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Friday the 13th rendezvous for Fedor and Fontes?
May 9, 2005 17: 13 EST
The two circumnavigators couldn’t have hoped for a more appropriate target date to meet in the middle of the Pacific: Friday the 13th. Fedor’s boat (Aliye Parusa) and Fontes’ vessel (Imigrante) are only 1250 miles from each other. The average distance traveled between the two boats is 250 miles. That means they’ll probably meet somewhere near the equator in four to five days.
Not easy, even with satellite positioning
Captain Phil, of the “Amazon Queen,” has been coordinating the rendezvous effort. But Cpt. Phil knows it’s a big ocean, and he acknowledges “This is not going to be as easy as it may seem even with satellite positioning.” Just to give you an idea of how deserted the open ocean is, Fedor said he hasn’t seen any sail boats since he left Falmouth in 2004.
But, if weather, wind, and sea cooperate, the two solo mariners might have a chance to catch a glimpse of each other, if only for an instant.
Fedor Konyukhov 53, gets the all around, all-star Explorers badge. Let's go through his expedition list: An unsupported South Pole ski, supported North Pole crossing (three NP trips all together), crossed the Atlantic 12 times (once in a rowboat!), climbed Everest and the rest of the seven summits, three circumnavigations of the world in a sailboat (once against the prevailing winds and once in a solo race around the world), traveled from Vladivostok to St Petersburg by bike, an Iditarod, and rode the Great Silk Path on a camel. Fedor is also an artist and paints his expeditions. On November 24, 2004, Fedor started his round the world single-handed non-stop sail. He headed west to the Atlantic Ocean on a 85 ft Open maxi boat from Falmouth Bay (Cornwall, England). The trip will take around 120 days.
Captain Phil lives onboard his Amazon Queen, down deep in the rain forests of Amazon jungles. He transmits his images over amateur radio.
Joe Fontes completed a double circumnavigation around the world about a year ago. He is now on his return to California by way of Brazil. Joe was born in the Azores, a group of islands that lies over 1,000 miles west of Portugal. He immigrated to USA with his family when he was 10. As he landed on the American shores, he earned his living as a tuna boat fisherman off the coast of San Diego, but never gave up the sea, nor his dream of one day sailing into port in the Azores - and home. Joe Fontes took off from Half Moon Bay in June of 2000 and October 25 2003, he returned to the Azores with Fiel the cat, on his 34-foot sail boat, the Imigrante. Currently, Joe coming back home to US, running south from Cape Verde to the tip of South America, then cutting over to Forteleza Brazil.
Image courtesy of www.konyukhov.ru.
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| Fedor - less than a week to go! Jun 3, 2005 | | Saito San - closing in on home and record! Jun 2, 2005 | | Atlantic Four: And they are off! Jun 1, 2005 | | Ollie - is anybody out there? May 31, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week in Review May 30, 2005 | | And they are off! May 27, 2005 | | Ellen gives transatlantic record a second battle May 27, 2005 | | Vagabond update - Polar bears, 200 candles and ice melting in Inglefieldbukta May 26, 2005 | | ExWeb interview - Atlantic Four: "It was all about persuading our wives" May 25, 2005 | | Iridium: "Invalid battery - matches found, 0" May 24, 2005 |
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