It was 28 March 1976 when Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz cast off in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Her goal: to be the first woman to sail around the world alone. Chojnowska-Liskiewicz, born in Warsaw in 1936, had been sailing since the age of 16 and obtained her yacht captain's licence in 1966. She was selected by the Polish Sailing Association to be the first woman to attempt a single-handed circumnavigation. The 9.5 metre sloop "Mazurek" was specially built for the voyage, under the direction of her husband. Her route took her across the Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Panama Canal out into the Pacific, with stopovers in Barbados, Balboa, Tahiti and Australia. "Mazurek" was named after the Polish folk dance, Mazurka.
723 days, 31,166 nautical miles
On 28 March 1976, the "Mazurek" left Las Palmas for the second time. The skipper had cancelled the first departure a few days earlier because the autopilot had failed and had to be repaired. A small foretaste of what was to come. The 9.5-metre sloop was equipped with everything a single-handed sailor needs: provisions, nautical charts, navigation books, a radio telephone - and a shotgun. For pirates. At the time, Krystyna had no idea that this weapon would later become a problem when clearing in Tahiti.
Atlantic and Caribbean: the arrival of solitude
The first major section - the Atlantic crossing to Barbados - took almost a month. The inevitable loneliness already made itself felt here. Chojnowska-Liskiewicz tried to combat it by keeping busy: repairs, navigational calculations, logbook entries. She spoke to her husband by phone every few days - but the conversations mostly centred on technical and nautical issues; and on many days in the middle of the Atlantic, she simply couldn't get a connection.
Engine failure in Panama: five weeks forced break
From Barbados, the route led to Balboa, where a more serious problem awaited: the engine of the "Mazurek" failed completely. The boat lay in a Panamanian harbour for five weeks before the engine was repaired. It was not until 12 July 1976 that she passed through the Panama Canal, opening the door to the Pacific. Chojnowska-Liskiewicz decided to skip the Galapagos Islands and head straight for the Marquesas; she had enough fresh water on board for two months.
Tahiti, flying fish and a lonely sailor
In the Marquesas, she met the Australian Donna Taylor, who was also sailing around the world with her family. Taylor later recalled: "I often rowed over to her house to drink tea. She was very lonely." Tahiti was one of the great time-outs of the voyage. And on the open ocean, flying fish kept jumping on board as an involuntary but welcome breakfast. Schools of dolphins accompanied the "Mazurek" for hundreds of miles; she counted such moments among the best memories of her journey.
Sydney: Reunion, hull care and a difficult farewell
Australia became the longest break. In Sydney, she had the "Mazurek" lifted out of the water. The hull had not been cleaned for months and was covered in vegetation, which significantly reduced her speed. She also waited three and a half months for the hurricane season to end in north-east Australia. There she also met her husband again; it was the only meeting during the entire journey. It was with a heavy heart that she left Sydney on 21 May 1977.
The Great Barrier Reef: Bow to bow with the unknown
Then came the Great Barrier Reef. She had to use all her expertise to navigate between the reefs, shallows and islets, almost failing: "The trade winds brought intense rain showers that obscured everything. In these conditions, I came bow to bow with another ship in a passage between two islets. I hadn't noticed the ship, the signs or the islands - even though it was lunchtime."
Tasman Sea: The life raft and the bare hands
In the Tasman Sea, she was caught in one of the most violent storms of the voyage. She sat on the floor of the "Mazurek", one of the most stable places in the storm, and leafed through nautical charts to find out how often such storms actually occur there. Then a wave knocked the boat on its side. Everything flew off the shelves. And the 90-kilogram life raft washed overboard. What followed was almost unbelievable: Chojnowska-Liskiewicz pulled the island back on board with her bare hands, half hanging over the railing; in the storm. "I still admire myself for it today." This happened to her twice. The third time, the fastening cable broke and the island drifted away towards Antarctica.
Indian Ocean: Huge waves, kidney stones, no radio
The Indian Ocean is considered one of the most unpredictable oceans in the world. Chojnowska-Liskiewicz battled her way through extreme waves and extreme winds. Shortly before Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa, she was hit by another heavy storm. She noted: "The wind speed was constantly over 40 knots. I crossed once to the north, once to the south. I often had to turn faster because of the other ships, the waves hid them right up to the tops of the masts." Then there were physical ailments: A kidney stone attack in the middle of the sea, loss of radio contact for days, total exhaustion.
20 March 1978: The circle closes
On 20 March 1978 at 21:00 GMT, the circle was completed at position 16°08'N, 35°30'W - in the middle of the Atlantic, near Cape Verde. It was done. A woman had circumnavigated the globe alone, the first in history. The Guinness Book of Records recorded the achievement. The United Nations in Geneva later honoured her with the title "First Lady of the Oceans". And yet: hardly anyone outside Poland knew about her.
The quotes are taken from the book "Pierwsza dookoła świata" (The First Around the World), in which Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz documented her journey herself. Her first achievement was also recognised in this article documented in detail.
The controversy: Was she really the first?
Just a few weeks after Chojnowska-Liskiewicz, Naomi James from New Zealand also completed a single-handed circumnavigation in a remarkable 272 days via Cape Horn on 8 June 1978. The British woman had only learnt to sail two years earlier and yet she was faster. She was celebrated, honoured with the Order of the British Empire and many considered her to be the real first.
To this day, the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC) only officially recognises James' achievement, as a route through the Panama Canal is not considered a complete single-handed circumnavigation in its rules and regulations; the three large capes must be passed for this. This means that the first achievement is also a question of definition: what is a "real" circumnavigation?
Chronologically, Chojnowska-Liskiewicz was indisputably the first female sailor to circumnavigate the globe solo. James was the first to sail the classic Cape Horn route and is the official record holder according to WSSRC rules. Both achievements are extraordinary, but the Polish woman simply finished earlier.
Why hardly anyone knows the Polish woman
While Chojnowska-Liskiewicz was fighting on the oceans, the Solidarność movement emerged in the Gdansk shipyard. As a favourite of the communist regime, to which the Polish Sailors' Association was subject, she was persona non grata for many workers. After her return, she was refused employment at the shipyard and former friends turned their backs on her. The First of the Seas disappeared into the turmoil of history until Poland and the international sailing world rehabilitated her as a national heroine. Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz died on 13 June 2021 at the age of 84.
More firsts by women on the world's oceans:
- First circumnavigation: Jeanne Baret (France) was the first woman to sail around the world (1766-1769). However, she did so disguised as a man in order to be part of Louis Antoine de Bougainville's expedition.
- First single-handed circumnavigation: Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz (Poland) was the first woman to sail around the world solo. She started in 1976 and completed the circumnavigation in 1978.
- First single-handed circumnavigation of Cape Horn: Dame Naomi James (New Zealand) was the first woman to sail single-handed around the world in 1977/78, rounding the infamous Cape Horn.
- First non-stop circumnavigation (solo): Kay Cottee (Australia) was the first woman to sail around the world solo, non-stop and unassisted (1988).
- First single-handed transatlantic crossing: Ann Davison (Great Britain) was the first woman to cross the Atlantic single-handed in 1952/53.
- Most recent circumnavigation: Laura Dekker (Netherlands) became the youngest person to sail around the world alone at the age of 16 in 2012.
- First female crew in the Whitbread Race: Tracy Edwards (Great Britain) skippered the first all-female crew in the prestigious Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in 1989/90 and won two legs.
- Fastest single-handed circumnavigation of the world: Ellen MacArthur (Great Britain) broke the record for the fastest single-handed circumnavigation in 2005 (71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes).
- Kirsten Neuschäfer (2023) was the first woman ever to win the legendary Golden Globe Race - after 253 days at sea.
You can find more interesting information about first-time achievements by women in this article.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
