The 73-year-old left Ushuaia, in Argentina, just before Christmas 2024 and is already halfway to South Africa. All going well, he will bypass the continent and carry on straight to Cape Leeuwin, in Western Australia.
From December 6, 2018, to May 2019, Mr Konyukhov set a world record for making the first crossing of the South Pacific Ocean in the rowing boat Akros.
It took him 154 days and he covered a distance of 11,525km or 7000 nautical miles.
The second leg is about 9000 nautical miles and it is expected to take about 200 days to complete.
Mr Konyukhov’s son, Oscar, said the Akros underwent modernisation during 2023-24, before being shipped to Ushuaia in July last year.
The 9m-long carbon boat has five watertight bulkheads, is equipped with a rudder and centre board, has two satellite communication systems, has advanced marine navigation equipment and is designed to self-right if it capsizes.
"The boat is specially built like a survival capsule with solar panels as a source of power.
"It also has a desalination plant which produces three litres of water per hour and he has enough freeze-dried food to last 300 days.
"You have to be 100% prepared.
"All systems must be duplicated and even if you aim for 200 days, take food for 300 days — you never know when the ocean will let you pass."
Mr Konyukhov said his father was a very experienced ocean rower and adventurer.
"He has climbed the world’s seven highest peaks, including Mt Everest twice, been to the North Pole three times, the South Pole once, sailed around the world five times, and flown solo nonstop round the world in a hot-air balloon.
"He crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 46 days in 2002, the Pacific Ocean [from Concon, in Chile, to Brisbane] in 160 days in 2014, and the Southern Pacific Ocean from Dunedin to Cape Horn in 154 days in 2019.
"He knows that the ocean is very beautiful, but brutal."
Asked before his father’s departure whether the physical effort of rowing or the psychological challenge was most difficult, he said "both."
"Physical and mental, but mental is harder to withstand.
"You are alone on the Southern Ocean on a 9m boat and once you passed South Georgia there is no inhabited land for thousands of miles."
Mr Konyukhov said his father was in great spirits when he started the second leg.
"We waited several weeks in Ushuaia for a good weather window to start, and so far Fedor is in reasonably good conditions, mostly southwesterly winds, 25-35 knots.
"It’s cold and wet, but he is climbing north towards warmer climates.
"He looked like a happy man at his element."
