Interview part II

Despite your many years of sailing with small catamarans across the Mediterranean sea, even single handed during the winter, this was your first experience in the Ocean.

Yes, during the first 2 days I was sailing close to the Canary islands, but starting the third day, when I was off the coast, I started to feel the Ocean. That was a truly new and unbelievable experience. I had a feeling, not a light feeling but something like a thick feeling, a feeling that permeated time and space. The feeling of the indefinite surrounding me.

What happened on the 7th? How did you lose all your equipment?

It was about 1 hour before dawn when the cat capsized. That was caused by a combination of autopilot failure, a knot in the main sheet and the weight being all on the hull upwind. On top of that I was not quick enough to react.
Ooops… one second later I was in the sea and the catamaran on the side. Fortunately the water was not that cold and the moon light was there to help. During the first quick check of the boat I saw the main storage bag floating aside the hull in the sea. Then I concentrated on setting up the leverage kit in order to put the cata back up straight. After a few minutes I realized that the storage bag was no longer there and I could see it a last time amid the waves. It was already too far for me to swim and get it. At the time of the capsize the storage bag contained all the water, all the food and pharmacy, the tools, the sat phone and other equipment. The survival part of the crossing started then.

The first question that most people have when they listen to your story is: how could you survive 12 days without drinking!?

Starting the second day of the survival period I was drinking a few ounces of sea water per day. Every time I was feeling really thirsty I drank 2 or 3 sips, basically what can be hold in my hand no more.