Have you ever imagined what it would be like to sail alone around the world? Well, let’s go meet someone who is single-handedly sailing around the world and moored at ‘Yacht Haven Marina’ in Phuket for a one day rest before heading out to Sri-Lanka. Let’s hear what he had to tell us about his adventurous trip in our special report today.

Meet Aron Meder, a 29 year old Hungarian sailor who sets out and sailed alone for the past 2 and half years, growing a long beard, looking a bit like Tom Hanks in that Castaway movie. His beloved yacht is a small and limited capacity called Carina, only 19 feet or 6 meters long. He told us he likes to travel, it is his passion. Therefore, he sailed around the world, starting from Europe to Africa then to the Caribbean, Galapagos, Hawaii and Fiji where he had lived half a year, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and then across the Indian Ocean to Bali, Singapore to Penang, and last but not least, he stopped at Phuket for a one day rest and planned to set off to Sri Lanka and perhaps next to India. He talked about Carina, his small vessel, which was built in 1970 in Switzerland, which he rebuilt from the outside and inside in November 2004, stating her strength despite her short length and her character due to her elongated keel which helps keep better direction. Carina also has fewer problems due to her small size such as stability and capsizing problems. But also due to its small size, journeys are longer and there were many storms he had to face when sailing but he doesn’t mind because he likes a challenge. Aron told us about some of the dangerous situations he had to face during his long journey. He told us that his small yacht cannot be easily noticed by bigger ships therefore he has to warn them when they come closer to him, otherwise those bigger ships create huge and enormous waves which will make his small vessel capsize. He also told us about big sharks and whales that sometimes followed but do not attack him. I asked him if he ever gets lonely sailing alone in the ocean. He told me he does not have any problem communicating with other people nor does he get worried when he is alone in the middle of the ocean with nobody to talk to. He sometimes chats with other sailors from other ships via VHF radio and his collection of books and fixing Carina when she has a leak or when she starts making weird noises, has been keeping him occupied most of the time. Aron find foods by fishing, cooks his own food and his favorite dish is coconut with fish. He also makes his own jam and gets stock of food when he comes to the shore. He keeps in-touch with his family via Internet and e-mail on shore visits. Aron told me that he misses his family dearly and especially his younger sister who needs a big brother around, but he still wants to travel and sail to other countries maybe for another year then after that he will come home to Europe. He knows that his family gives him their best support and understands him. Before he sailed off to Sri Lanka, I asked him what he wants to do in the near future after he satisfies his needs of traveling and sailing. He told me that he might rest Carina at his grandparent’s backyard in Hungary and he might buy a new race yacht, which he has a major interest in pursuing a career in. But that is just the future, he is more like a man of the present, as he wants to do his best today. He is very happy with what he’s doing now. It is an experience that he cannot find elsewhere and he is not willing to trade with anyone.

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Zenniesha Opakul, Phuket TV reporter