First man to circle Arctic Ocean sails home
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Time estimated: 6 min
Captain Zhai Mo and his sailboat arrive at Shanghai Port.
Zhai Mo is finally home, after a challenging 500-day non-stop voyage to successfully circle the Arctic Ocean. Zhai, the first one in the world to achieve the feat, and his buddy sailboat were back to Shanghai Port yesterday.
The artist-turned-explorer set sail from the same port on June 30 last year, with an aim to raise awareness about the link between land degradation and climate change.
Along with two crew members, Captain Zhai crossed the East China Sea, the Western Pacific, the Bering Strait, the Chukchi Sea, the East Siberian Sea, the Laptev Sea, the Kerala Sea, the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Greenland Sea, the Davis Strait, the Gulf of Baffin and the Bofert Sea to complete a navigation of more than 28,000 nautical miles.
▲ The sceneries along the voyage
Zhai's passion for sea exploration is remarkable considering that he originally came from an arts background. Born in Xingtai, east China's Shandong Province, Zhai first set sights on a painting career, and became a painter after graduating from college. His interest in sailing was triggered when an experienced Nordic sailor explained the charm of the water sport.
▲ Friends along the voyage
Zhai was the first Chinese to sail alone around the world in a powerless boat, completing the journey in 2009, with some in the media calling him "the Chinese Robinson Crusoe."
Zhai is welcomed by people waiting on the shore.
In 2003, he undertook an around-China voyage from Dalian, Liaoning Province in the northeast, to Nansha, Hainan Province in the south, in the first part of his around-the-globe voyage.
He spent 55 days crossing the waters of Yantai, Qingdao, Lianyungang, Shanghai, Wenzhou, Ningbo, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen, Taipei, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Haikou, Sanya, Xisha and Nansha — a passage of 7,600 nautical miles.
The journey of circling the Arctic Ocean became possible for the first time in human history due to global warming and the melting of Arctic ice caps.
The 53-year-old hopes his action will call the world's attention to the impact of human activities on the environment — particularly the Arctic, which is the second-largest polar desert in the world after the Antarctica. He was therefore named "UNCCD Supporter — Arctic Adventurer for 2021 Desertification and Drought Day."
▲ Delicacies along the voyage
According to the initial plan, the journey should have ended in four months. However, extreme weather conditions and unexpected cyclone and floating ice delayed the schedule.
"The temperature in the Arctic Ocean can reach minus 50 to 70 degrees Celsius in winter," said Zhai. "If we didn't manage to leave a certain area during the ice-melting window, the boat would get frozen, leaving us as targets for polar bears."
He added, "but we were fully prepared, having carried with us adequate food supply. We also sailed past three of the world's four largest fishing grounds and managed to add some fish to our menu."
No matter how much fun life on the sea is, Zhai admitted that every time he sets sail, he is prepared for all possible results — including death.
Zhai Mo gifts a souvenir globe to the China Maritime Museum at his welcoming ceremony on Tuesday morning.
"Sailing on the sea, my boat is my home," he said in earlier interview. "You have to learn to endure loneliness and freedom. Learn to enjoy the direct correlation between nature and yourself. The sea is ever-changing."Despite his devotion to the sea and ocean, Zhai has never stopped his artistic pursuit, collecting inspiration from the sailing experiences.
I'm working on a large-scale artistic creation themed on humanity. I'm still collecting materials from the voyages. Every difficult voyage helps upgrade my will power. I'm interested in challenging human limits.
— Zhai Mo
Captain Zhai's next goal is another challenge — sailing around the Antarctica next year.
-End-
Click the pictures to read past stories ↓
Editor: Su Yanxian
Designer: Melo Zhang, Shen XinyiWriter: Ma Yue
Photo: Jiang Xiaowei, Zhai Mo