Father Daniel Mans: “What do you think about it? We tried to encourage it, but we did not succeed. The more you advise against it, the more eager he went for it. Then we supported him and helped make it happen.”

A boat license and second hand 1979 Formosa Ketch 41, named Jugini, Arno left Brisbane at the end of October 2020 on an unprecedented adventure. “It turned out to be a coveted, closed country, so I had to travel long distances. Then I decided to return to Europe via the Suez Canal.

The wide door was always given

But where the occasional given route came from, it still caused delays. Loneliness on the road was the biggest enemy, thankfully Frieda. “There was the dog too. He did the whole trip well. It was not simple because on many islands it was not allowed to go ashore. Yes, it was Sudan for the first time, so it was a very long distance. But it has become a boat dog, that’s all.”

The family now hopes Arno will stay in Belgium. But … “The boat is working well and I have full confidence in it. I would love to travel around the world again. Yes, it will come anyway. But first some work. “