What is at the heart of a Voyage around the World?
One yacht, two children, three oceans, four continents, five years
49 countries.... 39,000 nautical miles....
memories past counting and friendships beyond price
We originally planned to sail from Europe to New Zealand as a family over about three years. But having made it halfway around the world, I just couldn't resist going on.
In 2007, I sailed her from Auckland to Thailand with my Kiwi friend Chris Smith. Time was short, so rather than the conventional route through Indonesia, we sailed to Christmas Island and then stayed West of Sumatra for the final passage to Phuket.
La Novia completed her Circumnavigation in 2008. From Thailand she crossed the North Indian Ocean, via the Maldives, to Oman, and then transitted the Gulf of Aden in convoy with three other yachts. Next, she sailed non-stop up the Red Sea to Suez in just 8 days. After the Canal, we took a break in Cyprus before the final Mediteranean voyage to Gibralter and then on to Lagos in Portugal, from where we had departed Europe almost 40,000 miles before.