In this episode, I sit down again with Tomas Fehrling, a solo sailor who has spent the past five years sailing around the world.
Since our last conversation in Panama, Tomas has completed a solo Pacific crossing and continued west, refining his approach to long-distance sailing along the way.
This episode focuses on the practical realities of offshore passages: how to make good decisions when you’re tired and alone, how experience changes your response to risk, and what everyday life actually looks like during weeks at sea.
Tomas also shares lessons from unexpected moments (including losing contact mid-ocean) and explains why a calmer, more conservative approach often leads to safer and more enjoyable passages.
A thoughtful and honest look at solo sailing, decision-making, and life at sea.
Links mentioned in this episode ⬇️
Transcript
Okay, so let’s [00:01:00] start with the big one. You have now done a solo Pacific Crossing. Um, when you think back on it now what stands out to you most from that experience?
Tomas: Just as I said the part of being alone for so long, I think the actual crossing was uneventful. I think, just the vastness, I don’t, I can’t recalling seeing a single boat for 30 days. I mean, you are so far from land, I think 1500 miles or something I was from land at some stage when I was when I was looking at what’s closest, which kind of means makes you realize that the closest person to you is probably in space rather than somewhere around you. I mean is closer to somebody in orbit. So no, it was just a lot of time around a lot of you know dVDs or, or whatever, because I didn’t have starlink at the time.
I had some friends via, as long as I, you know, when I had that, sent questions to me like quiz questions and, uh, we were doing [00:02:00] a, a like pub quiz in the middle of the ocean and that sort of stuff, which takes a long, long time by Iridium.
It was more very light winds, saving fuel for when they were light winds. I had three days when I just turned everything off and just floated around like as if I’m an anchor. Went downstairs and turned on a movie and just, lived like I’m on anchor.
Annika: Honestly, that doesn’t sound too bad for a Pacific crossing just drifting around watching movies. Uh, but I have to imagine that it wasn’t all that calm. Did you have any moments out there that felt, uh, actually a little bit more serious or unpredictable?
Tomas: I had a freak wave come in over the coach roof and knocked out, uh, quite a few, quite a bit of my electrics, but most importantly, my iridium. So my satellite phone, which was also my tracker. Uh.
Who would’ve known that freak wave on the ocean, you know? But I guess it’s a, [00:03:00] a learning experience. Uh, so I was lost for 10 days. Never really lost. Nothing happened. Just my tracker went off. Uh. I’ve warned people before. I’m not trusting that tracker too much, but, I guess you can tell anyone, uh, that, but they still will. So there was a pan pan out on me, and a bolo so I could be on the lookout for, so essentially three countries were looking for me. Quite ridiculous actually, because nothing happened. So 10 days I knew people would be worried. I didn’t know there was a pan pan out on me. I just know that I wouldn’t have been visible. So I, gibed every day just to make sure if anyone did see me, that obviously somebody’s on board. And then I just essentially sailed with jennaker up for 10 days, just making sure I was not gonna be late, at least.
[00:04:00]
Tomas: I didn’t, somebody saw me or like my AIS, It was picked up by either a ship that I never saw or a space station or something like that. So I think I was lost to society for maybe a couple of days. But obviously I didn’t have any contact with anyone for 10 days. So my buddy boat at the time were basically conveying saying that they found me and. They were in contact with friends and family and, all, all sorts of people they never met. Um, so I, it was, it was a non-event that for me, other than worrying about others, but, but I think that’s the only thing that happened [00:05:00] really on the crossing.
Uh.
Annika: That is a really kind of a unique experience and it’s, it’s almost hard to prepare for, but did I understand correctly that that all came from a freak wave that messed up your tracking and that was the cause of it?
Tomas: Yeah, so I was sail downwind. I had the waves and wind after the beam, from the opposite side. Uh, it, it’s really warm at the time. So I opened the window over the nav station. Obviously that was stupid, but at the time it felt good. Wave suddenly came from the front and over the deck and uh, it just landed all over my Iridium, which supposedly is waterproof, but I can tell you it’s not.
and um, and then I had to jury rig a bunch of stuff from the, for the electrics as well, but it worked out, so it was fine. It was just concerning I guess, knowing that people, even if I told people not to worry, they would be worried. So,
Annika: Absolutely. And I, I wanted to ask like, how did that [00:06:00] land with you? Did you, you assume that people would be worrying or did you hear all of this after the fact that people were looking out and worried about you?
Tomas: I think first of all, you know, you can’t worry for 10 days yourself about that. So I think you felt, oh crap, you know, that’s gonna worry people at home. And then basically you just sort of say, well, if they are picking me up, at least let’s show them that somebody’s on the boat. I did have, because I had the tracker on other boats.
So I did have a boat behind me that I knew about 60 miles behind me, and I tried to sort of intercept them, but that ocean is just so big. It’s, uh, , when you lost tracker to find each other, you know, you’d need to be within like 15 miles or something to get an AIS signal well, or VHF, uh, it was just proved impossible.
Annika: Yeah. Yeah, that’s a tough one. But it is interesting though, like as a solo sailor how do you balance that [00:07:00] independence of you being out there on your own, but also with the responsibility that you somewhat indirectly have towards all your and family who you know are watching from afar?
Tomas: I guess it feels better now because I’ve experienced it, you know, like, so basically I can tell people that, you know, you know, we have other equipment. I, I mean EPIRB for instance, which obviously is a, an electronic beacon, that really is just a one-way disturbance signal or, or tracker. I think they know now that if that goes off, then it’s serious.
And today, I guess I got both Starlink and Iridium, so I have some sort of backup there as well. Uh oh. I also think AIS has gotten better lately. They actually have a IS via satellites today as well, so I think I would’ve been, I’m not sure how that works, but I think they would’ve been able to trace me even in the middle of nowhere.
Annika: Now do, do you think that experience of [00:08:00] being lost or your Pacific crossing in general of 30 days by yourself on the ocean, has that changed your approach to how you’re planning your future passages?
Tomas: I’ve stopped counting down when I’m sailing. It is what it is. You know, you’re in the middle of nowhere and so I guess I’m not, you know, constantly checking how far I’ve got to go and that sort of stuff. I don’t know. I think I’m much calmer or much more, you know, not trying to fight nature or trying to do it quicker, or, uh, trying to live my life as much as I can, as if I was on anchor almost, obviously not, maybe the sleeping pattern, but, but other than that, you know, do things and, and, uh, fix things and, and not just sailing and focusing on that.
So I, I guess. It is normal for me now. You know, three or four days from now and I’m shooting off on a 10 day crossing, you know, I’m not thinking twice of that really. I’m just eager to go.
Annika: Exactly. Yeah. It’s, it’s less [00:09:00] intimidating now, maybe then, which is interesting. And maybe now your friends and family also are getting more used to the idea of you being, uh, out there again, potentially unreachable. Now, obviously you have been to a ton of countries since we last spoke, and we don’t have to go through all of them ’cause people gonna go through your blog but I am curious, was there a landfall that maybe, um, surprised you the most?
Tomas: I mean, I arrived in French Polynesia, which is volcanic islands with reefs around them, as everyone knows, and it’s, um, amazing. Lived up to all my expectations. I think. From there I went by a server of, to Tonga Tonga’s probably up there on top of my list of places that I’ve enjoyed the most, small island nation.
Uh, been a kingdom of itself, never really been conquered by anyone., You know, about a hundred thousand people living there only in, in, in a whole host of island. I really liked Tonga a [00:10:00] lot. From there, I went to New Zealand for the cyclone season, and did a lot of refits, particularly rebuilt my whole electrical system after that incident on the Pacific.
Up to Fiji. Well, I was eight months in in New Zealand. I would recommend anyone ever, ever wants to have boat work done to go to New Zealand. Particularly up in in the north where I was in Whangarei, they know boats. They’re I don’t wanna say cheap, but they’re, well priced and, uh, top-notch people.
Annika: I’ve actually heard John Neal, has said the same about New Zealand, that they’ve kind of kept up the trade and the craftsmanship of training new people who do boat work and such. And that maybe contributes to the availability and also the pricing of it. And it does not mean that it’s poor quality at all.
It’s, it’s high quality. It’s just that there’s a lot of, uh, supply of qualified boat mechanics or builders or what have you.
Tomas: Well, I came in, I pulled my rudder there and it was pretty [00:11:00] much just about to lose it because I had like huge corrosion on my rudder stock. I came into a local machine shop. They f got me a new better material, uh, stainless steel rudder stock, and rebuilt the whole rudder.
And I said, listen, have you ever done this before? You come in and there’s like seven other rudders being made at the same time and the same place. You can get everything done there. It was, uh, very, very nice. So I liked, uh, New Zealand a lot. Didn’t sail as much as I would’ve wanted to in New Zealand because I was on the hard for three months or something there.
but really enjoyed it and, uh, I would recommend New Zealand to anyone. Then went up to Fiji. It’s a pretty rough crossing actually from New Zealand going north, Fiji, then to Vanuatu, which is probably my second favorite place after that, I would’ve thought. Absolutely fantastic place.
They jump and do their, um, um, bungee jumping there. They do, uh, they have dugongs there. I [00:12:00] mean, an animal it’s like a 6-year-old is drawn. It, you know, it’s, it’s like a, I don’t know, like four meter long hippo almost kind of thing, which looks like a mermaid at the back in a vacuum cleaner at the front, you know?
Annika: I’ve never heard of that. This sounds amazing.
Tomas: Well, it’s like, it’s, it’s like a manatee on steroids. Just ridiculous. You look at it and you say like, surely that doesn’t exist, you know? But, fantastic. Then, um, then I was a little late. Most of my buddies went on to Indo directly. I went to Australia. Sail up and down. Actually I said 5,000 miles in Australia from Bundaberg to Tasmania, uh, and up to Darwin and then to Indonesia.
Tasmania is, if I was gonna mention three places, it’ll be Tonga, Tasmania, and Vanuatu.
Annika: That’s, uh, yeah, that’s really interesting. That’s not such a common route either. ’cause a lot of people don’t go to Australia or, or Tasmania. [00:13:00] So that’s interesting that you took that sort of, uh, extended, routes.
Tomas: It’s rough, down there, Bass Strait and that sort of stuff. So I’d say, uh, there’s a reason why not a lot of, and there’s a reason why they have their big sail race there. Sydney Hobart. Yeah. But it was amazing. And it was like a young, vibrant, artistic, community.
People have moved there rather than away from there. It was, it was, uh, very, very special. Looked like game of Thrones country, you
Annika: Yeah. That’s really cool.
Tomas: Fantastic. Actually, I really enjoy it.
Annika: Now I know a lot of people I’ve talked to who have either circumnavigated or, or sailed in that part of the world in general. They have had some challenges with, timing. Like they had to rush through it because. You know, visas or weather patterns or, or something like that. You know, they, they needed to do their circum navigation in three years and they needed to get going.
But it sounds like you are really taking your time there to explore.
Tomas: Yeah, I [00:14:00] mean, I spent the one cyclone season in, in Grenada first, well, hurricane season, then I guess one in New Zealand, for eight months and then eight months in Australia. And I guess now I’m north of the equator, so I’m, I’m potentially safe here. And I guess the next one I’ll dodge in South Africa.
So I’m in no rush. Whenever people ask me how long am I gonna be out, and I’m saying for a long time, and then they think six months or something, and then I say, no, no, no, 15 years. and I’ve said 15 years for the last five, so I don’t know
Annika: You’re setting the good expectation there, but that’s, that’s really interesting.
Tomas: I’m in no, no rush. Uh, I’m trying to stay on the right side of the equator, on the winter side of the equator all the time just to make sure I’m not being, surprised by any cyclones. And then I. I go west. and now I guess it’s been a lot of north, south rather than, uh, east, west.
Um, but I [00:15:00] guess now I’m setting off pure West.
Annika: Yeah, and I definitely want to dive into what’s coming up next for you. But before we get to that, I just wanted to talk a little more about the, the solo sailing aspect. Now that you have done multiple ocean crossings. And you’ve been at this for five years already and I am wondering, do you think sailing has changed you as a person and, and not just as a sailor?
I’m sure you’re more skilled than you were before, but do you think it’s changed you as a person as well?
Tomas: yeah, first of all, I love solo sailing. I like that I’m only responsible for myself really as well. You know, if something happens, you know, it’s my fault you know, I don’t have to tell somebody else to sit down and not run around and injure themselves or whatever. So I’m actually quite, I’m enjoying solo sailing. I’m also enjoying having, people around me when I get in, somewhere, to sort of, keep me sane, I guess. has it changed? I think I’m a lot calmer. Uh, very few things upset me, nowadays. Uh, has it [00:16:00] changed me other than that? I know, I guess how I operate.
I’m just, basically, I, I guess my pulse is probably 10 strokes, lower than they used to be.
Annika: Well, you know, you said you, you’ve become more calm and don’t worry so much. But do you still experience fear as you are out there sailing in the world’s oceans? Mm-hmm.
Tomas: No is the simple answer and maybe because I’m stupid or something, I don’t know. Uh, Sailing is slow. things are rarely urgent. Stuff that happens is a price you pay for something you did do or didn’t do 10 minutes ago. I love to be out in the ocean much better than being close to land. You know, you get squalls. It’s not like I haven’t had things happen. Of course, I’ve blown up numerous sails and I’ve had all sorts of things and squalls happen and. Particularly here in this area where there’s so much traffic, here being, Malacca Strait and north, and there’s so much traffic.
The fishing nets, the fishing boats, there’s stuff that gets [00:17:00] struck in your prop. You have to dive over in middle of the night and free yourself from something underneath. There’s some scary stuff. Of course that happens, but Actually, most of the scary stuff is associated with other people rather than the nature.
Annika: Yeah, no that’s a good point because it’s. you might be the only one out there in the ocean, but once you get into more populated areas, then, then you do need to worry. Maybe worry about some other people as well.
So
what I was gonna ask is like obviously you’ve done a lot of long passages and you’re about to embark on another 10 day passage shortly, and of course sailing in general requires a lot of like constant small decisions. And you said your Pacific crossing was quite chill as as they go.
But I’m just curious, how do you make good decisions when you’re tired and you’re alone and you know, it’s day 17 out of what you think is maybe 30?
Tomas: Yeah, I think, most of those decisions are in the beginning or the end or there’s a squall or whatever and that sort [00:18:00] of stuff coming or whatever. A squall is usually a fairly short event. I guess when we talk about where I’m going next, there’s some more scary areas, I think, whatever, but generally I find there’s not a lot of decisions to be made on the way I usually sail Conservatively, I said about half the main, so I don’t actually, because the main is, is, is the one that can cause damage, more than anything else. either to the rig to yourself. , I usually have, uh.
Full, genoa and half the main out or something like that unless I sell with the jennaker. I usually over long distances, I set my autopilot to wind, which means that I steer to wind angle rather than actually a direct course, which means that I may not go absolutely straight, doesn’t really matter a very long distance.
It means that I don’t have to make alterations to the sail for small changes in wind direction. So I think the sailing itself, on the big ocean or whatever, unless the swell is really big, I don’t think there’s, there’s so many decisions to be made. It’s [00:19:00] a nice way to travel.
I think. I dunno, maybe I’m, maybe I’m, uh, lost to society here a bit. I don’t know.
Annika: Well, you probably get more comfortable making those decisions as well. It’s not necessarily a such a big thing. You kinda do it routinely, you know, almost without thinking, you just react. It’s not a decision anymore.
Tomas: Okay, so, when something happened in the past, I needed to correct it quickly, I think. I’ve had a couple of situations here in, in Indonesia, I blew out my jennaker and it ended up under the boat. Um, and basically it’s floating and there’s a bunch of ropes and stuff, whatever, under the boat.
now. My immediate reaction would be to retrieve that from the front of the deck in the middle of a squall, which would’ve been dangerous probably, and I maybe even would’ve meant that I’d have to dive in the water in a big but really what’s gonna happen, you know, the gennaker is gonna float.
you’re gonna end up sideways to the wind. The jennaker is gonna float downstream of you. Nothing’s gonna [00:20:00] happen. it’s a squall. Takes half an hour or something. It’ll be over, and it’ll be dead calm as always after a squall. So why not just wait it out, go down, make yourself a cup of coffee, you know?
Hold on. And, and, uh. I, I guess that’s a, a different way of dealing with things than I would’ve in the past. Uh, and actually the most scary thing would’ve been diving under the boat and I could have been caught in something and, and maybe just wait it out and retrieve it and go to the sail maker the next place and get it fixed.
Annika: Exactly. Yeah. Well, it supports what you were saying earlier, that you’re now much calmer, it comes with time and experience, I’m sure.
Tomas: Well, you know, I think, sailing around the world is a bunch of near misses. Anyone who hasn’t had any near misses would be lying. And you know, it’s what you do with that experience, I guess. And by now, I haven’t had the same situation, but I’ve had enough similar situations. Does that make sense? You know, and I think, um, I I think I’m a lot calmer today. I don’t [00:21:00] overreact.
Annika: That’s an interesting observation and I’m sure very useful as you’re sailing. We talked a little bit about decision making, and now you are at a real crossroads, uh, trying to figure out your way back to Europe. So talk to me about the two routes that you’ve been weighing on how to get, uh, back home eventually.
Tomas: Yeah, I’m not sure I got, uh, home is not a place for me. uh. From here, there are two route really, I guess, you know, do you go north or do you go south of Africa? I don’t wanna go through the Suez canal. Most of my buddies are, I’m in the process of finding some more courageous friends.
Because I need, you know, so basically most of my friends are going through the Suez that doesn’t appeal to me. It’s a long ride through the, the, the Red Sea by Engine mostly in, in places you, you know, reluctantly would only stay to fuel, you know. and secondly, I’ll end up back in the Mediterranean.
I’ve already spent now seven years in the Mediterranean. I guess [00:22:00] my fear is that I’ll get stuck there either because I get too comfy to be at home again or because, you know, friends and family, tell me to stop, cause I’m home, you know? Uh, and I don’t want to be, uh, a home yet. So. I’m gonna go, uh, South Africa.
So next stop, uh, is going to be the Maldives. I would’ve loved to go to Sri Lanka, but I’ve heard some horrific stories about the, conditions in that port. Uh, and if I, if you can’t leave the boat and go and travel around, uh, it doesn’t feel like it’s worth it. So Maldives is probably about 1500 miles from me.
Annika: Right, and that is the 10 day passage you referenced earlier.
Tomas: Yeah, so I’m in Thailand now, Phuket area. yes, so that’s, um, due west. and then I guess I’ll be spending a month or two or three maybe in, in the Maldives,
And then I guess we’ll see Seychelles probably, maybe possibly Tanzania, but I’ve been there before, so I’m not sure.
[00:23:00] Certainly Madagascar and then, uh, a pretty, rough route probably to South Africa.
Annika: That sounds like a real adventure. And it, it sounds like what maybe influenced your decision is not the… i’m now, I was gonna say that the Red Sea route is an easy route, but, uh, not the faster route and kind of sounds like you are more chasing the unknown and heading south.
Thomas-2: I don’t generally go back somewhere. I had seven years in the med. I know the Mediterranean very well in terms of sailing. but I have never, you know, done what I’m doing, you know, and after that, I guess if I went through the Red Sea.
I would’ve, circumnavigated in Greece. Uh, now it’s gonna be Grenada probably. So I think just to finish the route, I guess it’s South Africa and Namibia uh, the sort of skeleton coast there. Helena, Brazil, French Guyana, maybe Papillon sort of, uh, [00:24:00] devil’s Island stuff. And uh, and then Grenada.
Annika: That sounds fabulous. And obviously we’re both from, uh, Scandinavia, so all these places like Seychelles and Madagascar, they just sound so far away, so exotic.
Tomas: Yeah, they are. No, I agree. And after Grenada, you know, it more depends on who’s healthy at home or if I’m healthy or
Annika: Exactly future decisions.
Thomas-2: that that’s not something I want to even think
about now.
Annika: how do you feel about picking the route that most people are not. So it sounds like you’re going to be separating from your sailing buddies a little bit.
Tomas: Yeah, they’re still trying to convince me to go the other way, but I, I, uh, think that primarily, I, like, I’m not ready to go home. I think is the, um, the honest answer to that. yeah, I mean, we’re probably gonna stay together until the Maldives, I’ll go south and they’ll continue up to through the Red Sea.
How do I feel about that? Uh. I think, I think most people are, are scared about the South Africa part, [00:25:00] uh, particularly the east coast of South Africa, which is notoriously rough, with the Agulhas current and the winds along that coast and, and, um, you know, ducking in and out, trying to avoid getting into real trouble.
Whereas in the other end, the Red Sea, there’s more of about political worries, I guess than sailing worries. I dunno, I’m, I never, never considered going really the Red Sea ever. I, I, you know, so shame, I’ll meet these people again, but, uh, I’ll have to find new one. And there are some cool people I’ve met here already that are going my route.
Not many, but yes.
Annika: So yes, there’s always a few who will eventually end up going the same way, more or less, so that that will be. Really interesting.
Tomas: Yeah, I and you know, places that go now is gonna be, as you said, very, very remote. You know Maldives? Yes. Seychelles, yes. But Madagascar and places like that, whatever. So I guess you do need some people around you, that can help you, uh, if something goes [00:26:00] wrong, so it’s, it’s good to to to know some people. Uh,
Annika: Absolutely. I think it all goes into the sort of risk management part of this because, uh, there’s different kind of risk going up to the Red Sea, like you mentioned, a little bit different political situation. But, not to say that there wouldn’t be anything on, on the route that you’re choosing either.
So it is certainly, somewhat reassuring thought to know that there are some people you sort of know that are in the same area.
Tomas: Yeah, I mean, I mean, hey, Mozambique has, you know, Kalashnikov in their, national flag.
Annika: Yeah.
Tomas: you know, you know, and there’s, I mean, there was an uprising in Madagascar the other day, uh, or a few weeks ago, I should say. but hey, that’s a part of it.
I’m ready to go. I’m ready to cross another ocean. I’m looking forward to and I’ve done Southeast Asia now for like, I don’t know, seven, eight months now. I did eight months in Australia before then, and I like, it’s, it’s, it’s, uh, time to, go far again.
Annika: Yeah. Time to keep [00:27:00] going. I love it. Is there anything you’ve done to your boat that is different from any of the other passages, or is it just kind of routine maintenance to keep the boat in good shape?
Tomas: Yeah, I mean, it’s just been hauled out in Malaysia. That was just pure maintenance stuff. my big, uh, I hate the word refit. Everyone used that, whatever, but the, my big job I had in, in was in New Zealand where I had, I spent a, a ton of money there and had pretty much all my electronics and all my electrics redone, the rudder redone, you know, just a lot of work there.
So it’s, you know, touch wood, I think both me and my boat is, prepared as we can get, you know, uh, I think the next trip, the first leg here is gonna be according to all the gurus like Cornell and others, it’s, it’s one of the nicest trips you can do sailing in like February, pure West from here, then you start going south. It’s gonna be the doldrums, it’s gonna be west, I guess from Maledives to [00:28:00] Seychelles, which is just close to the equator going west, which is gonna be no wind. And then the right opposite.
Some, some, uh, horrific currents and waves and winds.
Annika: Yeah, there’s certainly been some well-known cases in the southern oceans from a Finnish perspective, purely thinking of course of Tapio Lehtinen who got rescued during his, uh, race. And just recently there was a, a Finnish… What shall we call him? Adventurer, who was rowing from South America to South Africa.
And he, he had previously rowed across the Atlantic, I think both ways already. But, uh, he had to be rescued out of, um, in somewhere halfway between South America and South Africa just because it a wave damaged his boat quite a bit. But of course that was not a sailboat. That was a very advanced rowboat.
So,
Tomas: Yeah. Yeah, I’ve seen those boats Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean that Agulhas current that [00:29:00] goes north to south. If the winds turn southerly and then you get wind against current, that’s when you get those monster waves that have sunk in like big tankers and stuff.
So, uh,
Annika: yeah, yeah. Well, just don’t get lost and don’t go to Antarctica. You’ll be fine.
Tomas: I’ll try not to, I’ll try not to.
Annika: Now, you said earlier that your sort of concept of home has changed. That home is maybe no longer Sweden or you know where you’re from. Talk to me about that. What is home for you these days?
Tomas: Yeah. I mean, home is not a place I think, I’m not sure I’ve ever felt. I mean, I’m grown up in Sweden, but I’ve lived in many other places like London and yeah, but I think i’m Swedish by accident of birth. Uh, rather than feeling tremendously Swedish, uh, I have perfectly bilingual kids.
I have an ex-wife who’s from Ireland. I, I, uh, lived in London. I, I think, uh, if I dare to be semi-political, I could say I think nations is something created by [00:30:00] kings in the old days, rather than actually having any significant impact on me. So I don’t, I guess home is where I am. Well generally seem to stay more than three months in every country I am. And since I don’t have, another fixed address, I guess, I’m living in Thailand now and I guess I lived in Malaysia a a few months ago.
Annika: A true world citizen.
Tomas: I think so. I think so. I think people generally are the same, want the same things. And, I mean, I haven’t been back in Sweden for over a year and a half now. You know, other than missing, some people that are important to me, my kids and others, am not sure I’m missing Sweden in any way. Uh, certainly not now. It’s like it’s snow to your knees and you know.
Annika: Yeah, no. Minus 40 degrees in Finland, and I was like, no, no, it’s okay.
Tomas: Yeah I’m sure at some stage I’ll be dragged off the boat and, by people who said, stop this silly old man, uh, [00:31:00] and put me in a home somewhere. I don’t know. But right now I’m, I’m. Lost to society. I think, I don’t think I, I have a need to have a fixed place actually, that will probably feel like a prison more than I think today.
Annika: Yeah, that’s an interesting take. A world citizen lost to society, that’s not a bad status.
Tomas: I don’t think so. Actually. I, I feel it’s, it’s a pretty good place to be. So, no, home, home is not important to even the concept of a home is not important to me. Does that make sense?
Annika: No, absolutely. Yeah. Now, just as we wrap up, I wanted to ask about your thoughts on, solo sailing still, because you must meet a lot of people and I am just gonna hazard a guess that most of them are, are not solo sailors. So you meet probably a lot of couples and families and groups, and I’m wondering, is there a sort of a common misconception that people think about solo sailors or solo sailing in general.
Tomas: Even people on meet here [00:32:00] would say to me, I could never do what you do. so you are right. There are not many solo sailors or very few actually. My answer always is it’s not that different from what you’re doing. The positives are that I I don’t have anyone I need to get along with, I guess, uh, on the boat.
I don’t need to feel responsible for anyone else, or that doesn’t mean that I haven’t enjoyed whenever I’ve had visitors coming. But on passages, if you talk to others, particularly when they’re shorthanded to people or something, they don’t socialize that much on a long passage anyway.
You listen to podcasts like yours or you watch movies, you read books or you play a game, or you do whatever in terms or you sleep and just recover for your shift and your path. I don’t think the sailing aspect is, uh, I think people over complicated or whatever. I don’t feel different from anyone else doing it on my own.
Annika: Yeah, you, no, you know it so well that it doesn’t feel [00:33:00] particularly special to you. But I, what I’m hearing is sort of, there is a certain sense of freedom because like you said, you’re only responsible for yourself. You don’t need to think about what does the other person think, what do they want? And it’s just, you just need to think of yourself, make, uh, your decision, and no one’s gonna argue with you or disagree or be disappointed except yourself.
Tomas: I think every time I’ve been in trouble or every time something has happened my. First thought has not been, I wish I had somebody to help me. My first thoughts have always been, uh, how happy I am that I’m only responsible for myself here. and I have so many friends around me that I don’t feel lonely in any way ever.
Annika: Now, anything else you wanted to cover on this? Any, any final words of wisdom?
Tomas: Words, wisdom. I don’t know. This is is all that I expected it to be. everyone thinks that Know, I left during COVID and people would say, oh, he just left. You know, he just went, no, I didn’t just leave. This is like a long plan. [00:34:00] Uh, it takes a long time to sort of get going and it’s like, five years down the road as a full-time liveaboard it’s everything I expected.
not more, not less. Uh, and the, you know, it’s, uh. Been fantastic. I’ve sailed to, this is my 40th country now but I can’t wait to get to another country. I can’t wait to get to another place. I can’t wait to cross another ocean.
Annika: Yeah. Never gets, tiring, does
Tomas: No, no, right now, there’s nothing better. there’s nothing I’d rather do. I’m more scared of what I, what happens when I don’t do this anymore. I mean, I met people that have stopped cruising.
Uh, and I think it is, that’s a harder, uh, I’ve, I have many friends that have left midlife and come back and then work afterwards. Uh, I fear they, a lot of them sit and dream back on how good that was and, and, uh, and uh, that inhibits them going forward, even, you know, I’ll do this until I get dragged off the boat instead and, uh, I won’t know what’s [00:35:00] happening to me then,
Annika: Exactly. Well, hopefully that is still far, far away.
Tomas: Yeah, I would recommend anyone to do this, but you know, you need to be, you need to be pretty special though in terms of, you need to be, you need to be able to be social and, and yet comfortable with yourself as well.
Annika: No, that’s, that’s well said. Well, Tomas, I wish you the best of luck towards South Africa, and maybe we’ll catch up again once you’re again on the other side of the world.
Tomas: Yeah. Well, I’m happy to do that.
I enjoyed this one and I enjoyed the last one
Annika: Wonderful.
All right, and that’s it for this episode. Huge thanks to Tomas for sharing such an honest look at what solo sailing really feels like over the long term. And as always, thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please feel free to share it with somebody who’s dreaming about life at sea, and I will see you in the next one.
And bye for now. [00:36:00]