NEXT ADVENTURE
Richard intended to sail across the Mediterranean, but his journey was cut short because he received the offer of a job in Singapore. Rumbottle and Richard remained grounded on the island for four years. But the travel bug bit him again, and on 2 February 1986, with the support of his new Singaporean wife Benita, Richard set out on his 29,996-mile journey—across two years—around the globe on Rumbottle. Benita joined him when she could at some ports along the journey.
“I set myself the goal of sailing around Cape Horn,” says Richard. “But while I enjoyed racing, I wanted to take this at a more leisurely pace. I wanted to enjoy myself.”
However, with weather conditions dictating his route, he needed to avoid the Caribbean during hurricane season.
Richard recalls many memorable moments from that time—including the warm welcome he received as he sailed into Port Stanley in the Falklands and the marine creatures, such as two sailfish, a humpback whale and three orcas, that kept him company. However, when he reached the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, a heavy swell—created by the warm Gulf Stream meeting the cold Newfoundland Current—capsized his boat. Water poured in through the hatch, but thankfully, the next swell 45 seconds later helped the boat tilt itself right. Surrounded by destruction, Richard spent the next seven hours bailing out the water from the cabin. “There is nothing more efficient than a frightened man with a bucket,” he says.
The swell left Richard, who had been in the cabin when it hit, blackened with bruises. His boat had a broken boom and sextant monocular, and ripped mainsail and jib. The charts had turned into paper mache. “The labels also came off my canned food, so I had mystery food until the next port,” he laughs.
Spring tides in Yemen, also saw Rumbottle run ashore. But luckily, a sixth sense made Richard put up the spinnaker and enable the boat to catch the faintest of breezes—so he was able to turn the boat to face back out into the water.
Regardless, the thought of giving up never crossed his mind. Each challenge urged more resilience, like the time he had to forego sleep for 36 hours when he was entering the Straits of Malacca, coming back to Singapore. “The shipping lanes were busy, and there were also little fishing boats without any lights on,” says Richard. “I turned up my music and would set an alarm clock to have 15-minute power naps.”