Sailing couple ready for next stint
THE ELDERLY couple who got into difficulty near Simons Town in their yacht and were rescued by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) on Friday, sold their possessions in November 2004 to set sail around the world.
Paul von Wiese, a retired engineer, and his wife Maureen, a retired computer industry employee, decided after their daughter moved overseas, to pack up everything and see the world.
“We were always interested in travelling the world and then we decided to do so. We did not know how long it was going to take us,” said Maureen.
She said on their travels they made hundreds of stops in different countries and islands. They had met many different people, experienced a plethora of cultures and tasted a range of cuisines.
“The people we met made the travels worthwhile and they introduced us to their cultures, some people would even sing and dance for us when we made a stop in their country,” said Maureen.
She said each country had its charm. She said 12 years of travelling is not something you can put in a nutshell. After returning home on Friday, she said they were still sleeping on the yacht, because it was the only thing they own. They had sold their house, cars and furniture before setting sail. Maureen said the only challenge throughout the journey was the bad weather.
“We were hit with gale force winds, and we experienced tropical storms; other than that, everything was smooth,” she said.
Maureen said it was a pity that not everyone gets to experience what they experienced. “We do not want to sit back; we do have ideas for our next adventure.” On the final stage of their voyage the couple experienced difficulty off Long Beach in Simons Town.
The NSRI was called upon. The NSRI’s Darren Zimmerman said: “We received a call from the same yacht, the 45-foot Calypso, requesting assistance and reporting sail and rigging problems and their motor not holding against the 50-knot south-easterly wind.” –