Deaf man on bid to sail around the globe

From: Washington Times, DC - Sept 15, 2004

Cape Town, South Africa, Sep. 15 (UPI) -- A South African man is hoping to become the first deaf man to sail around the world alone, The Mercury reported from Cape Town Wednesday.

Charl de Villiers describes himself as a novice sailor, although he has logged many miles since setting sail in March from Texas, and visiting Panama and Australia. He was on his way to Cape Town when his yacht "Island Time" was damaged. It is now in Durban being repaired.

He said he has experienced terrible storms and was burgled while docking in Samoa, but his ability to fix things himself has helped him overcome such obstacles.

"I am scared, but I have a satellite system for emergencies and I have a bed shaker that vibrates in case something happens and I keep a watchful eye all the time," he said.

De Villiers said he is determined to complete his journey before Christmas.

"I want to show all the deaf people that if you want to do something and you have the driving force, it's possible," he said.

Copyright 2004 United Press International
© 2004 News World Communications, Inc.