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Father-Daughter Sail the World, Face Shark!
7 Jun
Summary
- Father and daughter sailed 18,000 nautical miles over 15 months.
- Dad underwent prostate cancer surgery mid-voyage in Cape Town.
- The pair encountered a tiger shark while fishing for food.
An extraordinary father-daughter sailing expedition has seen Rob Donald and his 19-year-old daughter Freya circumnavigate the globe. Setting sail from New South Wales in March 2025, they have logged 18,000 nautical miles in 15 months aboard their 1937-built yacht, Misha.
The journey, initially inspired by Rob's dream to return the classic yacht to the Netherlands, has been fraught with peril. The pair navigated severe storms and even had a dramatic encounter with a tiger shark that took half their catch of a yellowfin tuna.
Mid-voyage, Rob was diagnosed with prostate cancer in Cape Town, South Africa. He returned to Australia for robotic surgery and, after receiving the all-clear, rejoined Freya to continue their voyage, narrowly missing a critical weather window.
Freya described the experience as "weird and difficult" but ultimately invaluable, highlighting a trip to Madagascar to see lemurs as a personal best. They are now preparing for the final leg to Norway after a recent challenging passage from the Azores to Penzance, Cornwall.
