Hello Reddit, my name is Igor Bely. Along with my friend Beto, I plan to cross the South Atlantic in a few weeks. It will be a great journey as we will sail without a motor or cabin. This is the second leg of a circumnavigation of the globe on a sport catamaran. We have already crossed the Pacific ocean previously and hopefully we will continue with the Indian Ocean.

We will go from Cape town to Rio de Janeiro in a sports catamaran. We will only be using clean energy for this journey and we hope to demonstrate that tough challenges can be met without conventional energy. Since I grew up on a boat where we always had to be frugal with our resources, this is a cause I strongly believe in. I will be happy to answer any questions you have about our trip and everything involved with it.

Our website is http://capetowntorio.com/

A few blog posts with information: http://capetowntorio.com/blog/2013/2/9/the-menu-for-the-trip http://capetowntorio.com/blog/2013/1/16/picole-still-in-germany http://capetowntorio.com/blog/2013/1/27/introducing-picole

Proof for mods- http://capetowntorio.com/blog/2013/2/10/ask-me-anything-thread-on-reddit

Edit: Oh, here's a video from the Pacific Crossing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYE-STt6mMI

Edit 2: Here's a bit about me- http://capetowntorio.com/igor-bely/

Edit 3: [Redacted]

Edit 4: As requested, pictures from my previous expeditions, including trips to Antarctica- http://igorbely.tumblr.com/

It's bed time in France! I'll try to be back in my morning. For now, thank you for all your interest and your questions!

I'll definitely be back to provide updates as we set off on our trip. You can also follow our progress on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/CapeTownToRio) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/CapeTownToRio).

Comments: 879 • Responses: 63  • Date: 

fussballbot3000237 karma

I get why you dont have a motor. Why no cabin?

capetowntorio271 karma

so people pay more attention because it is more chalenging! just that

TheYuri28 karma

Or maybe because Klink's boat had a cabin when he rowed solo across the South Atlantic 20 years ago, and you want to be able to say that you're first in something, 20 years later?

EDIT: I just realized Klink's trip was actually 30 years ago, not 20. (damn I'm getting old).

capetowntorio23 karma

amyr is a good friend , no competition, the atlantic is just one crossing among 3 other to circum navigate the globe, this was not amyrs goal

irrelevantwallflower154 karma

Do you wish you had a bengal tiger or any other animal with you during your travel?

capetowntorio115 karma

I'd love to take my cat along !

I_CAPE_RUNTS130 karma

does masturbation take place on these jaunts?

capetowntorio204 karma

no coment!

PaulMcGannsShoes90 karma

How the heck do you calculate how much food and water you'll need?

How much do you rely on the sea to provide you with that?

capetowntorio85 karma

well we are both skinny so it makes thing easier!!

we don't really relay on the see, when we have som flying fish or take a fish on the fishing line we eat it raw beacause we can' really cook , just boil water and boiled fish is not the best, dont try it!!

al the food we take can be prepared with just boiling water: pasta, mashed potatos, soups, freeze dry..... and we calculate how much by the experiend of other expedition we have done in the past.

we just take a few gallons of water with us , just in case. the everyday water comes from our manual water maker... you pump for an our and you get a gallon of water ( and one pint of sweet) .... no fresh water showers!

whatstheinterwebs69 karma

What are your sleeping arrangements like? Also, where do you poop?!

capetowntorio120 karma

the sleeping depends a lot on the weather, i the weather is good we can sleep a lot on the little tent taht we have on our wings. if the weather is not ok ... then we dont sleep much. this is why we go north fist to catch the trade winds and get calm weather.

for the second question ... the ocean is big!

zanthelad55 karma

Say there was a storm, are the size of the waves not going to be a big risk to your life in such an open vessel?

capetowntorio88 karma

we try to avoid stoms and as stoms dont happen in five minutes we usaually have the time to avoid them or at least to get ready. the biguest risk for us is to capsize during a storm because our sistem to get back is not usable if there are big waves.... and big waves would probably destroy the boat....

Nomad112541 karma

How do you feel about stowaways?

capetowntorio56 karma

sorry , my english id bad, what are stowaways?

Pilpecurb47 karma

A stowaway is somebody which would sneak on your boat and hide there as you sailed.

capetowntorio86 karma

hahah, the stoaway would have to be very smal because there is not much room in the boat!

Voicy40 karma

Good luck with the journey, it should be quite something!

My dad's friend, Peter van Kets did went across the atlantic in a solo rowing boat (no sail/motor/propulsion) after winning a double-row the previous time.

He's doing a bunch of stuff now and even joined his wife who ran around the border of South Africa.

capetowntorio33 karma

these guys rowing are mad people!! hahaha. this is great

ken_p_ben38 karma

What will your diet consist of?

capetowntorio62 karma

lots of dryed food, pasta an some fish !! want a piece?

Rocco00136 karma

That sounds like a serious adventure. Nervous?

capetowntorio39 karma

not mutch for the moment but i'm sure i ll be nervous a coupple of days before we leave....

BigMinnow24 karma

Top five things that you should have on hand in every boat in case of a disaster at sea?

capetowntorio62 karma

luck luck luck luck luck

haha kidding !

luck is important but you don't have to rely on it . we have a good medical kit on bord and by satemeite phone we can reach at any moment a doctor that can help us.

we also had sewing lessons!

CommercialPilot19 karma

Wow, I envy you having the opportunity to embark on such a journey. I've always wanted, for my entire life, to be able to sail the seas. I am a pilot of course, but something about sailing entices me. Simply never had the opportunity to sail, having never befriended anyone whom owns a sailboat, or does any sort of sailing.

What city/town/port are you departing from and arriving to?

capetowntorio17 karma

we are leaving from CAPE TOWN and hope to arrive in Rio

it is never too late!!

coffeefuckyeah19 karma

What is the plan for nights?

capetowntorio29 karma

it depends on the weather. usually we slow down and find a way so that the boat gose by itself and in this case we just stay a little awake one at the time. if the weather is not good we sometimes have to stay awake...

rememberaaronswartz18 karma

Do you have an emergency transponder and is it registered? How will you track weather and what safety equipment will you have?

capetowntorio17 karma

we have : Iridium EPIRB ( yes , registered!!) and yellowbrick to transmit our position!

we have iridium contact every 2 days for weather forecast

Chootrattanarood17 karma

How will you exercise? Also Good luck!!

capetowntorio31 karma

not much running for sure but we do exercice all the time even when we sleep because the boat mooves all the time .... so you body works all the time

BaconMaster6415 karma

How large is your ship/boat/dingey?

capetowntorio12 karma

about 25 feet long and 15 feet wide! it is a sport catamaran

The_Punniest15 karma

Hi there Igor, It looks to me like you are using one man tents for shelter? Have you ever considered using a hammock? They are great with the waves.

capetowntorio19 karma

I think that it would meve to much with the movement of the boat!! i would get see sick!

cantstopthemoonlight14 karma

How much sunscreen did you pack?

capetowntorio28 karma

pretty much indeed!

big hats also

mrloln00b13 karma

How do you plan to keep yourself entertained?

capetowntorio27 karma

belive me there are millions of things to do!! always a broken thing on the boat to repare, food to prepare, a bird to watch!

ewism12 karma

How long do you think the trip will be?

capetowntorio11 karma

If we go as fast ( or as slow..) as we did in the pacific crossing we shoudl be arrond 28 at see. we always hope that we will go faster!!

kutletta12 karma

Will you keep track of your journey through photos? Would love seeing an album of the voyage once you arrived in Brazil. Cheers, and best of luck mate!

capetowntorio10 karma

yes, we even hope to be able to transmit some pics from the bat during the trip!

Sir-Fucks-aLot12 karma

Thank you so much for doing this AMA!

  • What kind of technology/electronic equipment will you have on you?
  • Are your loved ones worried?

capetowntorio22 karma

yes they are but my parents can t really say anything because they told me to do wxhat I wanted a few years ago and they have been living on a sail boat for 40 years..!

Divine_Oakly11 karma

Did you see "Life of Pi" in order to help you prepare?

capetowntorio9 karma

yes and I reed the book and I love it!!

Tokokitty11 karma

Have any interesting stories from previous sailing trips?

capetowntorio16 karma

many ! and with these previos stories/experiences we can meke happen more new expeditions!

JackyJarv10 karma

Do you have a picture of the sailboat you will be using?

capetowntorio9 karma

the boat is in a container at see right now... cainda hard, but I have some from the previous boat!

twocatsinabag10 karma

please tell me you are bringing a fishing poll

capetowntorio19 karma

YES ! hahaha

Waddupp10 karma

When you arrive in Rio, how many naked ladies will be awaiting you and your friend to reward you with sex?

capetowntorio27 karma

a lot I hope!! hahah

PassesBehindGone9 karma

Do you have a day job?

capetowntorio20 karma

my day job is actually a night job!! I work half of the year in france as a paty organazer... very different!:

diehardargyle9 karma

Have you heard of these guys? http://oarnorthwest.com/ They're currently crossing the Atlantic (from West Africa to Miami) in a rowboat!

capetowntorio10 karma

they are CRAZY...

captainjib8 karma

[deleted]

capetowntorio12 karma

if the weather is cold we can wear our drysuits. for the rest we use water proof cases. we only get very wet when the weather is bad or if we go fast, if we slow down can can get som duy moments!

CandidCandy8 karma

How do you fund such a lifestyle? What did your family do for funds when you were growing up?

capetowntorio4 karma

they still take people to special places like antactica

periskope7 karma

Hi,I applaud your courage and zeal to embark on this voyage. I just have one question: Are you nuts??

capetowntorio9 karma

hahaha, yes maybe! but I do think that I like my project and what I do !

effortDee6 karma

You must love the ocean! Me too, I haven't seen it in a few weeks though, so if you get there first, can you say hello to it for me please. Hope it welcomes you with open arms.

capetowntorio3 karma

I will

Owlbewatchingyou6 karma

Props to igor. I can barley speak french and I'm Canadian!

capetowntorio7 karma

thank you!!

ohsnape6 karma

What big mistake did you make on your last trip, and how are you going to avoid it this trip?

Outside of the joy of sailing, what will you do for fun?

capetowntorio5 karma

we used a old used boat ( so we could save time and money) but it came out that the boat had many problems... this time we are using a new boat. we also took to many useless stuf, this time we are travelling light!

jolly_green_gardener5 karma

When you die (hopefully in a long time) how do you want to be buried?

capetowntorio9 karma

burn and ashes at see

Calculator_on_Desk5 karma

On a trip like this, how long do you think you will go between seeing other people not on your boat?

And how will you cook your fish?

capetowntorio7 karma

we can eat the fish raw, we take som soy sauce an wasabi!!

waybe we will se some boats on the horizon !

Roverload5 karma

[deleted]

capetowntorio9 karma

in 2008 we crossed the south pacific, we dit lots of mistakes !! we learned a lot. this time will do less mistakes but.... we have EPIRBS with us and we are in permanent contact with MRCC so thay can reach us in a few days if we have a problem!

Roverload3 karma

[deleted]

capetowntorio3 karma

yes , we have a device that sands our position every 3 h and it will be on our blog!

capetowntorio5 karma

and our final destination should be Rio or Ilha bella in brasil but anywhere in brasil is fine!!

vlady8me5 karma

[deleted]

capetowntorio5 karma

this will be our next trip , we hope!

Razuto224 karma

that's awesome! i've always been fascinated by sailing and boating. On your previous trips, what kind of wildlife have you been able to see? And have you sailed in Antarctica before? Thanks and good luck!

capetowntorio6 karma

I v been about 20 times to the antarctic.... it is geat place.

during the pacific crossion we dit not see a lot of wild life, some whales, dolfins, birds , plastic bottles...

Chachbag4 karma

Have you ever considered bringing MREs ( Meal ready to eat aka military bag food) with you on a trip. They do not all taste horrible and at around 1.3k calories a bag, they will keep you going. Also, gl;hf

capetowntorio7 karma

we have some similar stuff , the are not bad at all!

Talltran4 karma

Did you literally grow up on a sailboat? That would be far more interesting

capetowntorio12 karma

first time I went to scool I was 18!!

Sir-Fucks-aLot4 karma

How long is your boat? Wide? Sail size?

Thanks! Best of luck to you guys!

capetowntorio5 karma

7,3 metres ( about 25 feet) , about 4m wide and 12 meters mast!!

FuckingIronic4 karma

I wish you only the best but nothing pisses me off more then when the inevitable shit hits the fan and there is a multi national search and rescue operation which tax payers foot. And let's be honest there aren't altruistic motives, just pride and the belief you can succeed where everyone else has failed.

capetowntorio8 karma

80 % of our succes depends on our good preparation, this is what permited us to do succesfully our previos 7 expeditions.... there is always a risk thanks for the best wishes!

Blissfully4 karma

Will you have Wilson?

capetowntorio12 karma

wilson in never far away

rpt1234 karma

Are you intentionally leaving near the March equinox? Is this the calmest time of year in the South Atlantic Ocean?

capetowntorio8 karma

no... we are late. the right time is right now... but we have some funds problems so we had to delay...

feezyduck3 karma

What type of boat are you using?

capetowntorio5 karma

it is a sport catamaran that was built in germany

regular_hombre3 karma

Have you ever considered participating in the vendee globe?

capetowntorio3 karma

haha, yes ! I dont really like competition but we, the vendee globe I would do it!

andrewnakas2 karma

What kind of pollution do you see in the ocean? How do you think pollution affects the ecosystem?

capetowntorio3 karma

I dont know how much it affects the ocean but what I know is that during the pacific crossing there was not ONE day that I did not see some floating plastic trash...

Aksui2 karma

Are you afraid of dying?

capetowntorio6 karma

I wouldn't do it if I where!

GothamMayhem1 karma

Would you rather fight 1 Shark sized clownfish or 100 clownfish sized sharks?

capetowntorio4 karma

i'll take the shark sized clownfish any day!

mjfetner1 karma

Do you have a similar condition as Forrest Gump?

capetowntorio1 karma

chocolat box?? for sure!

hudsterboy1 karma

Do you ever have nightmares about driving long distances over land?

capetowntorio1 karma

not at all , I like the land and do road trips also!

eckliptic1 karma

Are you suggesting the world revert to sail power for our ocean faring vessels? Or have you come up an alternative, clean, energy source to power boats that can match the speed and safety of our current technology?

Otherwise this seems like a huge vanity project to get people to fund a trip around the world because you enjoy sailing and kind of care about the environment

What would be the long term impact of 2 people sailing around the world. People have sailed around the world without motors. That's done and proven. What else are you bringing to the table.

capetowntorio3 karma

I dont want to change the world, but I think that there are always diferent ways of doing things. tomorw big ships will probably still use big motors. I ll be happy if you turn of the lights because you are not using them because you remebered that i m in the middle of the ocean with no lights at all , then I ll be happy.

imgonnacallyouretard0 karma

(Assuming you've been speaking English for a number of years) Did your parents give you any kind of schooling while you were growing up? Your spelling is atrocious.

capetowntorio1 karma

sorry.... we can speak in french, spanish or portuguese if you want , it will be better.

k955301-3 karma

What's your explanation to the team that gets sent out to rescue you when Mother Nature deals you more than you can deliver and someone else has to put their life at risk to save you?

Get a motor.

capetowntorio2 karma

because you think that these guys go out more to get sailors then motor sailors???

joetromboni-3 karma

why are you demonstrating something that has been done hundreds of times?

capetowntorio7 karma

in 2008 we did the south pacific now we are doing the atlantic and in a few years we will be doing the indian ocean

arrond the world with no cabin !

mcnaughtier6 karma

That's quite a challenging trip but hardly the "first journey of its kind."

This guy went around the world in an open boat 10 years ago:

http://www.dixdesign.com/steward.htm

capetowntorio1 karma

what anthony did is great and inspires us a lot and personally I would rather do it his way! some people say that our boat is more open than his, we are wet almost all the time because of the fact tht it is a sport catamaran. then I should say that we will be the first to do it on a sport catamaran !!