The scene of the setting off ceremony (photo provided by the interviewee issued by the Central Broadcasting Network)
At about 10:00 a.m. on August 27, Zhai Mo, the global navigator of China's single unpowered sailing ship and the captain of the Global Pass, finished his rest after completing the first non-stop voyage around the Arctic Ocean (referred to as the "Journey around the North"), set sail again, and embarked on the journey home. After about 40 days of sailing, he will return to Shanghai, where he set off a year ago.
Looking back at the "Journey around the North", the "duel" between man and nature, it is still exciting. On one side is the coldest Arctic Ocean in the world, and no one has ever conquered it without stopping in a sailboat; On the other hand, Zhai Mo, a Chinese single-person unpowered sailing ship around the world, has never been afraid of challenges and has repeatedly practiced the spirit of navigation in the new era with practical actions. After countless battles, this duel ended with Zhai Mo's complete victory.
In the "Special Live Broadcasting Program of the Central Broadcasting Network 'Zhai Mo Returns to The Voyage'", the bold Shandong Hanzi only smiled slightly at his feat: "After returning from a voyage, I only hope that I am still the 'teenager' who loves sailing." ”
Because of "painting" wading into the "sea", he opened a "hardcore" seafaring life
Zhai Mo in the middle of the voyage (Photo provided by the interviewee issued by the Central Broadcasting Network)
Zhai Mo's association with navigation was at a personal exhibition at the turn of the century. At that time, the "painter Zhai Mo", who had not yet become a "navigator", met an old Norwegian captain by chance, and with the encouragement of his sailing experience, the enthusiastic young man with a dream resolutely had the idea of going to sea. Immediately, Zhai Mo sold all his paintings and bought his first ship, thus starting the "hardcore" seafaring life of "Navigator Zhai Mo".
In February 2000, Zhai Mo drove a self-sailing boat around New Zealand for a week to investigate the local Polynesian indigenous culture; From January 2007 to August 2009, Zhai Mo spent two and a half years to complete the feat of sailing around the world by self-driving sailing; From April to September 2015, Zhai Mo piloted the "2015 Re-walking on the Maritime Silk Road" large-scale sailing activity, led the fleet to set sail from Fujian, passing through 8 countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Malta, Italy, Greece, Turkey, etc., to carry out cultural and artistic economic and trade exchange activities in various countries along the way, and held theme day activities at the China Pavilion of Expo 2015 Milan; In 2016, Zhai Mo led the "2016 Re-walking maritime Silk Road" large-scale navigation activity... For more than 20 years, Zhai Mo has driven his sailboat to the world.
"For me personally, every voyage has a different experience and a reward. At different times, the same sailing experience has different meanings... I forged myself on voyage after voyage. After thousands of sails, Zhai Mo's eyes were still like teenagers", "stars shining".
The "Journey around the North" is only for this one purpose
"Journey around the North" (Photo provided by the interviewee issued by the Central Broadcasting Network)
Climate and environmental changes in the Arctic region affect the sustainable development of the world, and have been the focus of global attention in recent years, and the annual reduction of the Arctic ice sheet area and the loss of Arctic animal habitat will further affect the survival and development of human beings.
In order to appeal to more people to pay attention to the Arctic, with the strong support of all sectors of society, on June 30, 2021, Zhai Mo set sail from Shanghai on a global sailing ship, along the western Pacific Ocean all the way north, through the Bering Strait, into the Arctic Circle, passing through the Chukotka Sea, the East Siberian Sea, the Laptev Sea, the Kara Sea, the Barents Sea and other seas, lasting 81 days, with a total voyage of about 12,000 nautical miles.
"I hope that through this voyage, I hope to call on people to protect the Arctic, make rational use of the Arctic, and practice the 'Belt and Road' initiative and the concept of 'building a community with a shared future for mankind', which is of great significance for the sustainable development of the Arctic region and the future of mankind." Talking about the original intention of this "tour around the north", Zhai Mo had a serious look.
In December 2021, Zhai Mo traveled south from the U.S. port of Gloucester along the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific Ocean, to Hawaii for recuperation, until this time.
"Born to the sea, that's part of my life"
Zhai Mo participated in the exclusive live broadcast program of the Central Broadcasting Network (issued by the Central Broadcasting Network)
It is understood that The Zhai Mo return route began in Hawaii, crossed the Pacific Ocean, and finally returned to Shanghai, the starting point. The voyage is expected to take about 40 days, with arrival in Shanghai in mid-October. After a long rest, Zhai Mo was full of expectations for setting sail again.
After completing the "Journey around the North", Zhai Mo will not be idle. He has already made a new plan - to sail around the Southern Ice Ocean. He said: "After a long time on land, I will miss the sea, the wind and waves, the rough waves, the sunrise and sunset every day, the flocks of fish and birds." ”
"No heart will be hurt by the pursuit of dreams. When you genuinely desire something, the whole universe comes to help. "This is a classic quote from "The Fantastic Journey of the Shepherd Boy", and it is most appropriate to describe Zhai Mo, who has made sailing a lifelong career." I felt like I was going to live all the way to the sea, and that was part of my life. In the face of questions from netizens, Zhai Mo responded.