Atlantic Ocean -- Crossing the Ocean on a Reed Sailing Boat

Date: 2007

Expedition Leader: Dominique Görlitz

Team Members: Sabrina Lorenz, flag carrier; Winfield Burmeister, captain; Tormod Granheim, photographer/cinematographer; Fermin Limachi, craftsman

Purpose: To test whether ancient sailors could cross oceans on reed boats.

Description: In July 2007, Sabrina Lorenz set sail across the Atlantic with ten others and Wings WorldQuest Flag #3 to prove that intercontinental trade was possible in prehistoric times. Expedition leader Dominique Görlitz invited Sabrina, an experienced scientific scuba diver, and Andrea Müller to be the two women to sail aboard the Abora III, a reed boat similar to those used in predynastic Egypt. Long before Columbus or the Vikings voyaged to the New World, growing evidence indicates that people regularly crossed the Atlantic. Cave drawings from the Magdalene Old Stone Age cultures in France and Spain attest to advanced nautical knowledge.

Aymara natives, who make reed boats on Lake Titicaca, constructed the hull of the Abora III in Bolivia. When it arrived in New Jersey, Sabrina helped build the mast, two cabins, deck, and navigation facilities using only ancient techniques – wood roped together and held fast with innumerable knots. And taking a cue from the cave paintings, the craft was outfitted with a series of rudders, which allowed greater dexterity in steering. Dominique asked Sabrina to assemble enough food for eleven people to last 60 days at sea. On July 11, the Abora III set sail from New York Harbor with strong winds to the east.

After making 330 miles in the first four days, the wind stopped and the Abora III slowly drifted on the current. Passing the continental shelf Sabrina spotted whales, dolphins, ocean turtles, and manta rays in the turquoisewaters. Then, the Abora III ran into a series of bad storms, weathering 5-meter, white-crested waves in winds of 22 miles per hour. Throughout, the crew stood three shifts around the clock.

Heading into hurricane season, the Abora III was severely tested. On August 11, the wind whipped the waves into an unusual frenzy. The crew had to cut the sail to save the mast. High waves crashed over the boat and washed away anything unattached, including water and food. After three weeks weathering two more major storms and round-the-clock repairs, the Abora III was still 500 miles from its halfway point. Water washed the deck continuously, the cabin had shifted to the port side, and the steering mechanism broke. When a section of the raft was lost during a night storm, a convoy ship was called to rescue the bedraggled crew, who, on September 5, waved goodbye to their battered raft.      

Although Sabrina and the crew did not make it across, they demonstrated that similar reed craft could have crossed the ocean, enabling contact between people in Europe and North America. The experience revealed that ancient seafarers depended more upon the currents than the wind to propel these types of boats.

Website: http://www.abora3.com