Where do the roots of wandering grow from?
Theodore made his first voyage into the open Atlantic Ocean two years ago. As he later explained his almost insane plan, he decided on it because he wanted to test himself. And also – he wished for his six-year-old son Dima to be proud of his victorious father, conqueror of the ocean. After all, in the Rezvy family everyone is so fearless, and each is known for his deeds before humanity. Among Theodore's ancestors there are famous military commanders (a portrait of his great-great-grandfather even hangs in the Hermitage itself); the navigator's father is a well-known geologist. Therefore Theodore, who was named after his grandfather (actually Fyodor, a distinguished doctor abroad), decided not to break family tradition and to make his contribution to 'family' merits.
Theodore chose not an easy path to heroic glory. But the choice was also not accidental. By education, he is an artist. He worked as a geologist like his father, in the Pamirs, as a decorator at the Odessa Film Studio, and as a designer. In childhood, he lived with his parents in Kyrgyzstan. From the age of three he already rode horses and took up rowing. These childhood passions – the sea and horses – remained for life. Because of his 'water' sympathies, he received another education – as a first-class sailor. He always went in for sports: mountaineering, archery, tennis, volleyball, wushu, taekwondo, aikido, judo.
True, until 2001 Theodore Rezvy did not seek ocean voyages. His mother lives in Great Britain – this is what allowed Theodore to get a job as a designer of the website of the Union of Ocean Rowers (where he works to this day), whose headquarters is in London. It was then that he became 'infected' with the idea of going on a solo voyage. Thus Theodore became the first and only citizen of Ukraine to be accepted into the British Geographical Union.
Into the Ocean on a Little Boat
Theodore started in October 2001 from the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands) and exactly 67 days, 6 hours, and 35 minutes later stepped onto the shore on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – in Barbados. The journey was not easy (for ocean waters are far from the waves of the Dnieper). Theodore had to endure calms, storms, and downpours. And all alone with the elements. (As a rule, the Ukrainian navigator spent the most dangerous hours of a storm in a sealed cabin.) In addition, note, it is serious and difficult daily physical work. If you count how many strokes are needed to overcome the Atlantic Ocean, the figure is almost cosmic – at least one and a half million oar strokes. As specialists say, the one who endures this ordeal is not the one who is physically stronger, but the one who is psychologically ready for such a test. After all, the approximate duration of the struggle with the ocean elements is from 60 to 100 days.
'Although, honestly,' says Theodore, 'I never managed to completely seclude myself in the ocean: on my boat someone was constantly spending the night – either some bird or flying fish, which accompanied the boat in whole schools. After another storm, dozens of such fish of various sizes were found on the deck. Besides, during the voyage I constantly communicated with random sailors and was in touch with engineers.'
'Sorry, Sir, Storm'
For the journey, Theodore rented a boat from two English rowers who had already crossed the Atlantic in 1997 (Rezvy named it 'Odessa'). That is, the boat was already used. Therefore, its equipment was rather worn out. Because of this, during the expedition the traveler had emergencies – the ocean water desalinator broke down. Imagine being in the open ocean without fresh water! Theodore repaired the device with the help of advice from engineers, which he received via satellite phone. The boat also lacked a passive radar, so large ships did not see the little dot – Theodore's boat.
'This is a significant problem, especially at night; it can lead to tragic consequences,' says Theodore. 'On the approach to Barbados, a dry cargo ship was heading straight for my boat. I tried to contact the ship's crew by radio, launched signal flares, shone a searchlight – no one responded. Finally, they got in touch (by that time I was no longer ashamed of a "hot" word), and a sleepy voice commented on the complete ignoring of my calls: "Sorry, sir, storm."'
The navigator ate special products (which are prepared like instant noodles) and fish – the traveler caught it using live bait, in particular the very flying fish. And the catches went well – the trophies weighed on average 1.5 kg. And once Theodore even caught a fish one and a half meters long.
Upon Theodore's arrival on land, his success was appreciated in the World Union of Ocean Rowers. Fanfares in honor of Theodore Rezvy also sounded in Ukraine. 'I have a dream,' says the navigator, 'to buy back the boat on which I made the voyage and which has become dear to me, and to install it in my city opposite the seaport.' The mayor of Odessa, Ruslan Bodelan, promised to assist in this.
For his achievement, Theodore was awarded the title of Knight of the Order 'For Courage' III degree, the Certificate of Honor of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, and in addition was enrolled as an honorary member of the Association of Sea Captains of Odessa and was awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports of Ukraine.
Again into the Ocean for Feats
Not long ago, Teodor Rezvoy again set off for the ocean. If last time he made a voyage from Europe to America (the route lay in warm latitudes), now he will have to sail in the cold waters of the North Atlantic, that is, cross the ocean in the opposite direction. "If I succeed," Teodor said before leaving, "I will become the third traveler in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean in both directions." The Ukrainian plans to start his journey from New York, almost at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, and dock at the French city of Brest. It should be emphasized that from New York to Brest no solitary traveler has yet rowed. Rowers have covered this route only once - in 1896, when the crossing was made by Americans Harbo and Samuelson.
Teodor will have to cover 5,200 km. By the way, it was in these waters that the famous "Titanic" sank. Teodor Rezvoy also reported earlier that he would dedicate his crossing to the firefighters who died in September last year in the United States during the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York.
At a press conference, Teodor commented on his upcoming crossing: "I have chosen the most favorable time, the so-called 'window' - the season when winds and weather allow one to conquer the ocean." By the way, the vessel for Teodor was built in Great Britain. This boat compares favorably with its predecessor. Teodor named it "Ukraine". The boat is 7.3 m long, and 1.8 m wide. The first boat, "Odessa", was made of plywood, while "Ukraine" was made of dense foam plastic. This will enable it to right itself if it capsizes during a storm. In addition, all the equipment will be brand new. Taught by bitter experience, Teodor took a passive radar with him so that large ships could see him. The navigator stocked up on a large amount of food and took more belongings. By phone, Teodor will be able to keep in touch with his family and will even file reports on the progress of the voyage for a Ukrainian radio station.
The Ukrainian government, unable to allocate funds for the expedition, provided only organizational assistance. The list of sponsors turned out to be good. Rezvoy's trip will cost on average $100,000. The World Union of Ocean Rowers is also providing active assistance to Teodor Rezvoy in implementing the project "Conquering the Atlantic by Ukraine".
• It should be noted that the use of plywood in shipbuilding is rather the exception than the rule. For the most part, laminated plywood is widely used in construction. But in skilled hands, as we can see, any building material will find its application.