They are looking for a new lifestyle: Corina Lendfers and Michael Berndonner sold their house in 2013 and moved to an old steel ship in Portugal with their five children.
After an intensive year of refit, they finally set off. A sailing instructor is still with them for the first few miles to the Canary Islands, as the family has hardly any idea about sailing, navigation and seafaring. But they learn quickly and eventually sail across the Atlantic as a large family on their "Pinut".
Longing for the sea
The crew travelled for six years before returning to their port of departure - now there were eight of them: the couple's youngest son was born during the voyage.
After almost two years ashore - which included the pandemic and the forced separation from the boat - the Lendfers-Berndonner family set off again in summer 2021. Because life at sea won't let them go. Even if it will entail a number of compromises and new challenges in the future.
Books and a film
Corina Lendfers has already written several books about her family adventure. In the first volume, "Von Sternen und Seegurken" (Of Stars and Sea Cucumbers), she reports on the departure and the unexpectedly costly refit in Portugal. Volume two is about the voyage to the Cape Verde Islands, the Atlantic crossing to South America and the birth of the youngest son on board. In the third part, which is due to be published soon, the author reports on the journey through Central America and the Caribbean and the return to Europe.
During their return to land, a ZDF team accompanied the family and broadcast a documentary worth seeing in 2021: the 30-minute film "Off and ahoy - an extended family cancels its sails" can be viewed in the ZDF media library can be called up.
The full story of this extraordinary sailing family can be read in the new YACHT 24/2021.
