Durban - A South African couple are finally back on home soil after setting sail on an epic, round-the-world voyage 10 years ago.
The couple, who arrived in Durban on Wednesday night, left local shores with nothing but a boat and a burning desire to see the world.
“I have always been a traveller, I suppose I have itchy feet,” said Ken Pollard.
Pollard, 65, successfully sold the sailing dream to his partner, Audrey Bell, 42, and in 2003 their adventure began.
“I had never done any sailing before. We took a leap of faith, jumped on the boat and off we went,” said Pollard.
Bell, who had been a graphic designer living in Durban, was persuaded to join her factory owner partner on the trip because it had been her late father’s dream to see the world.
The pair said their travels aboard their 60-foot custom-built yacht Fast Forward had led them to the world’s most exotic spots, as well as to places where they saw awful poverty.
“We have been to Brazil, which is as beautiful in reality as it is on television. We’ve been to Australia, Indonesia, as well as many of the islands that people dream of going to such as the Caribbean and Bora Bora, and we’ve spent 10 days on Cook Island, which has only 69 people. At one stage, we spent three years in Asia,” said Bell.
The couple said being on the ocean for so long had completely changed their view of the world, and gave them a greater appreciation of nature and different cultures.
“You wise up as you go along and you learn that you are not invincible any more; you feel at one with nature. We’ve been to places where people were extremely poor, but unbelievably happy. In Asia, for instance, they eat everything that moves, which was sometimes disturbing to me as an animal lover,” Bell said.
Both adventurers believe that letting go of the fear of the unknown enriched their lives and taught them to be self-sufficient.
Gadgets
Their floating home is fully equipped with state-of-the-art gadgets, a navigation system and a library of books to keep boredom at bay. They also learnt to buy essentials in bulk, trim or colour each other’s hair and leave the rest to God.
“Many people dream of setting sail, but are too scared because you have to make a clean break. There should be nothing holding you back, so you may even have to sell your house to be totally free.
“We were never lonely because us ‘yachties’ are a close-knit community who share everything, and that is something you don’t always get on land,” she said.
Some of their treasured souvenirs include artwork from New Zealand, made from 500-year-old wood, and crafts from Tahiti.
It was smooth sailing for the couple, who encountered only two incidents of bad weather throughout their time at sea. They encouraged others to set sail – “a leisurely way of broadening your horizons”.
“You may want to know how to sail first, but after that all you need is the wind. Every place has a specialness about it and you are always on holiday,” Pollard said.
They will be in Durban for five days before setting sail for Cape Town. There it will be back to work for Bell, while Pollard says he may venture into the creative field.
The couple, who said relying on each other strengthened their bond, will be tying the knot in October. - Daily News