South Australian man sails around the world in homemade boat

Source : ABC NEWS

There was champagne and smiles as Dan Turner sailed into Antigua, in the Caribbean Sea, this week.

After 16 months at sea and 28,000 nautical miles travelled, the South Australian accomplished what some can only dream of — sailing solo around the world.

And to top it off, he completed the feat in a boat he built in his own garage.

Mr Turner was one of 15 competitors to sail in the Mini Globe Race, a round-the-world yacht race that he finally concluded on March 8.

Contestants competed in 5.8-metre Class Globe yachts, starting and finishing in Antigua.

“The welcoming was just insane,” Mr Turner said, reflecting on the final stretch to the finish line.

“There were boats everywhere and people honking horns; it’s something that I couldn’t have even imagined.”

It is a time of reflection, but the journey has not been without its challenges.

Homesickness and battling the elements each day were among the hardest parts of the journey, according to Mr Turner.

“I felt selfish being away from my family, so it was very difficult at times,” he said.

Big swells and long storms

Soon after the race began, Mr Turner said he nearly lost his mast when the forestay — a wire that attaches the mast to the front of the boat — snapped.

“That took some quick thinking to get some of the other ropes to attach the mast to the front of the boat to keep it from falling down,” he said.

“I had big storms … there were 70 knots of breeze near Tahiti and a 12-hour storm cell that was just crazy windy.”

But the adventure was worth the risk, with highlights including docking at “exotic destinations”.

“You can’t really get to some of these islands, like the Marquesas Islands, unless you’ve got a boat. Meeting some of these people and eating food with the locals was just amazing.”

Supporting a dream

At home in Adelaide, Mr Turner’s wife, Nikki Turner, anxiously tracked his progress over the past 16 months.

“From the moment that he started building a plywood boat in our driveway, I think there was some scepticism initially that he would be able to sail around the world,” Ms Turner said.

“But we took a really big, deep breath when he rang through and he said that he crossed the finish line in Antigua.”

Ms Turner said while there was a “certain level of fear” when Mr Turner announced his intention to compete in the race, she had been there for each one of her husband’s adventures.

“Anything he puts his mind to, he gives 110 per cent,” she said.

“I’m very happy to have him back on land.”

The Immortal Game sails on

As for the boat he crafted with his own hands, The Immortal Game, it will have another pass around the world — but Mr Turner will not be its captain.

“I’ve actually sold it to another Australian, and I’m bringing it back to Australia to hand it over to him,” Mr Turner said.

“He’s going to do the Mini Globe Race in 2029, so it’ll be good to see the boat continuing its legacy.”

As for what’s next, the sailor said he was looking forward to living “some sort of normal life”.

“I was lucky enough that my wife got to meet me in a few places, but I haven’t seen the kids now for many months … I hope I’ve inspired them and that we can spend a lot of time [together] in the next couple of years before they move out and do their own things,” Mr Turner said.

Ms Turner said she would still like to see her husband on the ocean, but teaching “young tuckers how to sail”.

“And just keeping that passion for dreams and adventure alive,” she said.