Destination: the world

A South African yachtsman overcomes incredible challenges–with the help of his local library

By Alice Sneary

“If librarians succeed, it will be felt for generations. They have such a powerful impact on society.”

Neal Petersen is not your typical yachtsman. Born in South Africa under Apartheid, the future world traveler started his life under very different circumstances. You would never have guessed he would learn navigation and boat design in a library—and go on to become the first black man to race solo around the world.

You see, when Neal was born, he had a defective hip socket and couldn’t walk. As a child, he underwent a number of surgeries to rebuild his hip.

As he recovered, his mother made sure Neal developed a deep love of reading, knowledge and information that would serve him well for his life’s adventures. Her background as a teacher and his father’s income as a diver meant they could not afford much beyond the basic necessities. Their financial hardship, combined with the political and social oppression of Apartheid, pushed Neal to discover the riches of the library.

He quickly read everything available in the “colored” library—libraries were segregated under Apartheid—and he had to go to the “white” library to continue to learn about sailing.

One brave white librarian, Letta Naudee of the Wynberg Public Library, risked everything to provide Neal with access to the knowledge he craved. She would sneak books out the back door for him, bravely defying the social and political laws at that time. At the library, he learned the principles of navigation, how to design and build a racing boat, and the technical aspects of sailing. He took that knowledge to the marina, convinced a few wealthy, white yachtsmen to take a chance and let him crew on their boats, and he was on his way to fulfilling his dream of sailing around the world in a race.

Neal experienced plenty of setbacks along the way before he reached his goal. But he was dedicated to the idea that no barriers would stand in the way, be they physical, cultural or economic. He even lived in Ireland for a time, when he’d managed to sail there but did not have the funds to either return home or continue with the race he had entered.

He first entered the Around Alone solo yacht race—then called the BOC Challenge—in 1994. Midway through the race, a storm damaged his mast beyond repair and he had to turn back.

Finally, in 1998, when he was 30 years old, Neal decided to go for his dreams again. At 27,000 miles, the Around Alone is the longest race for individuals of any sport; it has been called one of sailing’s ultimate challenges. That year, the race had four legs: it started in Charleston, South Carolina and visited Cape Town, South Africa, stopped in Auckland, New Zealand, journeyed to Punta del Este in Uruguay and finally pulled back into Charleston harbor. When he finished the race 195 days after he started, Neal made history. He had become the first black man to race solo around the world.

The Discovery Channel, PBS and numerous other media outlets have told Neal’s story. Now OCLC is telling it on behalf of libraries, with its latest advocacy ad in Governing magazine. We caught up with Neal and his wife, Darlene, offshore of Culebra Island, Puerto Rico while they tested new navigation equipment on their new boat. The following is an excerpt from that interview:

“Educators are the cornerstone of free society. Sometimes I wonder if libraries don’t realize they’re an essential part of the educational ecosystem.”

Q. You grew up under very different circumstances than what most of us take for granted every day. Paint us a picture of what life was like as a black person in South Africa, under Apartheid.
A. Under Apartheid, everything was predetermined: where you could go, how much you could earn—even what libraries you could go to. The police could walk into your home at any time. And even from your home, you had to have a passbook from your white employer in order to go to different parts of the city. There is a whole generation of people in South Africa who are illiterate because they grew up under Apartheid.

Under Apartheid our dreams were for survival. The question of “Will I live to see my 20s?” was a real question for us. The dreams of being doctors and attorneys are luxuries that can only happen after a foundation of knowledge.

Q. Speaking of education, your Mother played a major role in your formal education (and fighting Apartheid).
A. Yes, my Mom was a founding member of the Teachers League of South Africa. It was an organization that believed strongly in a single, colorblind South Africa—and that we as a country could get there by connecting the best teachers with the best students. It was a major threat to the establishment at the time.

Q: Do you remember any particular materials in the library that made an impression on you?
A. I got very interested in the technical aspects of sailing, sextant navigation and how to design boats from the library. I read and re-read Joshua Slocum’s Sailing Alone Around the World, Francis Chichester’s Gypsy Moth Circles the World, and a lot of technical books on design and boat-building. There was only one sailing magazine in South Africa at the time—but I could get many European sailing magazines from the library.

Q. While you’re out at sea, do you take a lot of books?
A. During the race, the only escape was books. And there is limited space in the cabin, so every book had to serve a purpose. In fact, my girlfriend at the time would let me know, “I can tell you’re reading because your performance is suffering.”

Q. How do you prepare yourself mentally for such a grueling experience?
A. You do your preparations and your homework. You look at who’s gone before (both alive and dead) and read what they’ve written. Sometimes, of course, you have to go on faith. The sea is entirely about change. When faced with change you have to make difficult decisions. But knowing the facts can help you make smarter decisions.

“I read and re-read Joshua Slocum’s Sailing Alone Around the World, Francis Chichester’s Gypsy Moth Circles the World, and a lot of technical books on design and boat-building. There was only one sailing magazine in South Africa at the time—but I could get many European sailing magazines from the library.”

I have a theory, called the Archer Theory. It’s that when you’re in quite close, you can’t see the whole target. And the further away you go, the more context you have for the decision. And when you pull your bow, you’re actually pulling your arrow AWAY from the target. But the bow can carry the arrow with great speed and focus. So many people forget there are bows around, to help them hit their targets.

Q. Tell me about the connections between what you learned sailing and how you apply it to business.
A. It’s a similar process, really. The wind and water can be your best friend and your worst enemy, depending on how you use them. Sometimes you have to sail away from a destination in order to get there safely. You also have to trust in common sense and learned abilities—and you cannot implement until all the things and pieces are ready to come together.

Q. I understand you dedicate a lot of your free time to children in schools and stress the importance of reading and education.
A. Yes, the concept of mentorship is very appealing to me. I have been successful, and I feel an obligation to pass that success on. You must perpetuate success around you, if you have it. Along those lines, I also feel strongly about writing things down. If you are an expert in an area, you must leave your legacy to the next person.

Sometimes I worry about kids today, because I look at educational structures and knowledge-building the traditional way…but our society is motivated by instant gratification. Are children still willing to make long-term sacrifices to get to educational success?

Q. Kids aren’t the only ones to worry about, for that!
A. No—and the idea of lifelong learning, supported by the library, is huge! For example, I had a very large project coming up where I needed to understand more about Blue Sky rules. I had no legal background for this information, and my local library in McClellanville (part of Charleston County Public Library) helped me learn more. Education is about the knowledge you gain, but it’s also about the people you know and the relationships you make.

Q. What’s your advice to young people these days?
A. Read, read, read! And don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions. Learn how to learn. My philosophy is that in life, there are no barriers—only solutions!

Q. From your success as an explorer and an entrepreneur, do you have any advice for libraries?
A. If librarians succeed, it will be felt for generations. They have such a powerful impact on society—and there’s strong ripple effect for that, too. With all the technology and information options these days, libraries and librarians must have the courage to risk and focus on the end game. Educators are the cornerstone of free society. Sometimes I wonder if the libraries don’t realize they they’re an essential part of the educational ecosystem.

Q. How long did it take you to write your book, Journey of a Hope Merchant?
A. Five years. It was published in 2004 by the University of South Carolina Press. It was very rewarding to have won the National Outdoor Book Award for it in 2005. As a writer, I hope someone someday still says, “that’s a good book.”

Q. These days, you spend a lot of time doing motivational speaking. Tell me more about that.
A. Yes, I love being able to inspire people with my story, and help them try to find their own hooks into how they can overcome challenges. I have proven what can happen when you truly believe in the power of a dream.

I believe in the inverted pyramid. If I can make a positive impact on two people, then those two people can impact two more people, and it grows exponentially from there. My job as a speaker is to leave the audience better than they were before.

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