Sadun Boro

Sadun Boro (* 1928 in Istanbul ; † June 5, 2015 ) was the first Turkish sailor around the world.

Childhood, adolescence and studies

Sadun Boro was born in Istanbul. He attended elementary school in Erenköy in Kadıköy . He bought his first rowing boat back then without his parents knowing. Boro bought his first larger boat when he was still a teenager with the help of three friends. It measured seven meters and was named Dilnişin. Sadun Boro graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1948 . Boro then studied textile manufacturing in Manchester .

First trip

After completing his studies, Boro applied for an advertisement in a sailing magazine for a trip to New Zealand on a sailing ship called "Ling". The team was selected from 220 applicants, Boro was one of them. The Ling had a length of 12 m and started in early July 1952. The sailing trip lasted six months. After graduation, the idea matured in Boro to be the first Turk to sail around the world.

Work, marriage and preparation

Sadun Boro then worked in various state institutions. He couldn't afford a seaworthy sailing ship with his salary. Boro sold the Dilnişin and bought a 7.5 m long sailboat, which he named "Harem". The former owner of the Ling invited Sadun Boro on a trip around the world in 1957. Boro traveled to Dover, the ship by no means met the requirements. After numerous setbacks, the two reached Tangier . There it came to an argument and Boro traveled home. In 1962 Boro found a well paid position in a textile factory in Tarsus . As early as 1963 he was able to order his Kismet from a shipyard in Salacak / Istanbul according to Atkin's plans. At the same time he turned on his friend Haldun Simavi to the Hürriyet and asked the newspaper in exchange for a report the cost of the circumnavigation to wear when it's accomplished the preparations on their own. The Hürriyet agreed. This year Boro met the elementary school teacher Oda from Germany. On February 24, 1964, the couple celebrated their wedding in Kadıköy. As a wedding present, they asked for equipment for the kismet . On July 17, 1964, she was lowered into the water by a crane. The equipment lasted another year. When the financial reserves were raised, the couple sold their belongings to prepare for the circumnavigation. A childhood friend cut the sails and Oda sewed them. In May 1965, Sadun Boro had to undergo appendectomy because of acute appendicitis . Oda Boro, however, had the appendix removed prophylactically shortly afterwards. In July 1965 the Kismet was laid down for the last time and got a new coat of paint. The Hürriyet kept her word and provided the money necessary for the three-year sailing trip. Sadun and Oda Boro stored food in their boat for a year. With that the preparations were finished.

Circumnavigation

Route of circumnavigation from 1965–1968

Sadun and Oda Boro started their tour on August 22, 1965 with light rain on the quay of Caddebostan / Istanbul. On the way to Çanakkale , they anchored off Uçmakdere, Hoşköy, Mürefte, Şarköy and Gallipoli at night . In Çanakkale the last customs and travel formalities were done and after a farewell dinner they left Turkey. On August 27, they set course across the Aegean Sea .

The Kismet ran aground off Piraeus . While trying to get them back afloat, Sadun Boro kicked a sea ​​urchin . They crossed the Corinth Canal on September 1st and reached the Strait of Gibraltar on October 18th . Here they spent several days with the crew of the Sığacık, a Turkish minesweeper. The captain of the corvette Demirhisar also visited the Kismet with his officers in those days .

On November 2, 1965, Sadun and Oda Boro left Tangier and began to cross the Atlantic Ocean. On the way to the Canary Islands , the couple survived a two-day violent storm. They reached Gran Canaria on November 14th. Here they took a young cat on board as a ship's cat and named her Miço (Turkish mate). The couple celebrated Oda's birthday on December 7th in Las Palmas , after which they set sail for Barbados . On August 3, 1965, they reached the West Indies . The journey continued to St. Lucia , through the Panama Canal , over the Galapagos Islands , Marquesas , the Tuamotu Archipelago to Tahiti . There Miço escaped at short notice on August 30, but was found again a day later in the coal cellar of a harbor hotel.

From Tahiti the journey continued to the 100 nautical miles to the south under the wind . The Friendship Islands , Fiji and the Hebrides followed . The island of Timor was reached in the third year of the voyage on July 17, 1967, the anniversary of the launch of the Kismet . From Timor they set sail for Bali on August 6th . They arrived in Jakarta at the end of August . There they were guests of the Turkish ambassador Hikmet Şengenç and his wife. He opened a bottle of real Turkish rakı in their honor . On October 8th they lifted anchor and headed for Singapore . A fog that lasted for days then created danger. Before Singapore, Miço tried to catch a bird and fell overboard, but was saved. The boat was boarded 15 nautical miles from Singapore. Eight pirates armed with automatic weapons entered the deck. After learning of the circumnavigation and reading the newspaper reports about the trip, they changed their plan and left without having achieved anything.

In Singapore, Oda and Sadun did a health check. Oda was diagnosed with cancer. The Hürriyet immediately had a plane ticket sent and on November 21, Oda flew to Turkey to undergo an operation. Sadun stayed in Singapore. A few days later, the news came that the operation by doctors Suleyman Dırvana and Cevat Babuna was successful and that the prognosis was good. On December 13, 1967, Sadun Boro began preparations for the onward journey. Sadun crossed the Indian Ocean alone. The news reached him from Turkey that Oda was fine and that she was on her way to see him. Sadun waited three days in Madras . Eventually the couple were reunited in Colombo . Together they continued the journey and reached Djibouti on January 19, 1968 . The Kismet crossed the Gate of Tears and drove through the Red Sea . The route through the Suez Canal was blocked because of the Six Day War . Inquiries from the Hürriyet to transport the Kismet overland through Egypt went unanswered. Meanwhile, Israel agreed to take over the transport. Sadun and Oda Boro sailed to Eilat . A large crane lifted the Kismet onto a truck and brought it 380 km overland to Haifa on the Mediterranean.

Statue in Kadıköy

On May 13, 1968, the couple lifted anchor off Haifa. A few days later they saw the Taurus Mountains in the distance . Two Turkish jet fighters greeted them at low altitude when they reached Turkish territorial waters. The Kismet headed for Rhodes and Lesbos . The couple received a great reception in Çanakkale. They received an escort of honor from the Turkish Navy. Many fishing boats joined them. They reached the waters of Yeşilköy on June 15 . The headline of the Hürriyet read: “What a love!” After a short tour of the Bosporus, they dropped anchor in front of the Dolmabahçe Palace . A great crowd awaited them. They drove to Beşiktaş in a convoy . There one visited the Türbe of the famous sailor Khair ad-Din Barbarossa . In the evening there was a ball in their honor in the Çınar Hotel. Later Sadun and Oda Boro were received by President Cevdet Sunay in Ankara . The Turkish Post was on January 15, 1968, a commemorative stamp with the Kismet Print.

Next life

The couple had a daughter. When she was eight years old, the family sailed the Caribbean from 1977 to 1979 . The family lived in Bodrum and dedicated themselves to environmental protection. Sadun Boro died of cancer on June 5, 2015, at the age of 87. In the marina of Kalamış in Kadıköy, a memorial commemorates Sadun and Oda Boro and the Kismet .

literature

• Ümit Bayazoğlu: Uzun, İnce Yolcular. 42 portre. Istanbul 2014