Alvaro de Marichalarn faced up to 20-foot seas during his crossing of the Atlantic.

Alvaro de Marichalarn faced up to 20-foot seas during his crossing of the Atlantic.



Alvaro de Marichalar is almost finished with Atlantik 2002, his 6,800-mile crossing of the Atlantic Ocean on a Sea-Doo personal watercraft. The news was announced through a press release from Sea-Doo, which provided the 41-year-old adventurer with two specially prepared Sea-Doo XP watercraft. Followed by a support boat, Marichalar is scheduled to arrive in Miami June 22 at 11 a.m.

Marichalar, who will have logged more than 320 hours of riding time when he reaches Miami, trained for two months leading up to his departure. To compensate for weight loss, he added nearly 40 pounds of body mass, according to the release

During the trip, Marichalar has slept in a specially constructed life raft designed to ward off any sharks and/or other predators while at sea.

In the middle of the Atlantic, Marichalar reportedly faced approximately 20-foot-tall swells, high winds, intense cold and hours of harsh sunlight. When he reached Puerto Rico, he had to find a replacement for his worn-out support boat.

In the various ports he visited, he delivered Spanish and Atlantik 2002 flags in exchange for flags from the home countries. According to the release, his objective was to carry them to the United States where he would like to organize a rally in the name of peace and tolerance among different nations, religions, races and cultures that are united by the ocean.