Lone traveller's world trip in a boat he built
Published on: Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: Philadelphia is a long way from home but solo American adventurer Jonathan Selby has made it all the way from there to the Taman Kingfisher bridge, here, just by hugging the coast in his hand-made boat, braving bad weather and bad people along the way.The journey took three-and-half years in his boat fashioned from bamboo, timber and oil drums whose only technological marvel is a Global Positioning System (GPS). Surviving mainly on instant noodles and canned food, he sailed up the Likas River last week where he dropped anchor pending repairs on the boat's rudder. On the way from Kudat after leaving Palawan, in the Philippines, he bought a used outboard engine for US$750 at Kg Rampayan, Kota Belud. He had all along relied on a slow 16 horsepower engine.
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Asked how he found the spot (Taman Kingfisher), the 70-year-old said he just Googled the nearest McDonald outlet. "There is a McDonald outlet nearby next to the Wisma Innoprise and the Shell Station." He had breakfast there, but missed his banana flavoured item available in the United States. Jonathan is divorced and has 10 children who, in turn gave him 20 grandchildren. He sold his company before joining the conservative Amish community in US and got a degree.
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He spent time as a teacher in Cambodia before sailing to the Philippines. The former artist, engineering drawing specialist and businessman has many tales to tell of his boat crashing into coral reefs, encountering armed private security men on boats, Philippine Coastguards, armed Malaysian policemen, bad weather and rough sea conditions and was unaware of the Esszone sea curfew imposed on Sabah's east coast waters from dusk till dawn due to cross-border kidnaps.
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"I just take one day at a time," he said trusting his fate and well-being in the hands of God and appreciating the help of a local family in Kota Belud. He lives off his social security pension of US$750 drawn from ATM machines. He has no problem here but in the Philippines, "sometimes I had to travel some 100 km to get to the nearest ATM." He considers having avoided being kidnapped in the Sulu Sea to be a miracle, considering that the notorious Abu Sayyaf and affiliates have captured many for ransom purposes, including beheading some when the ransom money was not forthcoming. He said he felt at home here in a city with friendly and helpful people and with KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald within reach.He plans to move on to Labuan next depending on the weather, his ultimate goal being Israel. Asked how much he had spent on his journey and boat, he said, "Just too much."Jonathan said he relished life in the open sea just like the Bajau laut (sea gypsies).Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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