There is a wooden ship that took six years to build, by hand, deep in the Amazon jungle. That ship’s name is the Tocorimé Pamatojari, which means Adventurous Spirit.

 

I was lucky enough to sail on this great ship on a sun-soaked adventure along the coast of Brazil from Paraty to Rio de Janeiro.

Of all the boats I’ve been on – big and small – the Tocorime is the only one that had a special aura to it. The dedication and hard work put into building such a beautiful ship, was amazing. For example – the keel of the ship is a massive piece of wood that was dragged through the Amazon jungle for more than 3.5 months – by 25 men!

Every day was filled with another bit of detail about the types of wood used in the ship, or how it was built. Everyone who worked on the ship seemed happy and proud to be connected to it in some way.

 

It is a ship full of stories, of epic adventure. In a time when it seems every corner of the world has been explored and few real adventurers still exist, the story of the Tocorime shines bright.

 

What made it even more exciting was getting dirty and helping out by setting sails, taking the helm and assisting in navigation. As someone who had no sailing experience, I had no idea what to expect, but the crew was amazing and the time on the ship was special.

 

It would have been a great adventure even if I stayed on the ship for an entire week, but the benefit of being on a boat is that you can also visit remote villages that are inaccessible by road, or stop for a quick swim in the ocean.

 

From waterfall hikes to sleeping in a hammock under the stars, my time on the Tocorime is full of fond memories. If I were ever to become rich and have my own boat, I can imagine I’d want it to be something unique, with an adventurous spirit, like the Tocorime.

 

I can’t do justice to the Tocorime story myself, so if you’re curious to read more about Markus Lehmann and other people who built this ship in the Amazon, visit the website at http://www.tocorime.net