Aleksander "Olek" Doba

Aleksander "Olek" Doba (1946–2021) was a legendary Polish adventurer who became the first person to kayak across the Atlantic Ocean solo and unaided by sails, relying entirely on muscle power. He completed this feat three times, all after the age of 60.

The Trans-Atlantic Expeditions

Doba’s three crossings are categorized by their difficulty and the unique routes he took:

First 2010–2011 Senegal (Dakar) to Brazil - 99 days / 5,394 km
Second 2013–2014 Portugal (Lisbon) to Florida - 167 days / 12,427 km
Third 2017 USA (New Jersey) to France - 110 days / 8,100 km

The Second Crossing (Widest Point): This was his most famous journey. He faced 30-foot waves and a broken rudder that forced him to stop in Bermuda for repairs. He also lost communication with the outside world for 47 days when his satellite equipment failed.

The Third Crossing (North Atlantic): At age 70, he tackled the much colder and more dangerous North Atlantic route. He arrived in France just one week before his 71st birthday.

The Vessel: "Olo"

His kayak, named Olo, was a custom-built 7-meter (23 ft) craft designed by Andrzej Armiński. It was specifically engineered for ocean survival:

Unsinkable Design: It featured five waterproof compartments and was designed to self-right if it capsized in heavy storms.

The "Wings": It had specialized stabilizer bars (wings) to prevent rolling, though Doba famously removed them during his second trip after they were damaged, finding he preferred the kayak's stability without them.

The Cabin: A tiny, coffin-sized compartment where he slept in short installments (rarely more than six hours total per day).

Survival and Resilience

Doba was known for his extreme physical and mental toughness. During his voyages, he often dealt with:

Salt Torture: His skin was frequently flayed by the constant sun and salt spray, and he suffered from conjunctivitis and the loss of his fingernails and toenails.

Diet: He relied on lyophilized (freeze-dried) food but often caught fresh fish. He famously told stories of hitting a shark with his paddle to ward it off.

Isolation: He often paddled naked to avoid the irritation of wet clothes and managed months of loneliness with a signature "irrepressible" optimism.

Legacy

Aleksander Doba was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2015. He passed away in February 2021 at the age of 74, shortly after reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, fulfilling a lifelong dream.