Interview with Ronja Dörnfeld: Sailing around the world at 25 - "I would be proud of myself"
A late afternoon at the beginning of November on Gran Canaria. The sun gradually disappears behind the mountains and bathes the marina in the island's capital in warm light. While sundowners are soon being served on many of the boats along the jetties and the day draws to a relaxed close, work is still going on at jetty Z on an old Moody with a German flag at the stern. Painter's tape is stuck to the teak deck and a large sheet of paper hangs on the bulkhead below deck, dividing the tasks up to the Atlantic crossing that is about to begin into the categories "Absolutely important" and "Would be nice if". The crew has just returned with the dinghy from a swim on the other side of the harbour pier - despite the tight schedule, a quick dip in the water is a must.
"Can you get on board via the mooring lines?" asks Ronja Dörnfeld, skipper of the boat, to the visitor from YACHT who has just arrived and shows what she means: in order to get on board her "Malouine" despite the high stem, even higher pulpit and without a ladder, the young woman in the striped linen dress nimbly jumps down over one of the two fore lines to the jetty and back on board again. The unconventional manoeuvre gives an idea that Ronja Dörnfeld is no ordinary sailor working here and that in a few days' time she and her crew will set off on the longest leg of their round-the-world voyage to date.
In the early summer of 2022, the 25-year-old left Wolgast on the Baltic Sea to go on a long journey. Preferably for as long as possible, preferably alone as often as possible. Dörnfeld sailed from Germany to the Canary Islands in just a few months, where she talks about her plans and the journey so far, the boat refit and how she made the adventure possible in the first place.
YACHT: Ronja, you've been working towards this goal for years. How does it feel to have arrived in the Canary Islands and to be sailing across the Atlantic soon?
Ronja Dörnfeld: It's really cool how far I've come so far. And it's great to finally be where palm trees grow(laughs).
Do you really want to go around the world?
Yes, I've been dreaming about it for a long time. I want to take the barefoot route through the Panama Canal, to Galapagos and on to Australia. I'd love to stay there longer and do a year of "work and boat", living on the boat and working locally. If that works out, my trip could last longer.
How long do you want to be on the road?
Originally I had planned two years, that's how long my savings would have lasted if I'd had to buy a boat. But then I got this one, and now I'd rather say three years! That would work out money-wise, but if I can work while travelling, I might be able to extend it even further.
You are travelling with a Moody 41. Why this boat?
I've had this dream of sailing around the world for a very long time. When do you start dreaming about something like that? As an Opti child? Maybe it was between seventh and tenth grade. In any case, I started saving for my own boat very early on so that I could sail around the world on it one day. In my mind, that was after my working life, when I would retire.
It seems to be working much earlier now!
Yes, because a good five years ago my friends said to me that I should just ask my father if I could take one of his boats. He has a charter company. So I did, and we made an agreement that I would help out in the company for a while and in return I could use a boat for my trip. My father remains the owner. I worked on yachts for two winters and one summer. I also had other student jobs to earn money for the trip. It was more than a full-time job and very exhausting.
Was there a lot to do on the ship?
Definitely! In the winter before we started, my friend and I worked almost exclusively on this boat. We completely renewed the cockpit floor, the sandwich material under the helm was soft and damp. We added a windpilot, which I got from another sailor in return for doing his underwater hull. We have renewed all the outlets and sea valves, as well as the batteries and a lot of the electrics.
Has everything worked well on the road, or have new construction sites emerged?
There were a few incidents. On the Baltic Sea, I once had a lot of water in the boat and couldn't explain where it was coming from. The floorboards at the front were already swollen. Fortunately, it was only fresh water flowing from a hose that had slipped off in the bathroom. However, the bilge pump was damaged. It emitted black smoke while everything was full of water. That was not so cool and a shock. Fortunately, I have two more bilge pumps.
And that's not all?
No. On Heligoland we found diesel pest in the tank and it also turned out that I had corona. I was in quarantine for eight days and wasn't allowed to go ashore. I was also pretty sick, so I was even hospitalised for a day. That's all I saw of the island.
Apart from the boat refit, how did you prepare for the trip?
I've been sailing since I was little and at some point I started reading all the round-the-world sailing books I could find. One of them was by Jessica Watson, who sailed solo and non-stop around the world. I originally wanted to sail as many legs as possible on my own. I would then be particularly proud of myself. But so far I've mostly taken friends with me or my boyfriend Jan. I've realised that it's actually more fun to sail with others. And it's also good for the ship's coffers(laughs).
When do you start dreaming of sailing around the world? As an Opti child? I started saving for a boat very early on"
Who will sail across the Atlantic with you?
A friend, a fellow sailor who is standing in for someone, and my friend. Incidentally, his little brother sends us weather information on the satellite phone from home.
You are sailing with the ARC Plus fleet. Why, if your travelling budget is tight anyway? It's not for nothing.
Here for the regatta! I'm actually more of a regatta sailor than a cruising sailor, I used to sail a lot of 420 and Melges regattas in Berlin. My mum also liked the idea that we could sail within radio range of other yachts.
What does your family say about your plans?
They all sail and weren't particularly surprised. My grandma said: "Laura Dekker was only 16, and WhatsApp works worldwide." However, she didn't like the idea of me not finishing my studies before the trip. That's why I had to finish my bachelor's thesis while I was travelling, as I didn't manage to do it before I left.
How does that work?
I'm studying geosciences and I'm writing the only paper in soil science that doesn't have to be done in the lab. I created a learning concept for primary schools on the subject of soil and nature conservation. Whenever we had to wait for good weather while travelling, I had a few days to work on it. I finally handed the work in on Madeira. I had clarified beforehand that I could defend it on the Internet. My supervisors know that I'm travelling. The defence will now take place in the Caribbean after the Atlantic crossing.
That sounds very relaxed!
Totally. I have a lot of luck.
You also feed your Instagram channel. How does that work?
I thought I thought it was cool. But it's actually rather exhausting. I get a lot of unsolicited tips on repairs and tools from other sailors. That doesn't always have to be the case.
Do you sometimes think about the time after the trip?
No, I just want to sail for now. Fortunately, there's no deadline for me to return the boat.
The crew for the circumnavigation
Ronja Dörnfeld and Jan Seltrecht are a sailing-mad couple. However, Dörnfeld initiated the round-the-world sailing project alone. Her boyfriend only accompanies her in sections. The 25-year-old Berliner would prefer to sail as many stages as possible solo - even though this is a challenge that should not be underestimated.
- Follow Ronja Dörnfeld on Instagram: @ronjasegeltochter
