Parents pull kids from school to sail to Africa

By Emma Dunn via SWNS

A couple pulled their children out of school to travel to Africa on a yacht - without any prior sailing experience.

Daniel Monk, 41, and his wife Bow, 36, and their children Amelia, 13, and Olivia, seven, sailed from Falmouth to Cape Verde in a 45-foot yacht they named Pancakes.

The dad-of-two had always dreamt of sailing the world after battling a 13-year drug and alcohol addiction and said it was "a dream come true" to do it with his family.

The family sailed from Madeira to Tenerife and down to Cape Verde - despite limited experience on a boat that size.

Daniel, the owner of Cask World, from Truro, Cornwall, said: "It was just always a dream to buy a boat and sail the world.

"We believe in being out there.

"If we're connecting with nature that's more valuable than some Gucci.

"We thought how can we allow the kids to have a childhood without being influenced by external factors?

"It was a dream come true.

"As a family I'm over the moon the children got to experience that."

Daniel's addiction started aged 16.

He said: "I just started partying.

"It turned out I was allergic to alcohol. I would take drugs and just loose control.

"I was still functioning so it was very easy to say I didn't have a problem.

"My addiction was more binging.

"When I started getting to age 23, 24 and 25 that's when I realized mornings were difficult.

"It took me to a dark place."

He was still in the depths of his addiction when he met Bow in Bangkok in 2010 but a year later checked himself into rehab.

It took Daniel three years to maintain consistent sobriety and after checking out of Clouds House, Shaftesbury in 2014 he and Bow tied the knot.

Daniel said: "We're so lucky to be able to survive addiction.

"Get help because I was there. There was no hope but thanks to the support of the 12 step communities around the world I was then lucky to go after that dream."

Daniel had grown up with his dad as a captain and going out on toppers and dinghies and had always dreamt of sailing the world.

After years of looking for boats, Daniel finally purchased a Rustler Yacht in 2021 after meeting Dan Stroud - who had spent three years sailing on a similar boat.

Bow said: "I wanted him to make it happen."

They wanted to show their daughters, who live in Chiang Mai, Thailand with Bow, that you don't need to know everything and can still try and work it out.

The family have always been big on nature and adventure - and the couple don't let their kids have iPads so they can focus on what is around them.

Amelia Monk said: "I hiked to mount Everest base camp when I was eight.

"Last year I hiked to Kilimanjaro."

But the family had no sailing experience and spent time in Mylor, Cornwall with sailor Dan Stroud beforehand and were invited to Sir Robin Knox-Johnson’s house for tea as a send off.

Daniel set off in December 2023 and sailed from Plymouth to Lisbon - where his family then joined him.

From there they travelled to Madeira, Tenerife, to Cape Verde and then cross the Atlantic to Barbados.

But the trip came with its challenges with Bow struggling with extreme sea sickness initially.

Daniel said: "Bow was violently sea sick. It was challenging. I was exhausted and it was relentless.

"But something magical happened - the girls took care of us."

Bow added: "I couldn't eat. I felt guilty. After about five to six days I'm OK."

The family also made incredible memories including seeing dolphins and whales, snorkeling, racing in a regatta in Antigua and meeting other travelers along the way.

Despite the small proximities of the boat they always pulled together - even when they bickered.

Amelia said: "It was stressful and annoying.

"Because anything could go wrong on the boat we had to work together even though we were mad."

Bow said: "It was quite tough for us. We had to work together as a team."

The family also had some scary times such as fearing orca's would topple their boat after warnings and Bow and Amelia getting stuck on an island overnight.

Daniel and Bow were originally hesitant that the long trip might impact Amelia and Olivia's education but say they have "bounced back" at school.

Daniel said: "Before we left we had a big fear - are we affecting the children?

"But the children just bounced back."

Bow said they've learned a lot along the way and "grown up" by seeing places such as Montserrat island and learning about the history.

Bow said: "It gave them good experience and to be confident.

"I think they learned a lot from this."

Daniel sailed the boat back to the UK and returned in August 2024 after a 10,000 mile trip - while the girls returned to Thailand.

The family are now selling Pancakes but are so glad they took the leap and are always looking for the next adventure.

They hope to inspire others to go for their dreams and very thankful to all the people helped them along the way.

Daniel said: "I'd rather I had my last day trying to do something like that than be safe at home.

"Aim for the stars and hit the moon.

"Go big."