Hmmm. Sounds like the kind of statement that will prompt someone to try



In 1955, and then again in 1956, Hannes Lindemann made voyages across the Atlantic in much smaller craft. The first time, in a dugout canoe, and the second time, in a folding kayak that had been specially rigged with a sail and outrigger. Mr. Lindemann wrote a very interesting book, called "Alone at Sea". I think the book is hard to find these days (including the copy I have stashed away somewhere in my attic), but I've included an excerpt from a review I found on the web:


[color:"green"]Alone at Sea, first published in 1958, is a description of two voyages across the Atlantic undertaken by Dr. Hannes Lindemann (when he was 33 and 34) in l955 and 1956. On his first voyage he used an African dugout canoe and on his second, a folding kayak. Without the benefits of modern materials and equipment Hannes endured severe conditions at sea over a prolonged period. Being a medical doctor he was keen to learn how his body and mind would react so that he could advise others how to survive at sea.

His knowledge of the sea had been gained through sailing and he had previously undertaken many single-handed voyages in small sailing craft and folding kayaks. For sea kayakers, the most significant differences between Hannes folding kayak and our sea kayaks are that he used sail to catch the trade winds which propelled him across the Atlantic and he used an outrigger for stability. Although he carried paddles he rarely used them.

During his first Atlantic crossing he experimented with fluids, diluting specific quantities of salt water to observe the effect of consuming controlled quantities of salt water. It was unsuccessful. He coped with intense sun and of course, storms. During his worst moments he sang songs from his childhood but he says that he never felt lonely. He made friends of the various fish and birds which he met along the way. Despite his obvious determination, he experienced fear and despair. After a bad storm and little sleep for many days he wanted to give up but the tanker he hailed did not see him and passed on. He found that wine relaxed him and sleep helped his spirit recover and he sailed on. At the end of his first voyage his greatest regret was that he had allowed fear to take hold and had, at that moment, given up.

Therefore in the six months Hannes spent preparing for his second voyage, he practised relaxation techniques, he prayed and he repeated phrases like "I'll make it" to himself in an effort to anchor auto-suggestions deep in his subconscious. These auto-suggestions were later to save his life. He documents his second voyage in diary form so the reader can follow the daily unfolding of Hannes experiences at sea.

For hygiene purposes he swims and dries his clothes on the mast, weather permitting. He supplements his food supplies with fish he catches, drinking their blood and spinal fluid. He drinks milk and beer to raise his energy levels. He doesn't dream of women (he says starving men don't) but of pastry topped with mountains of whipped cream. He collects rainwater from his sails and is never thirsty. He observes a small dolphin being hunted by larger of its kind. He marvels at Mediterranean Shearwaters and Madeira petrels which he says enjoyed bad weather while he had difficulty sleeping during storms.

Incredible though it is, he does manage to take short ten minute naps during storms, which he believes are crucial to his survival. Lack of sleep on his first voyage had caused him to hallucinate and throw vital possessions overboard. His mental preparation helped to ensure that although he did hallucinate (he chatted to his spray deck which answered back), he did not throw possessions away. He did lose food and equipment when he capsized and clung to the hull of his upturned kayak for nine storm filled hours while he drifted in and out of consciousness awaiting daybreak to attempt to right his kayak.

He concluded that his body adapted to the hardships of the voyage more easily than his mind and the key to survival at sea is the confidence gained from the knowledge that the chances of survival are high if you stay with your boat. He says that the autogenic training programme he employed later inspired cosmonauts and astronauts and that the knowledge he gained was later utilised by the World Health Organisation.[/color]