Gameplan Media
Intrepid adventurer Richard Kohler is just days away from leaving Cape Town for a solo surfski paddle across the Southern Atlantic to Salvador in Brazil, aiming to become the first person to complete the 7000 mile journey alone and unsupported.
52 year old Kohler will be paddling a specially designed surfski named "Osiyeza", after the Johnny Clegg song "The Crossing", aiming to raise money and awareness for the Operation Smile charity.
Kohler's unique eight metre long craft has been modelled around a traditional surfski that he paddles frequently, modified to accommodate a hatch that will house his essentials and allow him to sleep.
His paddles are substantially longer than traditional surfski paddles to enable him to reach over the unusually wide ski.
He plans on paddling around 15 hours a day, aiming to cover 100 km daily.
Kohler hopes to take between 70 and 90 days to reach Salvador, but says it could take 60 days or less if conditions work in his favour.
"I am hoping for two months of downwind paddling bliss," he said.
Fully loaded his enlarged surfski will weigh 450 kg's and can cruise at around 6-7 km per hour.
He will carry 90kgs of food on board and plans a diet of dried 'space food' supplemented with fats from olive oil, coconut oil, MTC oil and macadamia oil.
Kohler won't be relying on catching fish to eat, though he concedes that he will be dragging a fishing line from his boat. "Mostly as a form of entertainment and to deal with the boredom."
