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After months of preparation and lots of mishaps, Dutch backpackers Jordy and Daniel are ready to embark on their sea voyage home, on board of the ship they bought to escape the corona virus in Australia. A few issues remain: the anchor system doesn’t work and neither man has much sailing experience.
Right at the start of the corona crisis, 29-year-old Dutchman Jordy van der Voort bought the boat: Samara, a 47 footer ferrocement ketch. He was soon joined by 24-year-old fellow Dutchman Daniël Wiessing, who was sold on the idea straight away as soon as he saw the name of the boat because he recently met a Swiss girl named Samara for whom he has “deep feelings”.
Adventure was beckoning and plans for an elaborate nautical trip were made. The interest in their journey and their plans was astounding, requests came from fellow Dutch backpackers from all over Australia who wanted to join the sailors on their trip to the Netherlands, and the international yachting community unleashed -wanted and unwanted- advice on required equipment, on the matter of piracy, and on the only two -seasonal- sailing routes to the Northern Hemisphere; via the Panama canal and other via the Suez Canal.
Now they are ready to clear the decks and start their first leg: from the Gold Coast to Cairns, into the Coral Sea. Jordy and Daniël are looking forward to this next stage of their adventure but admit they are also afraid of what is coming: the first time in the open waters, the first time raising the sails. Excitement, adventure and danger, when boys turn into salty men with beards in their own corona inspired ‘coming of age tale’. — The Dutch version of this story (also available here as a podcast) as well as this one were produced for Australian Broadcaster SBS