The Tribune

SAN Salvador has once again played a pivotal role in an historic voyage, serving as the initial landing point of an adventurous rowing expedition across the Atlantic Ocean.

South African adventurer Riaan Manser and his fiancé Vasti Geldenhuys set out to row from Africa to the United States – a total of 6,689 miles – alone and unaided with no support vessel. The couple left Morocco for New York in a 23-foot rowboat on December 31, 2013.

Taking a similar route to Christopher Columbus, who sailed to San Salvador from Spain centuries earlier, the pair made their way to the island after months at sea.

On April 16, Manser and Geldenhuys landed in Long Bay, Cockburn Town, just three miles from the exact spot of Columbus’ historic landing in 1492.

Manser said after going 74 days without seeing land they were both physically and mentally exhausted, but as soon as they hit the clear blue waters and saw the sandy banks they we re-energised, not to mention amazed.

“For us in South Africa the Bahamas is a legendary place,” he said with a smile. “So you can imagine, we arrive here and don’t really know what to expect because we only know the Bahamas from what the TV has shown us. It’s better in real life.”

The couple was greeted by a reception at the small Cockburn Town Marina, where residents cheered them into port and students from San Salvador Primary sang a special welcome song. Geldenhuys said the reception was the highlight of her journey.

“The welcome we got from the people of San Salvador had me literally in tears,” she recalled. “It was so special and so amazing.”

The adventurers said they were so intrigued by the people and sights of the Bahamas that they extended their stay and discovered more about the country. The couple also visited other islands in the Bahamas – Cat Island, Andros and Exuma – where they swam with Exuma’s famous swimming pigs.

Manser said he was moved by the overwhelming support the couple received from the people of the Bahamas.

“The successful part of tourism, and anything related to people visiting your country (the Bahamas) and enjoying being a guest in your country is that human factor,” he said. “For people to embrace us as warmly as they have has astounded us.”

The pair will head to New York after leaving the Bahamas. They have approximately 1,500 miles left in their journey, which will take them another month to complete.

Manser is a well-known adventurer who has undertaken several expeditions over the past nine years, including a 2,299-mile cycling journey through 34 countries, and a paddling expedition around Iceland.