A couple pulled their children out of school to take them on an eight-month sailing trip around the world.
Daniel Monk, 41, his wife Bow, 36, and their children Amelia, 13, and Olivia, seven, sailed from Falmouth, Cornwall to Barbados in the Caribbean – via Cape Verde in Africa – on a 45-foot yacht.
The family had no relevant sailing experience but Daniel and Bow had long had the dream of travelling the world on a boat and were determined to make it happen.
Daniel, who comes from Cornwall, said they wanted to give their daughters a alternative education for a while, where the children could really focus on the world around them, and not be distracted by ‘external factors’, such as screens.
After years of looking he bought a Rustler Yacht in 2021 and named it Pancakes.
Then the family, who currently live in Thailand, spent some time before the trip in Mylor, Cornwall building their yachting skills under the tutelage of sailor Dan Stroud.
They even got the chance to have tea with the first man ever to sail around the world non stop solo, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.
In December last year, Daniel set off from Plymouth to Lisbon in Portugal – where his family joined him.
From there they travelled to Madeira, Tenerife, to Cape Verde and then across the Atlantic to Barbados.
Daniel described the 10,000 mile trip as a ‘dream come true’, with the family making lots of fantastic memories on the way.
These included seeing dolphins and whales, snorkelling, meeting other travellers and racing in a regatta in Antigua.
The epic voyage, of course, wasn’t without its challenges, such as Bow initially experiencing extreme sea sickness and Daniel struggling with exhaustion at times.
‘But something magical happened – the girls took care of us,’ he explained.
Amelia, meanwhile, acknowledged it could be ‘stressful and annoying’ living together in such a small space for several months, but added: ‘Because anything could go wrong on the boat we had to work together even though we were mad.’
Bow said the trip had been a great experience and a confidence booster for her daughters, adding: ‘I think they learned a lot from this.’
Daniel and Bow did worry the long trip might negatively impact the girls’ education but say they have ‘bounced back’ at school.
They are now selling their yacht but are glad they took the leap and hope others will be inspired to follow their own dreams.
Daniel, who battled drug addiction before having children, said: ‘I’d rather I had my last day trying to do something like that than be safe at home.
‘Aim for the stars and hit the moon. Go big.’
You can follow the family on Instagram @sailingpancakes.
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