EXPEDITIONS

AFRICAN RAINBOW

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Objectives

Our objective was clear: travelling in Land Rovers, inflatable boats and by ancient sailing dhow, we wanted to explore the entire coast of East Africa from Durban to the Somali border and back to Ihla da Mozambique.

Route

  • Kenya
  • Mozambique
  • Somalia
  • Tanzania

The Adventure

It would be a year long journey using the Kusi trade wind to sail north and then the Kaskazi to sail back south, just as it’s been for centuries. But this modern day voyage, unlike the Arab traders of old, would not rape Africa of slaves and ivory but rather in a humanist turnabout, Amina – the Spirit of Adventure, a hand-built 30 ton Jahazi-type dhow, would carry life-saving mosquito nets for distribution to pregnant mothers and children under the age of five. The campaign would appropriately be called ‘One Net – One Life’.

It turned out to be an incredible adventure.  Expedition member Bruce Leslie nearly lost his life in a pirate attack, Amina was blown to pieces in occasional storms, and close to the border with Somalia, the crew mutinied and almost scuppered the expedition.

Despite all the odds, we succeeded and Amina is now proudly displayed at the Mo-zam-bik restaurant in Ballito.