Ocean crossings

Atlantic Ocean: Genoa (Italy) – Fortaleza (Brazil) 11.000km in 227 days from 18th September 2005 to 2nd May 2006.

This is the story of a record-breaking adventure, but also the story of a 27-year-old guy who, with indomitable spirit and a lot of patience, made an impossible dream come true.

On September 18 2005 Alex left Quarto (Genoa) in an attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean alone by rowing boat. This departure is preceded by two failed attempts in 2004, the last of which ends with a shipwreck on the island of Formentera after only 23 days of navigation. Alex is saved, does not report severe consequences, but his boat is irreparably destroyed by the impact.

In 2005, Alex’s progress is rather slow due to the difficult sea conditions, which will force him to spend 18 consecutive days in the cabin. As a result of numerous flips, much of the food on board is no longer edible. On the one hundred and sixtieth day of navigation, about 2500 km from the coast of Brazil, he runs out of food. He manages to get some food by two passing ships, but two weeks later he is hungry again and afraid of not making it. He paddles for days without food, “assisted” by his ground team who gives him moral support and, on the fifth day, he reaches the small archipelago of Sao Pedro and Sao Pablo where he is welcomed by some scientists.

He sets off again a few days later and on May 2, 227 days after his departure from Quarto, he sets foot in Fortaleza (Brazil) in front of a cheering crowd.

Touching land in Brazil, he promises to never set foot on a row boat again, but the promise does not last long, in fact a month after his return to Italy he is already thinking about crossing the Pacific.