A Family Holiday with a Difference

When most of us think of taking a holiday, we trawl the internet in seek of a sunny location in which to book a hotel and relax with the kids. Yesterday, Nha Trang had the pleasure of welcoming a family with an entirely different idea of a holida- a global circumnavigation aboard an 80 foot, custom built sailing yacht designed to take them around the world.

In 1984, economist Vilfredo and professor Heloisa surprised family members, friends, and work colleagues alike with an “out-of-the-box” decision: to leave his comfortable life on dry land and set sail across the world aboard a sailboat with their four children; Willhelm,  David,  Pierre and Kat at their sides.

They lived like this for ten years: sailing all around the world, making discoveries and experiencing new adventures. Three decades later, and with plenty of maritime adventures in between, the children having now grown up and even become parents of their own children, the Schurmann Family has set out once again. On September 21, 2014, the new sailboat Kat would become the family home for the twenty seven months, as they set out to complete their very own Orient Expedition which they are scheduled to complete in December 2016.

During their 30 years of sailing, The Shurmann’s have become the first Brazilian family to sail around the world, crossing 3 oceans and visiting 7 continents, all the while accompanied by their 4 sons, who’s lives, educations and experiences took place on the waves. During this, their 3rd great expedition, they will travel over 30,000 nautical miles through 50 ports, following the trail of the old Chinese sailors, who, according to some historians, discovered America more than 70 years before Columbus.

The entire voyage of their daily lives aboard the yacht is being documented by Discovery Channel, and broadcasted to Brazilian TV audiences each week. The family have now become celebrities due to their adventures that are both inspirational and awe-inspiring.

The trip took over 5 years over preparation in organizing the itinerary, travel schedule, creating alliances with partners and sponsors, along with the difficult task of creating a vessel with which to allow them to navigate the often treacherous oceans and seas of the globe. The SY KAT is an 80 foot long custom built yacht equipped with the most cutting-edge technology including systems for harvesting clean energy, bio-degradeable construction materials, self sustainable food creation and advanced recycling methods. It is also an advanced research center complete with numerous scientific instruments that allow them to study and document the marine life and water quality of the world’s seas and oceans.

As they docked in Nha Trang yesterday, they were met by a host of government officials, local sailing enthusiasts and media organizations including Discover Nha Trang. The Nha Trang Destination Marketing Organization (NTDMO) hosted an event at Skylight 360 to celebrate their arrival and wish them well in the closing leg of their voyage.

“The Schurmanns canvas a dream and a desire to discover the world, combined with a never-ending devotion to overcoming hardship by belief and determination. Their story is certainly inspiring and helps contribute to a better world”, said Pascal Mr. Caubo, Vice President of NTDMO

Discover Nha Trang was delighted to meet Mrs. Heloisa Schurmann herself. This amazing woman has brought up and educated her kids aboard the seas, while finding time to publish 5 books, 3 of which have become international best-sellers.

“I believe that the sea guardians love us, and they provide us with everything we need for our journery, so I never worry  about the dangers of life at sea, regardless of the problems we face..” We have encountered many big storms across the world, but our family teamwork, our sailing experience and spirit always gets us through the difficult times”, she explained.

To find out more about the Schurmann’s and their voyage, visit their WEBSITE,  or follow them on INSTAGRAM