Sailors stop over on journey around New Guinea island

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By ELLEN TIAMU
THREE canoeists from PNG expect in the next few weeks to be recognised as the first to sail around the island of New Guinea in a traditional canoe.
Dane Thor Jensen and his two Milne Bay partners, brothers Justin John and Sanakoli John, sailed into the Royal Papua Yacht Club mariner yesterday morning after spending one year and 20 days at sea.
They left Tawala Resort in Milne Bay on August 30 last year. They hope to sail back there soon to complete the journey and claim the honour.
Looking tired but happy, the men were treated to lunch at the yacht club.
Jensen said they hoped to return to Tawala in two weeks’ time “depending on the wind and weather”.
“If we make 100km a day, we might get there in a week,” he said.
On reaching Port Moresby, they had completed 5600 of the 6200km trip. They started out as a four-man crew but when they reached Vanimo after two months at sea, one of them developed a medical condition and had to be flown back  to Milne Bay.
The brothers also spoke of the hardship of travelling without money, food and clean water.