Ocean sailor frozen for 7 months in Arctic Siberia
Jun 14, 2004 13: 09 EST
Dutchman Henk de Velde has been roaming the world's oceans for over two years now aboard The Campina. His goal: “The Impossible Journey” - a sail around the world via the "impossible" Northern Seaway along the North East Passage above and along Siberia, Alaska, then South to Cape Horn and Antarctica before returning home to the Netherlands.
Well, be carefull what you ask for; Henk's impossible journey is turning into just that: impossible.
Henk's journey began in June 2001 and if it comes to the end he envisions, Henk will have traveled 30,000 miles rounding both poles on the epic cirucmnavigation.
Since December, however, the Campina has been encased in the ice of the Arctic Sea near Tiksi, Russia. Being blasted by the full effects of the Siberian winter, the ship and her skipper face gale force winds and sub-zero temperatures reaching –50º C. That's seven months frozen in a block of ice. Good news may be on its way though.
From his last dispatch on June 11th, Henk reports that the waters edge is getting closer to his boat and the weather is warming up.
Mike Horn, another Arctic circumnavigator remarked that the weather up there in Siberia was warming up as well. Mike bumped into Henk back in May while traversing on skis; "Surprisingly for the inhabitants of Tiksi, we were not the only foreigners in town. Henk de Velde, sailed into the port on a 17 meter steel reinforced sailboat, called Campina and has wintered his boat at this small village since December."
The ice still has a ways to melt, as evidenced by a tanker truck that recently delivered 600 liters of feul to the Campina.
Henk de Vekde has previously sailed around the world four times, three times non-stop and solo. The first trip lasted between 1978 and 1985… so Henk is known to take his time when out exploring. The reason for traveling like this is to experience new things and enjoy life to the fullest. No Henk is on "The Impossible Journey" - a sail around the world via the "impossible" Northern seaway along the North East Passage above and along Siberia, Alaska, then South to Cape Horn and Antarctica before returning home to the Netherlands.
Image of the Campina courtesy of Henk de Velde.
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