15 lessons in circumnavigation

Pick your crew well

Koopmans learned the hard way to pick crew with great care. “You learn to work with crew and their wits. Generally we had a great crew apart from one criminal chef who made transfers to her own account and disappeared.”

Go with the current and the winds

"Go with the current and the winds, then you will stay in the bandwidth of good weather,” advises Koopmans.  Zeepaard’s circumnavigation started in Malta in 2009. The superyacht cruised the Mediterranean before setting off west across the Atlantic – the best way, according to Koopmans.

Avoid Egypt

During Koopmans' three-year circumnavigation aboard Zeepaard, he and everyone on board were held hostage for three days while anchored off a town near Alexandria. “That was the end of our tour in Egypt,” he says matter-of-factly. “I decided there and then never to return.”

Perkins also remembers his time spent in Egypt with some negativity: “I have transited the Suez Canal only once and will never do so again.”

lessons in circumnavigation

Cape Horn should be rounded in December, according to Perkins, but even then it can be calm or horrific.

“We had only a perfect 20-knot breeze on the beam, so we sailed around the island and then on across the Drake Passage to Antarctica. The following year at the same time a friend with a similar yacht encountered 120 knots of wind and was unable to round,” he remembers.

Don't miss out British Columbia

“Everyone talks about Alaska but no one mentions British Columbia and the Inner Passage,” say the owners of Twizzle. “But it is just spectacular and so remote from the rest of the world, with incredible wildlife, whales and animals and the most beautiful scenery in the world.

"Watching killer whales put on a 30-minute performance for us all around the boat, and bobbing about in a dinghy watching 12 humpbacks cooperatively bubble fishing for herrings was, as the Americans say, awesome! The glaciers were pretty good too.”

Prepare for pirates

The homeward journey across the Indian Ocean took Zeepaard into pirate territory, something Koopmans was well prepared for.

“We made extensive modifications, including wrapping her up in chicken fence, barbed wire and electric fencing,” he recalls. “We also stuck a military number – ZP01 – on the bow, fitted shooting bunkers on deck and modified the engine room into a citadel from where we could operate all controls.”

For extra security, four Dutch Navy Seals joined the yacht for the journey.

Charts aren't always accurate

Beware the charts, Perkins warns. “The charts in Alaska aren’t terribly accurate. We ran aground with Andromeda and the nine metre tide left us totally out of the water on a bank of shale. We rigged kedge anchors far outboard leading to the mast top, to prevent tipping over (it worked) and all aboard went ashore for safety for eight hours before the tide started to return,” he recalls.

Take the children with you

Taking their children out of school was a big decision for the Ryans, but one that paid off, with their three daughters learning a huge amount.

“We took tutors, opting for a married couple on the recommendation of an agency, as we got more bang for our buck. Plus they were able to be a unit unto themselves, which meant they didn’t need to always be with us or the crew,” they say.

But the girls’ best lessons were thanks to the decision to promote the first mate to captain: “She was our first female captain – and the first-ever female skipper of a superyacht – and a fabulous role model for our three girls.”

Don't expect everyone to welcome you

Some of the sharpest memories for the owners of Twizzle are of Papua New Guinea, at once the most frightening port of call and the richest culturally.

“Papua New Guinea can be pretty scary and we were made to leave some of the islands we visited, despite having a knowledgeable guide on board,” they remember. “But we were forewarned about the dangers and it was worth it as we saw some extraordinary sights and met some of the most colourful people in the world.”

Don't forget your unique experiences

“Spotting humpback whales breaking next to the boat in Niue, to catching a mahi mahi twice during a crossing in the Pacific on a $12 fishing rod, and seeing rays jump out of the water when chased are just a few of the unforgettable experiences,” says Koopmans.

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