The adventurer and author Wilfried Erdmann, who was the first German to circumnavigate the world alone, has died. He died late Monday afternoon, his wife told the German Press Agency on Tuesday. Erdmann was 85 years old.

From 1966 to 1968, he was the first German sailor to circumnavigate the world alone with his wooden boat "Kathena". Later, he even circumnavigated the world non-stop with the "Kathenai Nui" alone, first in 1984/85, then again in 2000/2001 – this time westwards, i.e. against the prevailing winds. He was only the fifth sailor in the world to do so. The arduous route was almost 60,000 kilometers long and took 343 days. "A journey to one's own limits," he called the adventure afterwards.

In several books he described the long journeys with polar storms, loneliness, but also exhilaration on the world's oceans. He also inspired many people with his photos and video recordings and inspired many to sail themselves.

Erdmann was at home in the small town of Goltoft an der Schlei in Schleswig-Holstein. The certainty of being received by his wife Astrid, whom he once "found in the harbor", had helped him through many a difficult day at sea, he recalled in 2015 before his 75th birthday in an interview with the German Press Agency.