Raphaela will leave Lima (Peru) to Tahiti in a direct and straight journey of more than 8,000 km (4300 nautical miles).

Raphaela, could you describe us your journey ?

Each time you take off on sea, you have to be prepared to difficult times and something new. The Atlantic Ocean has shown me how anguishful it could be for a person to be alone on the ocean, stuck with no wind. The Mediterranean Sea was a concentrate of strong emotions with its beauty, together with its changing mind and its waves sometimes vicious.

On the Pacific, I believe that I will have to learn how to deal with its huge dimension. The swell is likely to be larger and stronger. Everything is multiplied by the scale of this ocean. For instance, the shark density is 3 times more than that of the Atlantic ! I’d better be prepared to meet a few !

At the beginning of the crossing, I am going to face a very difficult time due to the cold Humboldt currents (to the North) that make the sea harder, the circulation of ships, the seasickness, … It will be 2 to 3 weeks before I can reach the warm West currents. The information of the sea temperature which we get from the Legos and that my Argos beacon will measure will in fact be very useful (see map).

Predictions of water temperatures along the Peruvian coastline available on http://200.60.133.147/uprsig/sst_prov.html

However, the winds should be rather strong and well established from the beginning onwards (E and SE at 15-30 knots). Let’s pray for their occurrence to get out of these North currents as quickly as possible !

Then, I will get deeper into the «grand blue desert» of the Pacific (for more than 2 months), far from any human being, alone with the trade winds and currents that will push me towards the West. My problem there will be this succession of days after days, my vigilance that I should always keep awake, my physical state, the equipment…

Then after, there will be the approach to Tuamotu Islands, the excitement to get closer to the coast and to target the junction position with my team close to these islands.
When arrived to the Tuamotus, there will remain 10 days of difficult navigation between the atolls before Tahiti. I should be very careful not to terminate my crossing into a coral reef as it occurred to Thor Hejerdahl on his Kon Tiki after their famous journey. But it will be the end for me and therefore a great sensation before Papeete.

Map : From « L’expédition du Kon Tiki » of Thor Hejerdahl, Editions Phébus.

Departure from Peru is scheduled on early August 2003. If possible, it will be on August 5, 2003 and the following calendar is proposed :