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An Australian father and daughter duo have been testing their bond by undertaking an ambitious sailing journey around the globe. Rob Donald and his 19-year-old daughter, Freya, departed from New South Wales in March 2025, setting their sights on Norway. Throughout their expedition, they have encountered fierce storms, a significant health challenge, and even had a close encounter with a tiger shark. Freya described the experience as strange and tough at times but expressed that it was something she “wouldn’t trade for the world.”
The BBC recently met up with Rob and Freya in Penzance, Cornwall, where they were taking a break and preparing for the final stages of their voyage. Their vessel, a 9.8-meter (31-foot) all-wood yacht named Misha, was originally built in 1937 by a renowned Dutch shipbuilder. Rob purchased the boat in France back in 1989, then sailed it to Australia and made a round trip back to France. His vision was to return the yacht to the Netherlands to prove its seaworthiness after so many years, which served as the inspiration for this latest journey.
Rob, now 59, shared that although his wife Hanne chose not to join the trip, Freya volunteered to sail alongside him when she was just 18. Despite many doubting she would endure more than a week at sea, the pair have now covered 18,000 nautical miles over 15 months. To pass the time, Freya engaged in crocheting and movie-watching but spoke fondly of the unique sailing life, citing their 24-day Indian Ocean crossing as a memorable highlight. She especially treasured her visit to Madagascar, where spending time with lemurs fulfilled a personal dream.
Their adventure has not been without hardships. Rob recounted their route from Sydney through Darwin to Bali, followed by Madagascar, Mozambique, and South Africa, eventually reaching Cape Town. It was there that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which came as a shock. Rob returned to Australia to undergo pioneering robotic single-port surgery but was determined to continue the trip. He recalled his conversation with the surgeon: “The surgeon said ‘come back next month’ and I said ‘no, I can’t. I’ve got to get back to my boat. I’m going sailing, I’ve got to finish my trip to Norway’.” Thankfully, he received the all-clear in time to catch favorable weather for the next leg to St Helena.
Life aboard Misha required mutual respect and personal boundaries to maintain their relationship during prolonged close quarters. Rob pointed out, “We have our boundaries. She has her bunk and I have my bunk, she’s got her headphone and downloads movies and things.” Their meals sometimes involved unexpected drama too, such as when a tiger shark snagged half of a caught yellowfin tuna. Rob humorously described the ensuing tuna-focused diet: “For the next week we just had tuna every day, it was a bit like Forrest Gump and the shrimp, we had curried tuna, fried tuna, battered tuna, beer-battered tuna, raw tuna.”
After docking in Penzance, Freya took a train to London to reconnect with friends, something she missed deeply during their time at sea. She described the city visit as “just amazing, very happy” and acknowledged that social connections had been one of the toughest aspects of the journey. Meanwhile, Rob reunited with old friends locally and prepared for the next phase. Freya plans to rejoin him in Falmouth, where Hanne will also come to celebrate Rob’s 60th birthday. The trio will then continue their voyage to the Netherlands before reaching Norway to complete this remarkable circumnavigation
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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