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Siberian adventurers drop first anchor

A team of Siberian adventurers has arrived At Fujairah's International Marine Club after completing the first stage of their round-the-world expedition from Thailand on an inflatable catamaran.

  • By Fuad Ali, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:38 April 12, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Dr Kulik and his crew will attempt the second phase of the expedition later this year, with Fujairah likely to be the starting point as they head to the Mediterranean.
  • Image Credit: Supplied Picture

Fujairah: A team of Siberian adventurers has arrived At Fujairah's International Marine Club after completing the first stage of their round-the-world expedition from Thailand on an inflatable catamaran.

Last year, a similar 7,000- kilometre journey - in the opposite direction - was successfully completed by a crew of five, in what was the first attempt of its kind.

This time, Dr Anatoly Kulik, the captain of the previous group has set his sight on a much sterner challenge, attempting to sail round the world in a similar, air-filled rubber vessel.

For this new adventure, he recruited extreme ports enthusiast and award-winning photographer Alex-ander Provatorov, as the captain's mate, and experienced seaman Alexey Saratovkin as the sailor.

Having left the Thai island of Phuket on February 17, two of the three-man team made it to the UAE. The captain's mate stayed behind in the Maldives for personal reasons.

All three will attempt the second phase of the round-the-world expedition later this year, with Fujairah likely to be the starting point as they head to the Mediterranean.

Donning his sailor cap and with sunburn marks on his face, Dr Kulik, who has a PhD in science and technology studies, told Gulf News their journey from Thailand was largely a success despite facing some technical difficulties.

He said: "There was a fault with the motor and our radio communications broke down, so for a while our only link with the rest of the world was a satellite phone.

"In the day time the sun rays burn your skin and at night it was hard to get any sleep bouncing on the sea waves, but all that is part of the challenge and we were mentally prepared to put up with it."

Captain Kulik insisted their expedition is not motivated by financial goals or setting world records but rather a sense of adventure and being at one with nature, as he explained.

The 54 year-old says flying through airports does not even come close to travelling 150 km a day on the open seas, adding that he is living everyone's childhood fantasies of doing something no one has attempted before and achieving the impossible.

He said: "Many people doubted our expeditions but we are proving them wrong. Many people at my age are readying themselves for retirement, but I wanted to answer the calls of the adventurer within and I'm confident we can be successful".

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