Alone at sea

Hannes Lindemann (born 1922), a German physician and avid small-boat sailor, recounts two solo transatlantic crossings he made: the first, in 1955, in a traditional dugout canoe bought from a fisherman in Liberia; and the second, a year later, in a folding sea kayak. Motivated in part by his interest in survival at sea, he sought to reproduce the conditions of a castaway, largely relying on fishing and rainwater and emphasising strong mental discipline.