Podcast Maré Sonora ® video
Marcio Dottori: South Atlantic on the Carapitanga
August 2, 2025 · 1h 18m · 221 views
What this video covers
Márcio Dottori, a civil engineer who worked closely with naval engineering and spent years writing about boats for Revista Náutica, sailed the Carapitanga solo across the South Atlantic from Guarujá, Brazil, to South Africa in December 1998.26:22 The Carapitanga is an Aladim 30, a design that emerged when boatbuilder Leco combined the hull of the Roberto Barros Samoa 30 with the layout of the Roberto Barros Multishine 28, producing a fiberglass offshore cruiser.29:33 Dottori's planned crew — his girlfriend at the time — removed her gear two days before departure and withdrew; he left alone.32:20 He followed the classic South Atlantic route: southeast to roughly the latitude of Uruguay, then east to pick up the Brazil Current and South Atlantic Current toward Africa.33:36 Conditions turned severe; wave periods ran eight seconds, forcing him to time sail changes between crests, taking an hour per change.42:16 His last radio contact before reaching South Africa reported extremely hard conditions near Trindade Island.53:24 HF/SSB radio and a shore-based weather router named Rafael, operating from the Canary Islands through Rueda dos Navegantes, provided his primary support.37:20 The Carapitanga later passed to new owners who sailed it to New Zealand, where Marina Guedes encountered the boat via Gulf Harbour radio net.58:26 Solo offshore passages in sub-Antarctic-influenced South Atlantic waters demand conservative sail management and reliable shore-based weather support.
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