Son traveled 85 days across sea to see 90-year-old dad

Juan Manuel Ballestero rode his small sailboat across the Atlantic for 85 days to see his 90-year-old dad. The cancellation of international flights from Argentina did not stop the 47-year-old sailor from seeing his dad.

According to The New York Times, Ballestero loaded his 29-foot sailboat with canned tuna, fruit, and rice and set sail mid of March. He did not want to stay cowardly on an island with no coronavirus cases because his family is the most important for him.

His friends tried to dissuade him, and authorities even said that he could not go back if he encountered any problem along the way. His father, Carlos Alberto Ballestero, said that they were worried because they had no idea where his son was for 50 days, but they did not doubt his return.

Challenges during sailing

Ballestero had challenges while sailing across the Atlantic in a small boat. He said that authorities in Cape Verde did not allow him to dock at the island to restock food and refuel on April 12. Hoping he had enough food and fuel, he continued to sail west.

He panicked when he thought that a ship was trailing him because it appeared closer and closer. He started going as fast as he could and thought that if it got closer some more, he would shoot.

Seafaring is a family tradition

The Ballestero family has made seafaring a tradition. Ballestero's dad took him to fishing vessels when he was three. He took a fishing boat job in southern Argentina when he was 18. One of the most experienced fishermen aboard told him to "go see the world," and so he did.

In 2017, he bought his Ohlson 29 sailboat, named Skua. Even though he had a lot of uncertainty, he rode his boat and traveled around the world. He felt strange traveling during the pandemic because he listens to the radio for 30 minutes every night to get news about current events.

Ballestero felt anxious, so he drank whiskey for solace, only to find himself feeling worse. Then he resorted to praying and resetting his relationship with God. Faith kept him standing during the toughest times. Many weeks during his trip, he found solace in a pod of dolphins when his spirits were low. And when he had drunk heavily, he saw a large bird known as Skua, where the name of his boat came from. He felt that the bird cheered him up, never to give up.

Waves delayed his trip

A brutal wave rattled his boat to around 150 miles from Vitoria, Brazil when he approached the Americas. It caused him an added ten days to his expected 75-day travel by stopping in Vitoria.

The sailor learned that his brother told the reporters about his trip during that stop. His friends urged him to create an Instagram account to document the last few moments of his voyage.

On June 17, people welcomed him like a hero when he reached his native Mar del Plata. He felt that he accomplished a mission after entering the port where his father had his sailboat. A medical staff tested him for COVID-19, and within 72 hours, results came out negative. He was allowed to enter Argentina. Even though he did not get in on time for his father's 100th birthday, he did get to celebrate Father's Day.

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