Aleksander Doba writes on his website that his age doesn’t seem to reflect how he feels. “The date in my ID says that I’m 70 this year. But I’ll tell you a secret-sometimes I feel like a teenager. Maybe my soul is not aging.”
A kayak-powered Atlantic crossing
Given that Doba just set out on his third solo trans-Atlantic crossing by kayak, we think he’s right. The Polish explorer and 2015 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year left Manhattan on May 29 with aims to reach Portugal in time for his 70th birthday in September. He intends for the 3,700-mile journey to be independent and powered only by his two blades.
No stranger to kayak expeditions
In 2011 the retired mechanical engineer kayaked for 99 days from Senegal to Brazil, and then in 2013 paddled from Portugal to Florida. Doba is only the second person to kayak across the entire Atlantic Ocean self-powered.
Before leaving New York in his 21-foot, extremely sturdy kayak, Doba told reporters that he believed this crossing would be tougher than his previous two due to colder water, more currents and predictions of harsh weather.
Follow Doba’s website for updates.
