Sailor home after nine-year round-world odyssey

Barry Perrins' motto was: "I'll keep going and see where I end up"

After nine years away Barry Perrins has returned to Plymouth, completing a remarkable solo journey around the world which has seen him sail 30,000 miles (48,300km).

The 68-year-old ex-lifeboatman set off in June 2016 on his 36ft (11m) sailing boat White Shadow of Poole, chasing a childhood dream.

His motto: "I'll keep going and see where I end up."

What followed was an odyssey which took him from Portugal across the North Atlantic to the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, and into the vast Pacific Ocean.

Barry Perrins on his 36ft sailing boat is welcomed home by an RNLI crew

At one point, he was declared missing for 71 days before being spotted by a French Air Sea Rescue aircraft and reappearing on the island of Hiva Oa in French Polynesia.

"It's a tour," he said. "You take your time.

"There's lots of people to meet, lots of restaurants serving good food, all kinds of things. So I spent a lot of time stopped as well as sailing.

"And then, of course, Covid happened. So I spent a year-and-a-half in New Zealand, which was no hard thing. New Zealand's a lovely country."

The journey was documented for 128,000 YouTube followers

His sister Tina, who had not seen him for seven years, was among those welcoming him home.

"It was very emotional when he went off," she said.

"He was quite green, I think. And he's come back an amazing person - a different person, an experienced person."

Mr Perrins' voyage wasn't without peril. He faced life-threatening decisions, unpredictable weather, and moments of deep uncertainty.

"There were times when I knew that, if I didn't make the right decision within the next few seconds, I would be dead," he said.

"When I heard myself say: 'I don't know what to do,' I knew I was in big trouble."

He only called for help once, off the coast of north east Australia.

Barry Perrins is reunited with sister Tina who had not seen him for seven years

Throughout his journey, Mr Perrins documented his experiences on his YouTube channel, Adventures of an Old Seadog, with more than 30 million views and 128,000 subscribers.

Follower Pippa Winkworth, who was on the dock waiting for him with other fans, said: "I've seen him through the ups and the downs, and I think there were downs where maybe he thought of throwing the towel in.

"So it was lovely to see him coming back in with the RNLI."

Now back in Plymouth, Mr Perrins is enjoying the comforts of home, but not for long.

He said he was already planning his next adventure: a sailing tour around the UK next year.