Photo. Sunset on the ocean. Jan Moller on his way all the
way around our planet (photo from his website www.3minnovation.dk). But it was
not without big challenges.
The first Dane
and Scandinavian to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world in a
sailboat became Jan Moller (Jan Møller). After near six months he finally sat
his foot on shore in the Danish capital Copenhagen (Monday
15 March
2004).
We in Travel Explorations became
incredible impressed by Jan Moller, and wondered how he made it. We asked him
directly: What was your biggest challenge? What is the
legendary and fearful Cape
Horn?
Told by Jan Moller to
Travel Explorations, 21 March
2004:
My biggest
challenge was, as you suggest, the Cape Horn Region. Imagine that the boat (and
skipper) is fatigued by months of sailing in a very hostile environment. The
'wheels has been coming off' for quite a long time, and I was struggling to keep
the boat in repair and sailing to her capabilities.
The list of
serious damages was long, starting with the main port shroud parting on the way
down the South
Atlantic, then I hit a whale with the bottom
of the keel and thereby weakened the whole structure.
South of
Australia the track which the mainsail rides up and down the mast sheared from
the mast 13 meters above deck level, and I had to endure a fierce storm with way
too much sail on - quick sailing but in no way safe...
|
Photo (from Moller`s website www.3minnovation.dk
).
Moller rests on the boat on a quite day.
On his
own, Moller, sailed a distance over 30.000 Nm, during the journey
(equivalent to ca. 50.000 kilometres!) without anchoring or docking, but
not without challenges. |
 |
Electric
fire
For Christmas I
had an electrical fire on board, shortly afterwards the boat hit some flotsam
and damaged one of the centreboards heavily. Finally the keel system (weakened
from the whale collision) broke shortly before the 'Horn'. I managed to repair,
contain and continue with these damages but they put tremendous stress on the
boat and me.
| Photo. The door to the secret room
on Moller`s boat. It`s the symbol on the label a Danish pirate?
(photo from Moller`s website www.3minnovation.dk).
|
 |
"The ultimate
storm"
In this weakened
state we met 'the ultimate storm', two weather
systems had joined forces, we were at 55 degrees South - quite close to
Antarctica, and the gale winds suddenly increased to a degree that the 12-14
meter waves actually became smaller for a time, the air was filled with white
foam - the wind must have been close to hurricane force.
I was struggling
to hang on... I only had a very small (5 sqm) storm jib up (normal sail area is
approx. 200 sqm) and the boat was ripping thru the water with over 20 knots, I
saw 21,6 knots on the GPS... and then the boat capsized!
Luckily there
was no big damage apart from my Danish flag and my toilet (a bucket). It was
some very fearful hours nursing a damaged boat through those horrible conditions
- with the knowledge that this part of the Southern Ocean is under the
responsibility of the Chilean Navy - who are known to be very slow in responding
to any emergency calls...
Fortunately the weather
improved as rapidly as it came - so the next morning was glorious with rays of
sunshine that glitters through the huge wave tops and I rounded
Cape Horn 4 days later without problems.
Photos (from
his website www.3minnovation.dk). Jan Moller
keep up the good work on the ocean with a great optimistic smile.
From Jan Moller`s dramatic stories we can
understand that he really had some big challenges. With strong will and great
sailing capabilities he overcome the challenges. We guess that his wife and two
children were very worried sometimes when he reported home about the dramatic
incidents. Hopefully he can now look forward to take a long rest and enjoy his
life together with his family - on safe ground!
But after the rest, we wonder
about, what will be his next sailing challenge, or does he has something else
in mind quite different from sailing?
Stein Morten
Lund, 22 March
2004
Additional information
Danish "dynamite" is well known in international
football (soccer). From Moller`s sailing tour we know that the Danish also
have great guts and strong abilities in sailing too. For more information
about Moller`s incredible sailing expedition (articles, photos and videos),
click on the link: www.3minnovation.dk
E-mail this
Print this
