Fossilfree fellows: Matteo Miceli’s solo fossil free circumnavigation!

We met Matteo and Corinne in the laundry of Puerto Calero, Lanzarote.

“Are you the sailors from that electric boat?”
“Yes, Peter did a fossil free circumnavigation from 2016 to 2018.”
“Really? Matteo did a fossilfree circumnavigation in 2014!”

Wauw! This is an incredible coincidence that we now meet. That night, we ate Corinne’s splendid melanzane alla parmigiana, with tuna caught by Matteo. The video of Matteo’s circumnavigation made Peter and Matteo exchange their experiences.

Matteo departs from Rome and starts his fossil free, solo, self-sufficient circumnavigation. Zero stops, passing Cape Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn. Watch the impressive video.

The similarities are striking.

Because of the language barrier, both sailors did not know of each other’s existence nor of the similar project they were working on. In both cases, a team of volunteers helped them. A true belief in the power of sailing fossil free and the passion for sailing connects them. Also, the hands-on mentality and the desire to shape their own ocean-worthy dream-ship. Both want to show to the world that it is possible to sail fossil free, even the complete world around. Both have written good books on sailing, in their native language. And for both, good food on board is one of the essences of sailing.

Real spaghetti alla Carbonara (source: wiki)

Now for the differences: Matteo built a racer that enabled him to sail around the world solo, completely autonomous and fossil free in 5 months. On board were 2 hens for eggs, fishing gear and his own ‘farm’ for growing vegetables.

Matteo took the route of the maximum wind speeds, avoiding populated areas.

Matteo sailing just north of the Southern Ice Sea, with his fast Eco40 nearly flying over the waves, always sailing with the strong, sometimes storm winds.

Meanwhile, one of Matteo’s hens lays an egg (source: video Matteo Marceli)

*Growing vegetables on board of Eco40 (source: video Matteo Marceli)*.

Peter built a yacht that enabled him to sail around the world fossil free in a leisure cruiser, with guests, in 14 months. A comfortable life on board for Peter and his guests was possible.

Ya: fossilfree around the world, the so called ‘trade wind route’ with all guests taking part in it.

He took the route of the trade winds. Nevertheless there was the challenge to include a passage through the doldrums, which would normally require, according to the sea man’s books, to ‘take as much diesel as you can”. Which he did not, of course.

*On board of Ya, Peter and Matteo exchange the books they wrote.*

We are very happy to have met our fossil free fellows Matteo and Corinne and we hope the community of fossil free sailors will grow!

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