Blue water: German couple back home after 10 years of sailing around the world
Fabian Boerger
· 28.10.2024
They are back! Asha Reich and Helge Aßmann have done it. They circumnavigated the globe once in ten years. In the wake of their faithful "Gegenwind", a Hanseat 70, lie countless nautical miles and numerous adventures. Ahead awaits a future that is still partly uncertain, but which the two are looking forward to with confidence. We visited the couple on board shortly before their arrival in Kiel.
Interview with the skippers
YACHT: The Hanseat 70 is a timeless GRP classic and a fast, rigid cruising boat with an extremely solid construction. However, it is relatively small for a circumnavigation. Why did you decide in favour of this ship back then?
Helge Aßmann: I knew that the Hanseat 70 MK II was often used for training in the navy. They went out there in all weathers; five men in oilskins and off they went! They just couldn't get the ships broken. I thought to myself, this must be a good ship; I need to take a closer look. At some point, the moment came when my old Königskreuzer became too small. I then bought "Gegenwind" in 2006 - for between 40,000 and 50,000 euros at the time.
Then in 2014 you went on a big trip. Three to five years were planned. It turned out to be ten. Looking back, what do you appreciate most about the Hanseat?
Aßmann: In a nutshell: she sails relatively well and also fast - even in light winds. And this despite the fact that the boat is often referred to as a tank. This is probably because the material is simply super-thick. For example, we once installed a log in the foredeck. That was only possible because we drilled through the hull from both sides. That creates a secure feeling. You can rely on that.
Asha Reich: That's true. You just know that nothing can happen to you. For example, we ran aground on a reef. We hit the rocks again and again for three hours - and we survived. Many other ships would certainly not have been able to withstand that.
Also interesting:
How could this happen?
Aßmann: That was in the Corona era. Our quarantine anchorage was off the east coast of Thailand. We lived there on the jump. Strong winds caused our anchor to break free again and again. Sometimes we kept watch, just like at sea. When the quarantine period came to an end, we set off. However, the area there is difficult and poorly mapped. Islands are not always located where they are marked.
Reich: As a result of the pandemic, the sailing community was not yet able to exchange information to the extent that we could have been warned.
Aßmann: That's why we set off, as we had done before on the whole stretch from East Timor to Thailand, with the help of satellite images, AIS tracks of large ships and all the information we could get. But after just a quarter of an hour it went bang and then a second time. Then "Headwind" got stuck. The keel was stuck in a hollow, the skeg and rudder blade were hanging behind the edge of a reef. The waves rose every minute and then the ship crashed back onto the keel. This went on for three hours. The ship shook and vibrated right up to the top of the mast! We kept checking anxiously to see if we were taking on water.
Reich: Our emergency bags were already packed. Fortunately, there was a superyacht nearby; its crew had heard our mayday call and were ready to take us in.
Aßmann: I just closed my eyes during all the ups and downs. I didn't want to know what the ship looked like under water. When the tide came in, we got free again. We carefully started the engine. And lo and behold, it was still working! We were able to inspect the damage at the next boatyard.
And how bad was it?
Aßmann: The first thing we looked at was the rudder blade and skeg. We had pushed entire reef blocks aside. Both are made of stainless steel and flanged to the GRP hull. In fact, only the paint had peeled off; apart from a few scratches, everything had remained intact. The keel, on the other hand, had been hit harder. We lost about ten centimetres of the keel heel and a lot of GRP had been rubbed away. Fortunately, there was still enough left so that no water penetrated via the keel sump. In the end, we were very lucky. Not every ship can withstand something like that.
And how did the "Gegenwind" cope with storms, which are to be expected on a trip like yours?
Reich: There weren't that many storms. We don't like heavy weather. Right at the beginning, in 2014, we had a bad experience on the way from Cascais to Porto Santo. The weather window actually looked good, but there was a small band in between. We caught this storm right in the middle.
Aßmann: That was the first time we'd seriously turned round. It wasn't cosy. Everything was banging and the "headwind" was travelling at eight knots - over the side! The wind continued to pick up. When waves broke into the cockpit, we lowered the main. Then we ran the waves with the headsail furled - there was nothing more than the sun protection strip outside.
And the "Gegenwind" was able to cope with this?
Aßmann: Yes, apart from a shackle that broke, nothing else happened.
Route of the "headwind" around the world
But the storm has still left its mark ...
Reich: Yes, we seriously thought about how we wanted to proceed in the future. So we decided to be more careful in future and to take a closer look at the weather. And we agreed that if one of us had a bad feeling and didn't want to sail, then we wouldn't sail either - without questioning it.
Aßmann: We didn't expect it to affect us like that. That's why from then on we looked for weather windows in which the trade winds were less strong. We preferred to stay at sea a few days longer instead of having to reckon with 30 to 40 knots of wind.
Reich: And that went well so far. Apart from a rough crossing from the Azores into the English Channel, we were spared any storms at sea.
You can avoid storms at sea. At anchorages or in harbours, however, you are sometimes at their mercy. Especially when they develop into hurricanes in tropical regions. How did you fare?
Aßmann: The first and only hurricane we experienced was in Panama in November 2016. This was actually a region where we were told that no hurricanes travelled to. But that didn't apply to Hurricane Otto. It swept over Costa Rica around 200 kilometres to the north of us and caused quite a stir in the Caribbean. We were in the Bocas del Toro archipelago with a "headwind" at the time. Fortunately, we found our hurricane hole there with a muddy bottom, from which you can hardly get the anchor out again, and with a lot of space around us.
Reich: We then experienced another cyclone in Fiji. At first we thought we would be spared. But in the Torres Strait, the time had come: a cyclone made its way directly to us. We later learnt from the Fijians that one cyclone per year is completely normal. They are no longer surprised by this.
How do you deal with such forces of nature?
Aßmann: Well, before we got to that point, we tried to answer a number of questions. For example: Where are hurricane holes? What are the local supply options like? What is the social network like? And very importantly: Is there enough space? If there are too many ships in one place, things will go wrong. At some point they bump into each other and sink each other.
Reich: And you can keep a close eye on the weather forecast.
Where did you get your weather information from?
Aßmann: We consulted everything we could get our hands on - from weather apps to information from local providers. Over time, we learnt to interpret the meteorological data in such a way that we could benefit from it.
What other insights do you gain in the course of such a journey?
Aßmann: It starts with the departure. We gave up our home, cancelled our flat and job and stowed away our belongings. In short, you have to be able to let go. And you learn to take responsibility elsewhere: for yourself and the ship. It's no longer about meeting deadlines. It's about arriving safely at the next destination.
Reich: Exactly. It's not as if you get on a plane and then go away. You always have to reorganise everything. We had a lot of contact with the authorities, for example. In the Caribbean, it was still uncomplicated. In Samoa, on the other hand, we had to submit 15 pages of forms before we arrived. In Fiji it was 20 pages. In Australia, we even had to give the names of our grandparents and their professions. Shortly before our arrival, the coast guard there flew over us in an aeroplane and asked for our details again by radio.
And then corona broke out. What was that like for you?
Aßmann: It was definitely gruelling. We constantly had to deal with all kinds of entry and exit regulations. There were suddenly countless regulations that we had to follow if we wanted to go to our next destination.
You got married in Porto Santo in June 2024. In your blog, you quote the German poet Friedrich Schiller with the words: "So let him who binds himself eternally test whether the heart finds its way to the heart; the delusion is short, the regret is long." Is travelling the world a good way to test yourself thoroughly?
Aßmann: So, being together around the clock year after year - many people say they can't do that with their partner. But that's exactly what we've done for ten years now. I think you can definitely call that a test. One that probably very few couples would pass.
Reich: Yes, that's right! After all, you can't slam a door when you're angry. The only room on board that you can lock behind you is the loo. And that's where the other person has to go at some point.
You are returning to Kiel, your home port - and thus also to your old lives. How will you deal with this?
Aßmann: I don't know if these are really our old lives. It's not just us, Germany has also changed to a certain extent in recent years.
Reich: In every country we travelled to, we first had to re-sort ourselves. This is now happening again back home.
Is there a bit of fear involved?
Reich: We are not really afraid of it. Instead, we are looking forward to what is to come - to the many familiar faces and how they have changed.
Aßmann: Exactly, we are looking forward to the adventure that is about to begin.
And what do you do when you realise that you don't like country life any more?
Reich: That's not really an issue for us right now. We first have to make a plan on how to proceed. We'll just do what we've done in recent years: We'll set off and organise the rest step by step.
But after such a long time, surely it will be difficult to disembark?
Aßmann: Yes, that's right. It's going to be a strange feeling to be back in permanent accommodation in the future.
Reich: I believe that too. The noises, for example, will be completely different.
How are you spending the coming weeks?
Aßmann: We will stay on board the "Gegenwind" until the end of October - if everything works out. Then we'll see if we can get a flat or a room somewhere where we can spend the coming winter. And then new challenges will follow. We are also preparing for lectures that we would like to give about our trip. We are also in the process of writing a book. It should be ready by Christmas.
And what happens to the "headwind"?
Aßmann: Firstly, we want to refurbish the ship. Some things need to be repainted. A boat suffers a lot in ten years. Then we'll see where we want to go on future holidays. Perhaps to Norway, the Baltic States or around England. Greenland would also be nice.
So the next adventure is already on the horizon. Thank you very much for the interview.
Ten years around the world: the highlights
5 July 2014: Here we go
The voyage starts in Kiel. They will leave Germany from Cuxhaven on 10 July as the water recedes.
Aug. 2014 - Nov. 2014: Europe
With stopovers in the Netherlands and England, the journey takes them across the Bay of Biscay. They experience their first storm between Cascais and Porto Santo. Preparations for the ocean passage are made on Gran Canaria.
March 2015 - Dec. 2015: Caribbean
They cross the Atlantic in 24 days. After 3,109 nautical miles, they reach Martinique. They spend the hurricane season in Grenada.
Dec. 2015 - Aug. 2016: Panama course
The journey continues to Cuba via Martinique and Jamaica. They then leave the Caribbean islands and set course for the Channel.
Aug. 2016 - Feb. 2017: Hurricane "Otto"
They spend the lightning season in the Bocas del Toro archipelago, Panama, and weather hurricane "Otto". The passage through the Panama Canal then begins via Shelter Bay.
Spring 2017: Pacific
The gateway to the Pacific opens on 3 March. Before sailing to the South Pacific, they take a detour to Colombia and Ecuador.
Sep. 2017 - May 2018: Polynesia course
After 51 days, they reach the Marquesas. In the Tuamotus, they enjoy the hospitality of the locals. On the island of Huahine, they bid farewell to French Polynesia.
Oct. 2018 - Sept. 2019: The South Seas are calling
In November 2018, they travelled via Samoa to Fiji, where they were hit by Cyclone Mona. They then head for New Caledonia and Australia. Passing the Great Barrier Reef
westwards through the Torres Strait.
Dec. 2019 - Sep. 2021: Corona
Off the coast of East Timor, the coronavirus pandemic also has the "Gegenwind" firmly in its grip. They spend 20 months at anchor in difficult conditions.
Oct. 2021 - end of 2021: Southeast Asia
Off to Phuket: within 30 days at sea they pass Indonesia and Malaysia. The area is incompletely mapped. A reef almost becomes their undoing. Weeks of repairs are necessary.
Jan. 2022 - April 2022: On a different keel
The storm season in Southeast Asia is starting earlier than usual. What to do? Wait months for better weather or take a freighter to Turkey? You choose the second option. Then it's across the Mediterranean to Gibraltar.
May 2022 - Jan. 2023: Around the world
They sail from Spain to the Canary Islands to avoid the orcas. Off Gran Canaria, they cross their course from 2014.
June 2024 - Aug. 2024: Northbound
The couple marry on Madeira on 27 June. In July, they sail to the Azores and then on to France. On the way to Europe, they encounter three storms at once.
28 September 2024: It's done!
After a decade, Asha Reich and Helge Aßmann return to their home port in Kiel with their "Gegenwind".
- The skipper couple have documented their trip around the world in detail on the Internet: sy-gegenwind.de
