1932-39

Germany to Australia - 30,000 miles, seven years

Oskar Speck · Ocean Crossings

Speck left Ulm, Germany in 1932 in a folding double Klepper and paddled to Australia, arriving September 1939 - to be interned two weeks after WWII began. Capsized 10 times. Shot at. Kayak stolen.

Oskar Speck left Ulm, Germany in 1932 and paddled to Australia, arriving in September 1939 - 30,000 miles. He was interned upon arrival in Australia two weeks after WWII started. He used a wood frame and canvas folding Pioneer Faltboot double kayak. Capsized 10 times, was arrested, shot at, and had his kayak stolen. The single most ambitious open-ended kayak journey of the pre-war era and possibly any era. Speck's epic remains the longest documented expedition kayak journey ever undertaken.