Joel Harkimo’s condition collapsed – He began to hallucinate.

Joel Harkimo sailed solo across the Atlantic this spring. In two years, his goal is to travel around the world.

Joel Harkimo sailed alone across the Atlantic in 36 days earlier this year.

Now he recalls the physical and mental strain of the journey.

– Yes, the worst thing of all is the loneliness. I’ve been alone for 36 days now, but in the future the time will be many times longer, Harkimo says, referring to his future plans.

Harkimo plans to participate in the Global Solo Challenge, which will start in 2027.

The 35-year-old sailor says that, in addition to loneliness, intermittent sleep was one of the most stressful factors during the trip earlier this year. He says that he practiced an 80-minute sleep routine during the trip.

– I slept for 80 minutes, woke up, navigated, and made sure the boat was going well and in the right direction.

– Sometimes I could continue dreaming, sometimes I couldn’t.

His physical condition deteriorated during the trip. Harkimo had about three meters of space to move around in the boat.

– My running fitness plummeted during the trip, but now I’ve gotten back into physical exercise.

Continuous sleep deprivation and stress even caused frightening symptoms.

– Once, when the alarm clock rang, I imagined I saw my brother Leo [Harkimo] next to me. We agreed that he would go on deck and I would continue my sleep.

– I was so dazed that I thought he was on the boat. It was the strangest moment of the whole trip and I panicked for a moment.

Around the world

The Atlantic crossing was part of a large project, which until recently had its sights set on the Golden Globe Race sailing competition, which would start in a year.

On Thursday, he announced a change in his plans: the trip has been postponed by a year, and the new competition is called the Global Solo Challenge. The trip will remain the same, around the world.

Harkimo says that the upcoming challenges will even cause feelings of fear. The round-the-world voyage will last a year.

– Yes, it’s a really long time to be alone. The mental side is the most stressful.

– Of course, the South Seas can have waves up to 10–15 meters. I’ve never sailed there before.