Lithuanians also sailed behind the “iron curtain”. Vytautas Brazevičius (a journalistic penname Fredas E. Trumanas), a son of Lithuanians who emigrated to the USA, a former sailor of the navy, sailed with his family on a sailing yacht “Kulaola” from his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Los Angeles and then to San Francisco in 1939. Until 1959, Vytautas travelled around the islands and coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean on a sailboat with his wife and son.

Bronius Rožinskas, who repatriated to Poland, is considered to be the first Lithuanian who crossed the Atlantic Ocean. From September 1962 throughout July 1963, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Szczecin to Miami (USA) on a yacht “Hermes 2” he built himself, and later he reached Los Angeles.

It was possible to undertake long-distance maritime challenges even under the conditions of Soviet occupation. This was proven in 1975 by the crew of a yacht “Vilnis” (meaning ‘a wave’) led by the active sailing athlete Jurgis Vilemas, who set out on a voyage beyond the Arctic Circle. Sailing from the Baltic Sea through canals, Ladoga and Onega lakes, “Vilnis” reached the White Sea and visited the ports of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk.