"I cried in the cabin, thinking it was the end of my life": Travelers share their harrowing experience of surviving in the ocean for three years.

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The expedition lasted for 3.5 years. Photo: Russian Ocean Way expedition.

Two travelers from Siberia embarked on a unique expedition - the Russian Ocean Way. They circumnavigated the globe on tiny vessels, facing near-death experiences multiple times. After three and a half years, they completed their round-the-world journey, returning to Kronstadt, where their adventure began. Following that, they went home to Siberia. The adventurers shared their experiences of overcoming challenges in an interview with KP-Novosibirsk.

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Stanislav Berezkin (left) and Evgeny Kovalevsky finished their route in Kronstadt. Photo: Russian Ocean Way expedition.

JUMPING OVERBOARD EVEN IN THE COLD

Initially, they set off from the Russian shores on an inflatable trimaran: three air-filled pontoons and a sail.

- A makeshift raft. Three inflatable logs, - describes the vessel Evgeny Kovalevsky from Tomsk. - There’s no fresh water for washing or laundry. Only enough for drinking and food.

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The sailors from Siberia chose an unusual way to celebrate the anniversary of the Kruzenshtern. Photo: Russian Ocean Way expedition

It would certainly be nice to take a shower occasionally, or even wash in a body of water. However, on the raft, there are no utilities, and the water outside is as salty as pickle brine.

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This flashlight of Evgeny Kovalevsky will still come in handy during nighttime emergencies. Photo: Russian Ocean Way expedition

- I preferred to jump overboard at least once a day, even in the cold, to wash off the sweat. Or I would pour water over myself with a bucket. Then you put on clothes over your salty body. And this is how you live for months.

THE QUEST - GOING TO THE TOILET

Onboard, they prepared simple meals. The main diet consisted of noodles, rice, canned goods, tea, and coffee. They took turns sleeping: one on watch, the other resting. However, the schedule would break if someone fell ill. Storms and accidents also disrupted their rest. Even just taking care of nature's call became a serious task.

- I had to strip completely to avoid wetting my clothes because of the waves. So you undress, go do your business, then get dressed again. The whole procedure took about ten minutes, - shared traveler Stanislav Berezkin with KP-Novosibirsk.

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Evgeny celebrated his 67th birthday while on the journey. Photo: Russian Ocean Way expedition.

In warmer latitudes, it was not an issue. Things moved faster there. But during cold periods, it turned into a real "quest."

- For instance, I was wearing five pairs of pants, five layers, and had to take them all off. Otherwise, you wouldn't just get everything wet, you'd be drenched in 30-knot winds, which is over fifty kilometers per hour. The water splashes in, the wind blows, and at zero degrees, it feels like minus twenty. We endured this for up to six months, - recalls Kovalevsky in an interview with KP-Novosibirsk. — There was nowhere to dry our clothes, no heating. The wind blew into the tent, making it as cold inside as outside. I went to sleep in the clothes I wore. I crawled into two sleeping bags, one inside the other, and covered myself with three blankets – and still couldn't warm up. Stanislav didn't even take off his boots.

- To avoid hypothermia, only hot drinks or hot soup helped. We always had gas, so we could heat water, - adds Berezkin.

However, it turns out that was not always the case. If your companion is sleeping while you’re on watch, and the weather is bad, making tea becomes a dangerous luxury.

THREE IN A BOAT AND A DOG CALLING FOR HELP

During certain stages of their journey, the circumnavigators took companions along. In March 2023, the crew was larger than usual – alongside the Siberians sailed sailor Yegor Muzileev and his dog Pasoka.

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Pasoka never understood why she got involved in all of this. Photo: Russian Ocean Way expedition

One and a half years of travel lay behind them, heading towards Easter Island. Then disaster struck: a storm tore the steering wheel apart, leaving the raft without control. They had to call for help – the leader of the shore team, Yulia Kalyuzhnaya, was responsible for their rescue.

- The nearest cargo ship was nine hours away. That was the closest vessel in the ocean. They redirected it from its route and asked it to rescue the guys, - recounts Yulia.

The cargo ship approached the trimaran, but even boarding the distressed travelers proved to be a challenge.

- They came close and saw a tiny raft below, crashing against their side. They threw down a rope ladder and said: guys, jump, you can do it - well done. But we were being tossed against their hull and pushed away. Sometimes we soared above their eight-meter side, and sometimes we fell into a trough. Yegor managed quickly. In the end, I jumped across. But Stanislav had a dislocated left arm, and he couldn't hold on, falling four times, - describes the ordeal Evgeny Kovalevsky.

- The first time I fell, I found myself between the trimaran and the hull. And the trimaran was coming at me. It weighs three tons and could crush me. I thought, "This is it," - says Berezkin.

At the last moment, he was pulled up on a safety line. However, they couldn't lift him that way, so he had to return to the trimaran and jump again onto the rope ladder.

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No one abandoned Pasoka during the emergency. Photo: Russian Ocean Way expedition.

Once on board (of course, with the dog), the travelers hoped to save their little vessel. But the ocean claimed it.

- I cried in the cabin. I thought it was the end – not just the expedition, but the end of my life. I've been involved in extreme expeditions for fifty years, and I decided that this expedition would be the last mega-extreme one. If I didn't complete it, then I had made a mistake and boarded someone else's tram. It was a collapse, an erasure of my life.

TWO EASTER ISLANDS

Eight years ago, another sailor, Dmitry Trubitsin, passed from Peru to Easter Island. He left his small vessel on the island – just as miniature as those of the Siberian circumnavigators. Only it was a catamaran on two pontoons rather than three.

Last week, Yulia Kalyuzhnaya met with a local islander who had kept the vessel. Now she recalled that meeting – was it not a coincidence?

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As they reached the shore, the travelers got acquainted with the local residents. Photo: Russian Ocean Way expedition

- And then I realized that this situation was not just a coincidence. It was a miracle. We called the catamaran's owner, and he said: "Guys, of course, take it," - shares Yulia.

Before continuing their journey, something amusing happened: on Easter Island, the crew celebrated... Easter.

- Even two Easters - Catholic and Orthodox. Moreover, we taught them how we, Russians, dye eggs. We painted them and showed everyone, - smiles Yulia.

The locals demonstrated their tradition. On Easter Island, it is customary to feed the entire island for free. All eight thousand residents.

SHARKS RUINED EVERYTHING, BUT A BILLIONAIRE HELPED

Then – disaster struck