The "sailing boys" from Gaißach and Königsdorf report on their most recent adventures.
The end of her multi-year circumnavigation is now in sight.
Gaißach/Königsdorf
– freedom, adventure, seeing the world: the life led by Tim Hund from Gaißach and Vincent Goymann from Königsdorf is like a dream for many people.
As "sailing boys" they set out - at that time still four - in autumn 2018 to circumnavigate the world.
Her big tour is expected to end in the summer.
Both report regularly to the Tölzer Kurier over the phone.
They have just arrived in the Maldives.
“Sailing boys” whip their boat into shape in Malaysia
In mid-August, Hund and Goyman left Bali for Singapore in their sailing boat “Arrya”.
The crossing took two weeks.
"It's been a long time since we were in such a modern city and we first had to dress up," says Goymann.
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Vincent Goymann working on the boat Arrya.
© Sailing Boys
But after the inspection, the "sailing boys" had work to do: "We sailed to Pangkor in Malaysia to get our boat in shape there," says Tim Hund.
In the past they have done many functional repairs on their boat, "but never really that's eye-catching".
What was originally planned for two and a half weeks ended up taking two and a half months.
"Something went wrong," explains Hund.
The beauty treatment cost almost 22,000 euros and emptied the on-board cash register.
"Of course, the boat is easier to sell in this condition after our trip," says Hund, explaining the investment.
There is no point in keeping it after the circumnavigation, it is not affordable.
"Sailing boys" are being chased by a boat: is it pirates?
After the boat work, the "sailing boys" went on to Sri Lanka.
The twelve-day crossing should have it all.
"We started at a time when the wind conditions were difficult," Goymann recalls.
"We often had to change sails and drove a lot under the engine." But it got really exciting at night on the high seas: "We were followed by a boat for over an hour," says Tim.
They assumed an ugly situation, namely an attack by pirates.
"Of course, my head started rattling straight away," Goymann continued.
"Why is someone pumping out so much diesel just to follow us?" They didn't have a plan on how to deal with the situation, says Hund.
They are not armed themselves and would have tried to escape under the motor in an emergency.
Ultimately, the strange boat came within a few meters, but then turned away.
"We don't know what they wanted from us, but we were very happy when they left."
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Tim Hund on the train journey through Sri Lanka.
© Sailing Boys
Shortly before Sri Lanka, things got critical again for the circumnavigators: “We had really bad weather the last two days before arriving in Galle.
A tropical storm developed behind us and was breathing down our necks,” says Goymann.
That was not an entirely risk-free situation, because with their "Arrya" they shouldn't be able to get into such weather with storms and eight-meter-high waves.
"We arrived at the port of Galle at the very latest moment," says Hund.
In the summer, things should come full circle for the “sailing boys”.
The globetrotters explored Sri Lanka together with a friend from Germany in a rental car.
"Sri Lanka is very cool and the people are very friendly and open-minded," says Hund.
But the population is very poor and suffers from corruption in the country.
“We were the first sailing yacht to dock in Galle in three years.
This is now the first season after Corona in which this is possible again.
That made the people there very happy, because it is a sign that tourism is picking up again.”
On January 8th, the Sailing Boys arrived in the waters of the Maldives.
Here they want to dive for a few weeks and explore the area, which is still very undeveloped for sailors.
After a stop on the island of Socotra, which belongs to Yemen, it will then continue in the direction of the Suez Canal before, after a tour of the Greek islands, the circle of the circumnavigation is expected to close in the summer either at Port-Saint-Louis near Marseille or off Mallorca .
You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.
By Arndt Proehl