Collision in the Atlantic
Extreme sportsman and climate activist Michael Walther suffers a setback on his daring Atlantic crossing on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP). On Thursday night, his offshore SUP collided with an unknown object off the coast of Fuerteventura. The custom-made board was badly damaged and Walther was forced to head for the nearest port.
The incident on the high seas
After around 1,000 of the planned 6,000 kilometers from Lagos (Portugal) to French Guiana, the mission initially seemed to be going according to plan. However, an unforeseen incident occurred in the middle of the night:
“I had just laid down to get a good night’s sleep and then it banged once or twice. I flew through the bunk and the boat turned completely on its side,” Walther told his followers on Instagram.
The collision damaged several safety-relevant elements, including the position light, the AIS (Automatic Identification System) antenna and the cabin of his offshore SUP, which was only six meters long. On the morning of October 2, Walther finally reached the port of Puerto del Rosario on Fuerteventura, where the board is now being checked for structural damage.
Luck in misfortune
Despite the violent impact, Walther was uninjured. “The board must have got caught somewhere. I now have a huge hole in the cabin and no idea where it came from,” says the 46-year-old with relief. For the experienced extreme sportsman, the stop unfortunately means the end of his tour. As he announced on Instagram, the damage is too extensive to ensure a safe onward journey.
Possible causes of the damage
The exact cause of the collision is still unclear. We at Stand Up Magazine can only speculate, but the forces involved must have been considerable. Looking at the hole and the damage, it looks as if the impact was from stern to bow.
The force with which the impact occurred must also have happened at a certain speed. Even more mysterious is the fact that the damage is at the highest point of the boat and not underwater. Most collisions occur on the underwater hull and not on deck. We will probably never find out exactly what threw the boat sideways and then caused this damage.
Possible objects in the water:
- Flotsam or logs: Michael was close to land and flotsam could have been a factor.
- Collision with a container: Hundreds of containers are lost on the world’s oceans every year. These often drift just below the surface of the water and are barely visible in the dark.
- Marine growth or nets: Fishing nets or buoy chains left behind can get caught in hulls and appendages.
- Marine animals: A collision with large marine animals such as sharks or whales, which swim close to the surface, especially at night, is rarer but not impossible.
Walther himself suspects that the board could have “snagged somewhere” – an indication that a net or other floating obstacle may have been involved.
Regrettable end
After a thorough inspection of his boat, Michael Walther realized that the damage was too extensive to continue the Atlantic crossing safely. The decision to abandon the adventure was visibly difficult for the extreme sportsman – but safety has top priority.
It is extremely regrettable that the Zero Emissions Mission has come to an abrupt end in such a mysterious way. At the same time, we are relieved that the incident did not happen in the middle of the Atlantic, where help can often be days away.
Micha is not only an environmental activist, he personally is also one of the supporters of Stand Up Magazine. It’s people like Micha who enrich our community with their enthusiasm and their actions. Be like Micha and become a supporter of Stand Up Magazin.
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