Antony Buxton

Pacific voyage on a Chinese junk Antony Buxton

This is an accurate account of an attempt to sail around the world: in 1965, ten young men from diverse backgrounds and nationalities set off from Sydney in a Chinese junk to achieve this goal. The leader was Tony Pike, later a legendary character on the island of Ibiza. The rest of the crew consisted of two Englishmen, one of whom had emigrated to Australia in his early twenties; three New Zealanders; and four Australians. In their desire to begin their adventure, they overlooked many vital factors. The intended captain, who was to supply all the navigation equipment, pulled out at the last minute, leaving them without essential gear. They focused too intently on financial planning, and the goal of the trip and their enthusiasm overrode common sense; consequently, the vessel was ill-equipped for such a long voyage. Although the trip included many amusing moments and exciting exploits, the dream voyage soon turned into a nightmare, with the crew becoming lost at sea and almost giving up hope. The story details what went wrong, which turned out to be everything except, strangely enough, the actual financing of the trip, typically tends to be the biggest problem in this type of venture. Despite the trip's enormous potential for success and profitability, it was a failure because the vessel and equipment were entirely inadequate. This is not only a fascinating story, but it also offers guidance for anyone contemplating a similar voyage.