A Journey in the Name of a forgotten Sailing Technique

Leon Behrens is organizing this fundraiser.

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Disclaimer: The video footage in the trailer features the raft from our previous expedition, Leeway22. The Leeway-25 raft will be much larger and more advanced.

What is the Leeway-25 Expedition?

The Leeway-25 Expedition is a journey to sail a raft across the icy North Atlantic - something no one has ever done before. Inspired by Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki voyage, we’re building a pre-Columbian raft and making the first-ever documentation of the ancient guara steering technique. This unique method, involving long centreboards, allowed early rafts to steer without a rudder and navigate with surprising precision.

Why Is This Important?

Despite almost 80 years of modern raft expeditions, no one has ever properly documented the guara steering technique. Historical records describe these rafts as remarkably capable, but no one has successfully replicated their sailing abilities.

In 2022, we achieved a breakthrough: we sailed a wooden raft and managed to turn and sail closer to the wind than anyone thought possible. Now, we’re taking this knowledge further by building a life sized raft to fully document the technique and share it with the world.

How we’ll Do It

Build the Raft: We’re crafting the raft by hand using wood that’s been drying for over a year. Its design is based on historical records, earlier expeditions, and modern tests. Some materials, like the shelter and ropes, will use modern components for safety. The finished raft will span 6 meters by 14 meters and feature a 13-meter mast (see below).
Sail the North Atlantic: Starting in May 2025, we’ll sail from Norway to Greenland via Faroe Island and Iceland. The journey will cover approximately 2700km or 1500 nautical miles (see below).

Further applications

Support Environmental Research: The raft moves silently and emission-free though the remote areas of the North Atlantic. This would make the raft a suitable platform for environmental research and we are actively working to have it equipped and utilized the raft for this purpose.

What Your Support Means

Your contributions will help us:

Build the Raft: Fund materials, tools, and labour for construction.
Conduct the Expedition: Cover the costs of travel, logistics, and crew safety.
Document the Journey: Make a documentation of and a movie about the expedition.
Guara Steering Technique: Create the first-ever detailed documentation of the guara-steering technique.

By supporting the Leeway-25 Expedition, you’re helping us documenting the guara steering technique and create a great documentary about a crew sailing the harsh environment of the north Atlantic on a primitive vessel.

Donate Today!

Every contribution, no matter how small, brings us closer to setting sail and sharing this incredible story with the world.

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The Route