Sailing solo across the Atlantic

We’ve featured some truly great stories in our Sailing Stories series but we’re always eager to discover other inspiring or fun narratives. This week’s Sailing Story is definitely not an exception. Meet Axel Busch and his dream: sailing solo across the Atlantic.

Source: Axel Busch

The introduction to this video clip immediately intrigues the viewer: “Your dreams inspire you and give you strength. But you will never know if you are strong enough to live your dreams. Unless you try.” True to his words, Axel set sail from Gran Canaria in February 2011 with the aim of reaching the Caribbean island country of Sint Maarten on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

The trip has been documented in its entirety and so we get a glimpse of what it truly means to depend only on your strengths in such an exceptional scenario. The video clip gives the viewer an overview of the different aspects of life at sea: there are those glorious days when the sun is shining and there are dolphins swimming only a few metres away from your boat, there are those mundane moments where you have to give yourself a haircut or cook your dinner, and there are also those not-so-great moments when something brings down or it’s raining torrentially. It’s particularly interesting to hear Axel speak directly to the camera and share his thoughts about the journey. It must be said that we particularly like the part where he explains that it takes longer to cook on a boat…simply because everything keeps rolling away!

Axel completed his Atlantic journey in a little over 21 days and closes off the video clip with a heart-warming dedication to his parents where he thanks them for their endless love but also thanks them for instilling him with curiosity, passion, and confidence. Certainly, great qualities for a sailor to have.