gl/iMO5DfXcCkfWzPTt2. The voyage can be tracked by means of a mobile application for iOS & Android: "Zew Oceanu".

Project Call of the Ocean was possible thanks to generous help of the lead partner – the Northmann Shipyard as well as thanks to many generous polish and foreign companies and brands: Eljacht. OceanTeam Sailing School, Selden, Marineworks, Sail Service, TBS, Crewsaver, Ronstan, Ahoj, Kompas, Morka.pl, Zielone Pojecie, This1, AppYourself, Dzik Podlogi, Sailing School Gertis, Jacht Klub Kamien Pomorski. Szymon Kuczynski is an ambassador of Marina Kamien Pomorski.

Find out more at www.zewoceanu.pl or track online at share.garmin.com/atlanticpuffin

Related Articles

McIntyre Mini Globe Race fleet battles Pacific
In historic 4,300-mile test of endurance Solo Sailors Face Doldrums, Equipment Failures and Avian Invaders in Unprecedented Small Boat Challenge - week five of leg 2 Posted today at 7:34 pm
Don't Risk Your Keys on the Water!
Keep them safe and dry in a Vaikobi Car Key Lock Box Don't risk taking your keys on the water... keep them safe and dry in a Vaikobi Car Key Lock Box. Posted today at 6:30 pm
21st Sandberg PalmaVela kicks off tomorrow
With the spectacle of the Maxis in Palma Over one hundred teams representing 19 nationalities will gather in the Bay of Palma for the first major multi-class event of the season: the 21st Sandberg PalmaVela. The impressive Maxis will be the first to take the stage. Posted today at 4:28 pm
52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Cup Day 1
Light winds prove insufficient to start racing Although the 11 boat fleet went afloat until mid-afternoon, crews filled with hope and anticipation, the wind refused to build enough for racing to take place on the first day of the new 52 SUPER SERIES season at the 52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Cup. Posted today at 4:22 pm
Transat Paprec Day 11
The Battle of the Leaders Now past the halfway point and sailing through the heart of the Atlantic, the competitors in the Transat Paprec are still locked in an intense battle. A windless zone expected later this week is drawing everyone's attention and forcing tough decisions. Posted today at 3:35 pm
International 5o5 Euro Cup Leg 1 at Saint Raphael
Sailors from seven countries descended on the South of France 505's from seven countries descended on St Raphael in the South of France for event 1 of the 505 2025 Euro Cup circuit. Many boats arrived early to knock off the winter rust and enjoy the warmer weather and good food the area has to offer. Posted today at 10:42 am
Pip Hare joins Canada Ocean Racing
Sailing alongside Canadian skipper Scott Shawyer for The Ocean Race Europe Canada Ocean Racing is excited to announce that British offshore sailor Pip Hare will join their Be Water Positive campaign for the 2025 edition of The Ocean Race Europe. Posted today at 4:01 am
Antigua Race Week Day 3
Superb racing delivered Sailors ranging from newcomers to veterans of multiple America's Cup campaigns enjoyed Caribbean sailing at its best in today's racing at Antigua Sailing Week, with lots of sun and moderate tradewinds of 10-12 knots. Posted today at 2:23 am
Saint-Tropez set 52 SUPER SERIES season opener
Crioula and Vayu won today's short, sharp warm-up practice races In a light breeze which reached 10kts at the most - a foretaste of what is forecast for the coming days on the Gulf of Saint-Tropez - Crioula and Vayu won today's short, sharp warm-up practice races. Posted on 29 Apr
La Larga comes to a close
With the prize-giving ceremony at the RCNP The Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) held the prize-giving ceremony for La Larga this Tuesday, 29 April, at 19h00. Posted on 29 Apr
Palm Beach Motor YachtsAllen Dynamic 40 FooterMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOM