© Richard Konkolski
Leonid Teliga
© Richard Konkolski
Solo circumnavigation 1967-1969
Leonid Teliga
Born May 28, 1917 at Wiazma at Russia, but grow up at Grodzisko Mazowieckie at Poland. He was interested in sailing wery early and passed sailing courses at Jastarnia before WWII. When Germany attacked Poland at the start of WWII, he was fighting the agresors as the Second Lieutenant of Polish Army. He was wounded but was able to get in Russia before Germany occupied whole Poland.
After year long course he was skippering fishing boats at Crimea, which he helped to evacuate later, when Germany attacked Russia. He was fishing on Don River, Black Sea and Azovskoe Sea.
In 1942 he joined Polish Army formed on Russian territory and then he was sent to Great Britain to join the Air Force. After some training in Canada he was flying as a gunner in Polish Bombing Squadron 300 during WWII.
He returned back to Poland after war in 1947 and worked as reporter, artist, author and translator. He translated over 30 books into Polish. He also worked as a sailing instructor. He was sailing with polish fishing fleet as far as to Farr East. He worked also at United Nation Mission in Korea, Laos and Italy as a press attaché. During all those years he was sawing every penny to fulfill his dream – to sail solo around the world. He wrote few articles about solo sailor Alain Gerbault, who had the greatest influence at forming Leonid's dream.
Finally, in 1965 he could start building his “OPTY” – short for optimist.
OPTY was yawl 9,85 m long and 2,75 m wide with draft of 1,65 m and displacement 5 ton. The sail area was 43 m2. Opty had 5 HP Volvo diesel and only basic navigational instruments.
Leonid on
Opty at Gdynia (Poland) before departure.
Opty was ready for trip by the end of autumn 1966. Despite the fact that Teliga was experienced sailor, bad winter storms did not let them leave the Baltic Sea and at the end Opty was transported to Casablanca on the deck of m/s Slupsk on December 8, 1966. After month of preparation Teliga started his solo circumnavigation on January 25, 1967 from Casablanca by sailing for Las Palmas, where he spent over month. At Casablanca he met another sailor American John Sowden on whom Teliga had a great influence, especially on. Sowden's decision to sail solo as well from Las Palmas. They met many times later at various ports by sailing more or less the same route. Beside good friendship they also experienced a little rivality. Leonid crossed Atlantic faster then John and after that John tried to be faster on various legs of their trip.
After jumping across the Atlantic Teliga landed at Barbados on April 16, 1967, then visited Santa Lucia, Martinique, Saint Vincent and Grenada he finally landed at Cristobal Panama.
There he had trouble with American administration, which did not want let him go through Panama Canal. Only after intervention from Polish Embassy and after wide spread world press criticism he got permission to go through.
Opty at Balboa
On August 27, 1967 he left Balboa for Galapagos, where he
spent one month. He was even diving for lobsters with local fisherman. Then after 33 days of sailing he landed on Marquesas, where
he enjoyed two months stay. He spent hurricane season on Tahiti repairing his Opty.
During trip to Tahiti Opty hit some tree on the open ocean. Leonid had to slip his boat and replace some damaged plank. The job was not done right at shipyard and boat was leaking. Leonid did not have enough finances to slip boat again, so he repaired the leak from inside by using some cement with leak proof additives as a plaster over leaking area inside the boat.
Leonid Teliga and John Sowden at Tahiti.
At Tahiti Leonid did not received visa for Australia, so he sailed to Bora Bora and Fiji.
At Suva he learn, that Australian government finally decided to let him visit Australia, but only for necessary short time for repair and provision needs. He gave up such a permission and rather took decision to sail directly nonstop for Casablanca - 15,500 miles away.
Leonid
with friend Starzynski and John Sowden at Suva, Fiji.
He left Fiji on July 29, 1968, sailed through Torres Straight, crossed Indian Ocean, rounded South Africa and then sailed north. He passed Cape of Good Hope on fourth attempt for heavy storms blowing him back to the Indian Ocean. He was also badly hit by spinnaker pole at his under-belly.
On the Atlantic he experienced more and more troubles with his health. Also tornado hit his boat and dismasted his mizzen mast. This accident forced him to stop at Dakar for repair.
Painting © Adam Werka
Opty leaving
Dakar without mizzen mast after repairs.
On his way for Las Palmas he crossed his outbound track on May 5, 1969 at position 23 degree 25’ North and 23 degree 56’ West, closing his loop of solo-circumnavigation.
Entry in his log book about closing the loop.
His sailing took 2 years, 13 days, 21 hours and 13 minutes. Eleven days later he visited Las Palmas and 9 days after that, on April 29, 1969, he was back at Casablanca again.
Leonid was a great ambassador for Poland. Among sailors at every place he visited, he was most likable and admired one. He made many friends everywhere. He received many honorary memberships in many sailing clubs during his voyage.
Polish people were ready to give him enthusiastic welcome, however Leonid was very sick with cancer and he had to fly from Casablanca directly to hospital at Warsaw for necessary operation. He won battle with oceans and red tapes; however he lost the battle with cancer and shortly passed away on May 21, 1970.
He was the first Polish to solo circumnavigate the world. He gained very high
respect at his homeland and government rewarded him with very high Polish order.
He wrote a book about his solo-circumnavigation which was finished by his brother Stanislaw and published in 1973.
The book was
published by Wydawnictwo Morskie, Poland in 1973.
Most of material published on this page is part of that book. Thanks for that belong to Wydawnicto Morskie.
© Richard Konkolski