Family crosses more than 30 countries by sailboat on a trip that lasted three years

Businesswoman from Alagoas travels the world on a sailboat and has visited more than 30 countries A family on a sailboat, wind as the main fuel and more than 30 countries ahead. What began as a way to travel on a budget took Ângela Seabra Cheloni, her husband, Daniel, and their daughters on a three-year adventure across the Americas. (Watch above) ?Join the g1 Alagoas channel On the way, they faced a storm that almost capsized the boat on the high seas, strengthened family ties and built memories that, years later, would help Ângela face the death of her partner from cancer. The relationship with travel began precisely due to the lack of money to finance a conventional itinerary. When researching alternatives, Ângela and Daniel discovered that it would be possible to put the family on a sailboat and take advantage of the strength of the wind to travel long distances. "We discovered that on a sailboat you put the family inside and the wind takes it away. You don't use diesel. You only use diesel for emergency maneuvers or to enter a port or marina", he said. The decision came quickly. First, the couple bought a small sailboat to learn how to sail. Angela and Daniel even dismantled the vessel to understand how everything worked. They then purchased a larger boat and did a complete renovation. The initial plan was to spend about a month sailing nearby, as a form of training before the big trip. That's not what happened. “The next day, we picked it up, put it in first gear and left,” recalled Ângela. Storm almost capsized the sailboat One of the most dangerous situations of the adventure occurred during a crossing on the coast of the United States. The family was sailing through the Gulf Stream region when they were surprised by a storm. According to Ângela, the sea current went in one direction while the storm advanced in the opposite direction. The meeting of the two forces created violent waves and caused the family to lose control of the vessel. "The waves started to rise and we lost control of the boat. Before that, we had already lowered all the sails and removed everything from the boat", he said. At one point, a wave hit the vessel from behind and lifted it. “When the boat was ready to flip, it came back and everything behind it broke.” The impact destroyed equipment such as the wind generator, the solar panel and the wind pilot, a system used to help drive the sailboat. Part of the vessel's rear structure was also ripped off. The family took refuge inside the boat while Daniel had to get out to cut the equipment cables that had broken and continued to hit the hull. Despite the scare and damage, they continued the journey. ‘One depends on the other’ For Ângela, the experience at sea strengthened a family relationship that was already close. Living on a boat, facing unforeseen circumstances and depending on each other meant that the couple and their daughters learned to resolve conflicts quickly. "The relationship with the sea brought us great harmony. It gave us the notion that we depend on each other and also that we have to trust each other. That's how we are to this day," he said. While the family alternated periods of sailing and returning to Brazil, another project was also growing in Maceió: the pizzeria run by Ângela and Daniel. The business, which started in a small house with few chairs, gained space over the years and became a well-known Italian cuisine restaurant in the capital of Alagoas. Part of the history of the establishment, according to Ângela, lies precisely in the bonds built over the decades. There are employees with years of experience and customers who started to frequent the space at the beginning and today they return accompanied by their children and grandchildren “There are people here who have worked with us for 35 years. There are customers who came here the first week and continue to come," she said. She says she especially remembers the stories of couples who started dating by going to the restaurant and stayed together. "They are people who continue to come with their children and now they are coming with their grandchildren. It is our eternity. It’s so beautiful.” The loss of a companion None of the difficulties faced during the crossings, however, would compare to the loss of Daniel. After decades at Angela's side, he died during cancer treatment. The two met when she was 17 and remained together for 42 years. “He was the first boyfriend, the first kiss, the first everything. I adored him. To this day I'm in love with him", she said. For Angela, Daniel was not only her husband and father of her daughters, but her partner in practically all of her life's projects. "He was a companion. We sailed together, worked together. I learned to ride a bike when I was 49, I learned from him.” Travel as a way to continue After her husband's death, it was precisely what the two did so many times together that helped Angela to continue: traveling. Now, most of the adventures happen on land. In one of the most recent, she spent three months traveling through mountainous regions of Mexico and changing locations practically every day. “It’s my life. I sleep a day in each place. It's every landscape, every place, every person you meet", she said. More than the destinations, Ângela says she values ??the encounters along the way. They are conversations with people who, often, have never left their own community, but carry experiences that she considers capable of teaching as much as any trip. And Daniel continues to be present on these journeys. "I keep imagining Dan talking to these people", she said. Businesswoman has already visited more than 30 countries Reproduction/ TV Asa Branca Alagoas