Rob Hamill, a former Olympic rower from New Zealand, and his family have reached the halfway mark of their worldwide sailing journey—seven years after setting sail.
The family of five is currently in the Atlantic Ocean between the island of St Helena and Brazil, celebrating this big moment aboard their boat, The Cruising Kiwis.
Hamill, his wife Rachel, and their three sons left New Zealand in 2018 to sail around the globe. Their journey is both an adventure and a way to honour Rob’s brother, Kerry, who dreamed of sailing the world but was killed in Cambodia in 1978.
Rob is no stranger to these waters. In 1997, he won the first Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race with teammate Phil Stubbs. They rowed nonstop for 41 days, switching every two hours. Sadly, Stubbs died in a plane crash the following year, and Rob says he still feels that loss deeply.
Now, Rob’s sons are getting to experience the ocean themselves. “We’re kind of getting to live what he did,” said Declan, one of his sons. But unlike Rob’s race, this voyage isn’t about winning. It’s about exploring, learning, and remembering.
The journey has had its dangers too. Finn, the oldest son, survived a free diving accident, and the family once nearly collided with another ship at night. Still, they press on—with the boys helping by keeping watch during nighttime sailing.
They don’t know when they’ll return to New Zealand. It took seven years to get halfway; it might take seven more to finish. Their adventure is being shared with over 25,000 followers on their YouTube channel, where they post stories from life at sea.
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