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Diary Dear ABORA III visitors, We finished our expedition 550 miles away from the Azores. We would like to thank you for your interest and positive echo, as well as for all of your motivating words during our sea voyage. We were able to collect a lot of new information on our expedition. We now have a better understanding of how prehistoric seafaring might have worked. All crew members are healthy and are on the way back. We will arrive on Wednesday the 12th at 10 o'clock in Horta, Azores. The ABORA III Expedition was an absolutely incredible experiment and we are planning to continue our research with the ABORA IV. We will continue to provide you with updated news on our website. We invite you join us on our next discovery. Your ABORA III Team
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day 56 - September 4th, 2007 The ABORA III concludes its journey. After sailing more than 2000 nautical miles across the Atlantic aboard the reed boat ABORA III, Dominique Görlitz has called an end to his archaeological experiment. He and his crew of 10 set out from New York City harbour on July 11, and spent 56 days at sea. A series of storms and gale-force winds broke the boat apart a week ago, providing a challenging learning opportunity for the scientist and his crew. Although they did not reach the Azores, Görlitz sees the project as a success.
"We have collected a large bank of empirical data and hands-on experiences that further help us to understand pre-historic seafaring and trade. Our trip has not been easy, and in the end a gale broke the make-shift rudder that we were forced to craft after an earlier storm stole my stern and damaged the original twin rudders. The incident gave us an understanding of how ancient sailors could have coped with such dramatic challenges, but now, unable to craft a new rudder due to lack of spare parts we have chosen to accept assistance from another ship." stated Görlitz.
The ABORA III is the prehistoric reed boat skippered by botanist Dominique Görlitz. Based on the expedition, Mr. Görlitz is investigating the need to re-write naval history in his Ph.D. at the University of Bonn, Germany. His thesis is that intercontinental journeys happened thousands of years before both Columbus and the Vikings.
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day 48 - August 27th, 2007 Severe Storms Batter ABORA III: Reconstruction at Sea Six hundred miles west of the Azores, Dominique Görlitz and crew are trying to rebuild their vessel after being battered by two heavy storms, the last of which was a large cyclone lasting over three days. These storms caused a good deal of damage to the portside rudder and broke the stern end of the vessel off in its entirety.
At the moment, the multi-national crew has stabilized the situation by tightening the spiral-ropes that hold the reed-rolls together. The sailors feel confident that the ship will neither sink nor disintegrate further. Görlitz has developed designs for a new rudder and a different trim of the mast, both based on ancient Egyptian rock drawings, in hopes that these modifications will allow them to continue in their journey to the Azores. The work will progress further during the day, and Görlitz expects to keep working for another day or two before being able to sail his vessel. His comments are: "First of all, I'm very proud of the crew who has all done a marvelous job during our crisis. Second, although saddened by what happened to our proud-looking ABORA III, I'm glad to confirm what I always believed: Reed-boats are incredibly safe. Even after loosing 25% of the ship we are still floating safely. No other ancient watercraft than a reed boat would have this kind of seaworthiness."
The weather in the area has improved since the incident, at the moment all forecasts predict the prevailing anti-cyclone surrounding the Azores to return and stabilize, bringing favorable mild northerly or westerly winds to the sailors of ABORA III. The ABORA III is the prehistoric reed boat skippered by botanist Dominique Görlitz. Based on the expedition, Mr. Görlitz investigates a need to re-write naval history in his Ph.D. at the University of Bonn, Germany. His thesis is that intercontinental journeys happened thousands of years before both Columbus and the Vikings. |
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day 23 - August 2nd, 2007 ABORA III Overcomes Stormy Seas Life aboard the ABORA III has recently taken a turn for the exciting as we've hit some rough seas. We've reduced the square of the sail in response to the tropical storm Chantel and the force six winds she brought with her. We've been riding waves up to 18 feet high and have measured the wind speed at 27 knots. It is an awe-inspiring feeling to stand on a vessel which is pushed into the air by the waves when all you can see is the foam on top of the waves below. Our boat has slowly pushed onward over these waves and has performed quite smoothly in these rough conditions. Last night we dealt with hundreds of high waves. Only one wave managed to come overboard; it had happened to break just as we were beside it. It was only the foam, however, which slipped over the deck amongst our feet.
Yesterday we were able to sail 72 nautical miles. The design of the ABORA III has proved itself quite stable and manoeuvrable in rough wind and sea. Our cabins have been quite useful in keeping both the crew and our supplies dry. Now that we've made it out of the worst of this rough weather, the ABORA III is continuing her journey without any wear and tear for the worse. We remain in high spirits as we make up for lost time. We hope that Gulf Stream will soon aid us. However, after looking at the weather forecast, it looks as though we may soon again encounter hindering winds from the east. Dealing with unfavourable conditions like this is just part of the nature of the experiment, and we'll just continue to manage these challenges as they arise. |
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day 18 - July 28th, 2007 Good-bye America - the ABORA III Sails into the Open Atlantic After some very long days of calm and turning winds the ABORA III has set sail again. Last night we sailed 35 nautical miles. The wind was coming from the south and allowed us to sail crosswise to the wind. At the moment we are enjoying our first day of sailing with a favourable wind. Tomorrow we expect wind from southeast. Wind from this direction will not hold the expedition back but it will mean that we'll be travelling at a reduced speed. We are making further eastward progress as I write this. In the last few days we've seen some news articles paint a bit of dire picture about the ABORA III and it's suitability to complete the journey with which we are now engaged. I must respectfully disagree with much of this criticism however. A lot of research went into the design of the ABORA III. I personally spent many hours working with the researchers at Stevens Institute as we performed extensive hydrodynamic studies on a scale model of the ABORA III in order to determine her seaworthiness. These researchers, many of whom spend their time studying the hydrodynamics of cutting-edge vessel designs, were impressed by how well the ABORA III preformed. Our trials at the Stevens Institute were concluded by creating the largest wave that had ever been made in their circulating water channel. Our model endured this wave excellently, attesting to the ABORA III's stability and safety.
Despite our strong confidence in the vessel, it is clear to all of us that this will be no pleasure cruise. We are involved in a living experiment of a type that no modern person has tried before. Every day, the crew collects new experiences and observations about what it would have been like for a Stone Age sailor to navigate the open seas. With the results from the Stevens Institute and the experience of ABORA I and II behind us, we are sure that we will overcome all difficulties and complete our trip over the North Atlantic. The ABORA III will reach the Gulf Stream in the next few days if everything goes well. This current will aid us in our trip back to the Old World. |
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day 16 - July 26th, 2007 Low Pressure Area Holds Back ABORA III Sailing is bit like a game of chess. Wind, current, and changing weather conditions need to be recognized in time and require foresight in planning. All of these factors become even more important when you are sailing across the Atlantic in a prehistoric vessel that doesn't have the help of an engine. Modern sailors can use their engine to escape calm winds; that is an option we simply do not have. Right now we are positioned between a high-pressure area and two low-pressure areas and this is the main reason for our current situation. It looks like our luck with the weather will a be continuing a while longer as a third low-pressure area is moving in from the south side. These conditions are impeding us from sailing east for the moment. It is possible to evade these problems by sailing southwest, but if the tide is too strong we may end up actually sailing west for a short period of time. Regardless of these setbacks, the ABORA III has been performing excellently. For the first time we were able to sail 77 degrees on the wind. We have been able to stabilize our position against changing winds and currents for days on end. This is an improvement from the designs of Thor Heyerdahl's RA I and RA II which where not able to sail against the wind. This is among the first real evidence in support of our theory that it was possible for Stone Age peoples to navigate effectively against the wind.
The weather forecast shows no weather changes in the next two days. It looks like we may be sitting here until the weekend. Things could be worse. The break has given us a bit of time to relax as we repair and optimize our vessel. One thing is for certain, the weather won't stay like this forever and when the wind does become more favourable we will be better prepared than ever to complete this journey. |
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day 15 - July 25th, 2007 ABORA III is not moving because of calm winds On July 11th the ABORA III started its voyage over the Atlantic. In the first week we were able to sail 330 sea miles towards east. The wind was coming most of the time from a southern direction. The main aim was to reach the American shelf. This area is known for its strong relation to tide. The strong current out there was a hindrance for the ABORA III because a raft is more defeated to the current than any normal modern sailing boat. Weather data from the last ten years show southwest and northwest winds during the summer months in this area of the North American coastline. But unfortunately these winds are missing so far. The ABORA III has the capability to sail crosswise to the wind. So we could use the south winds and could make good progress. Right now it seems that the element is completely against us. For six days we have been sitting in front of the Georges Bank waiting for a change in wind. For the last few days we've had some easterly winds which meant we could sail only north or south in order to stabilize our position in front of the American shelf. The weather forecast does not bring hope for an improvement. Until July 26th we will have no wind! The ABORA III is proving itself to be a very manoeuvrable vessel. The courses already driven attest to this fact. We've lost three leeboards but this has not influenced the steering ability of the boat. With the help of Michael Grünert and our American partner Aqua Survey, we got eight reserve leeboards delivered. Now we can fall back upon our regular leeboard strength. On a prehistoric reed raft you cannot switch on the engine and go off to the next area which has favourable wind and set sail again. We have to wait until the wind comes to us. This is part of the experiment of the ABORA III. When a leeboard cracks or the wind stops moving for days on end, useful data is collected that ultimately contributes to our understanding of Stone Age peoples. With our collected data it is now possible to explain how historical seafarers survived in such conditions. The mood onboard is excellent. We've been using our free hours to read books and go swimming. We also made some small improvements to the boat. Our only concern at the moment is the age of our vessel. Because the Totora reeds with which the ABORA III is constructed are now nearly three years old, the vessel will not be able to float for a full 18 months as originally projected. We will have to make sure that we do not loose too much time in accomplishing our goals. At the moment we remain confident in the ABORA III's seaworthiness and believe that we will reach our final destination long before the age of the reeds becomes an issue. In the mean time we just need wind to sail to the Azores. |
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day 5 - July 15th, 2007 ABORA III Makes Good Headway Towards the Gulf Stream The prehistoric reed boat ABORA III, skippered by scientist Dominique Görlitz, is well on its way from New York into the Gulf Stream, on one of this summer's most unique events. Görlitz and his ten person crew are sailing from the U.S. to Spain using a boat constructed from a Stone Age design. Since its July 11th departure from New York City, the boat has travelled 188 miles into the Atlantic. "I expect to reach the fast westerly current within the next few days," says Görlitz. So far, the trip has been eventful. Waves have been reaching 10 feet and winds have been blowing up to 17 knots per hour. Handling the fragile boat demands conservative judgment. Last night, Görlitz had no choice but to partly lower the sail in order to temporarily reduce the speed of the ABORA III. The boat performed well in the challenging conditions, but left many a crewmember sleepless as ABORA III rolled heavily in the waves. Helmsman and former Mount Everest-skier, Tormod Granheim, worked the rudder through the night.
Three broken lee-boards may prove an additional challenge for the team as they approach the Azores. The damage also provided a more immediate challenge for the ABORA III's diver, Sabrina Lorenz, who had the task of diving beneath the boat and untangling a mass of ropes which had become tangled due to the damaged lee-boards. Of a total of 14, 11 lee-boards rest intact, and Görlitz has decided to decrease the draft of his lee-boards in order to ease the stress on these items. The lee-boards are an essential part of the ABORA III's design; without them the vessel would only be able to sail downwind. The crew has found their rhythm in making the transatlantic journey back to the Old World. They work six hours, rest six hours and have six hours off-duty before going back on watch. But being off-duty also means lending a hand to the many tasks onboard the ABORA III, including maintenance, fishing and cooking. Markus Uhlig has caught the first fish, big enough to provide dinner for all sailors on the ABORA III. Not only was this the first fish caught aboard the ABORA III (hopefully the first of many) but it was also the first fish that was caught on any of the ABORA expeditions. The last 24 hours have also provided many rich animal encounters, as the ABORA III team has spotted a grey whale as well as several dolphins. Since starting out from New York City, the ABORA III has sailed a South-Easterly course, averaging 40 nautical miles a day. Once entering the Gulf Stream, Görlitz expects the boat's speed to approach 4 knots, with a daily progress of about 70 nautical miles. The ABORA III is the prehistoric reed boat skippered by experimental archaeologist and botanist Dominique Görlitz. Based on the expedition, Mr. Görlitz is investigating the need to re-write naval history for his Ph.D. at the University of Bonn in Germany. His thesis is that intercontinental journeys happened thousands of years before both Columbus and the Vikings. |
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day 1 - July 11th, 2007 ABORA III started The ABORA III expedition started on Wednesday July 11 2007 at twelve past nine from New York to Spain. Many Journalists, friends and helpers where there to say goodbye. The ABORA III crew organized a little far well before they started. Expedition leader Dominique Görlitz used this moment to thank all volunteers and sponsors. He also gave a brief prospect of the following days. The Explorers Club, New York, names the expedition as flag expedition. The handing over of the flag took also place at the ceremony. Besides the ABOORA team got the Berlin "peace clock" on board. The famous "ABORA-band" gave them their musical greetings. After a short goodbye to friends and expedition volunteers the crew jumped on board and set sail. They sailed along the Hudson for a short while and later again in front of the Statue of Liberty. After that they brought down the sail and a towboat from Aqua Survey, one of our great sponsors, towed them towards the Atlantic. The entire team felt relieved and all looking forward fort his amazing adventure. |
