Memories of a world sailing adventure 50 years ago

A carpenter who sailed 20,000 miles around the world has recalled how armed soldiers boarded his yacht and he came face-to-face with a whale during an adventure that changed his life.

"We got detained three times by the local authorities," says 79-year-old Colin Foskett, from Fareham.

"Once in Cape Verde, once in Montevideo, and once in Punta Arenas.

"These big soldiers came on board with their hobnail boots and their guns to tell us 'this is the wrong flag'."

Colin's wife June, friends Maurice and Maralyn Bailey and Tony Martin made up the crew of the Auralyn II, which sailed from Llanelli in Wales in the summer of 1975.

The group travelled around South America before sailing into the Southampton International Boat Show in 1976.

Colin remembered he and June were inspired to embark on the trip by the Baileys, who had spent 118 days at sea just three years earlier, after their yacht was destroyed by a whale.

"They talked about their rescue but they were more interested in their new adventure of going to Patagonia," he said.

"They showed us some sketches and asked us if we'd go with them. To me it was an adventure – I hadn't considered the danger."

Colin said they had one close encounter that really set their pulses racing.

"I could see in the distance it looked like a speed boat was coming towards us," he said.

"You could see bow waves... it was a whale.

"It was coming up, broaching, coming down. It came off our stern and reared its head. It got so close to us, it looked at us."

Colin chuckled as he recalled the Baileys "going into cardiac arrest" at the prospect of another run-in with a whale.

But for the crew of the Auralyn II the encounter was far less dramatic.

"When it disappeared, its tail just went down below the waves without even making a ripple," said Colin.

He said the crew sailed about 20,000 miles during the voyage, taking in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, and passing through the Panama Canal before returning home.

Colin and June's daughter, Terry Smith, grew up hearing her parents' tales from the trip, including how the food had to be rationed.

She said: "There was no extra, you were rationed on your food.

"And he [Colin] suddenly got a very sweet tooth so decided to eat a whole jar of jam overnight and then try and hide it."

The civil servant from Fareham said: "He's never touched jam since."

She recalled being told how there were very few home comforts, aside from Bartholomew the Bear.

"From the way mum always told it to me, she'd never been away from home before, ever," she said.

"And she snuck on board this teddy bear which was about a foot tall, bright white with purple paws and the bear kind of became the mascot."

Colin's wife June and Maurice and Maralyn Bailey have since passed away.

Terry has said she is keen to keep the memories of her parents' travels alive.

"They've shaped who I am now," she said.

"And I just hope that I can do them proud in the things that I do and how I carry myself in life."

Though as he nears 80, Colin admitted he would be reluctant to take on the trip again.

But he said he was "glad" he had taken on the adventure when he did.

"It changed my thinking, it changed me in all sorts of ways," he added.