Entries by carmen

Craft Design 2.3 or is it 10.2? (But this is THE ONE!)

Procrastination It literally feels like yesterday when Smile FM Radio announced live on 13 May 2019 that I was going to kayak solo and unassisted across the Atlantic Ocean. Much has happened since then, but this story is to pick up on the latest update around the actual design of the OCEAN X KAYAK. Fast […]

Jet Boil Review: Cooking at sea

All my cooking will be done with boiling water. I will have no need to fry, bake or the likes. Jetboil stoves are brilliant. The Jetboil is far and away the best system I’ve used. Fast, compact and efficient. I will take a number of spare lighters, because the ignition unit is a major weak […]

Grampa hands, gunwale bum and slow roasting

My body and mind are going to be pushed to the extreme during crossing my from Cape Town to Salvador in Brazil, and one aspect that people don’t realise is the constant exposure that my skin has to deal with. Skin problems like buttock irritation, hand scaling and sunburn are the most common issues that […]

Safety at sea

Navigating my way across the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Town to Salvador in Brazil is no mean feat, and in order to achieve my heady task I will need a few gadgets and safety essentials to ensure my Ocean X journey goes according to plan. Here is some of the safety items I will need […]

Highbury Media onboard as official media partner to Ocean X

Behind every great adventure is a team of people who help to bring the adventure alive. I am extremely lucky to have some great people and corporates supporting my dream. Treble Group is a sports marketing and event management agency who are playing an enormous part in managing the project, from securing the much needed […]

Solar Power = Water = Life

My unique ocean-crossing kayak needs an electrical source to power its numerous electronics required for me to achieve this heady task awaiting me. The biggest consumer of electricity, which is the most important aspect of my journey, is the water maker. Electricity can be generated using solar panels or wind generators. In my case: Solar […]

Weather, winds and route to Brazil

The mammoth challenge that awaits me as I mentally prepare for my Ocean X odyssey offers a rather simple, yet complex question: when is the best weather and correct time to kayak across the Southern Atlantic? It would be virtually impossible to kayak across an ocean if the elements are not in your favour and […]

Hand Surgery

Finally went for the upgrade of my left hand.?️ The hand surgery was a dupuytren contracture fasciectomy. Basically the tendon gradually gets pulled over time and the finger/s start to curl. It was still in an early stage for me but far enough that I could not put my palm down flat. Most importantly the […]