From Portugal, Michael paddled 1,200 kilometres across the Atlantic Ocean. It took him just under 14 days to cover this distance on the open sea until, about 15 kilometres off the Canary Island of Fuerteventura, he collided with an unidentified object. It was around 9 p.m. the 1st of October when Michael was lying in his cabin and was awakened by a loud bang. The board immediately turned sharply on its side and the paddler was thrown through his boat. A short time later, the board righted itself and Michael was able to leave his cabin. He immediately noticed several damages. In addition to a hole in the cabin overhang, the entire position lamp and its mounting were missing, and the AIS antenna had been broken off.

He managed to reach the port of Puerto del Rosario without assistance only by himself within five hours. The full extent of the collision became apparent the next day, so Michael had to decide to abandon his trip. He is currently back in Kiel and the board is on its way back in a container. Further news on this and other topics can of course be found here or on our social media channels.

In a few days, the Gebrüder Weiss company will transport the offshore board and Michael to Portugal. From Largos, Michael will hopefully be able to set off across the Atlantic around September 19. Hopefully, because of course the wind and weather conditions also have some influence. A strong, steady northerly wind would be just perfect for the first of the 6000 km. The board is perfectly prepared, Michael is too, and you can now follow his journey live here on the website. Of course, you can always find more news and information on our social media channels.

In addition to communicating ocean and climate protection issues, we are of course always keen to support science directly. We are therefore delighted that Michael's tour across the Atlantic will also contribute directly to a better understanding of our oceans and their inhabitants. In close cooperation with the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, the paddler will collect acoustic data with a hydrophone during his journey. This will help scientists better understand how marine animals communicate with each other and how they're affected by shipping and other factors. This is particularly important because sound spreads about four times faster and much further underwater than on land. Especially during paddling breaks when sleeping and eating, the board floats almost silently in the Atlanic Ocean. We want to use these moments to generate data.