Gunmen, Breakdowns, and Shark-Infested Waters: A British Family’s Final Test at Sea

Woody and Irenka on deck in the Gulf of Suez. The Wood Family / S/V Mothership

After eight years, three oceans, and more than 40 countries, islands, and territories, the Wood family—known online as Mothership Adrift—is just weeks from completing their global circumnavigation. But their final challenge, sailing through the Red Sea, turned out to be the most harrowing yet: mechanical breakdowns, savage headwinds, sharks under the hull—and a tense encounter with armed men at sea.

“Nothing says ‘welcome to the final leg’ like a skiff full of gunmen waving us down in the middle of the night,” said Alan “Woody” Wood, joint skipper of Mothership, the family’s 53-foot Amel Super Maramu. “We’d survived the Pacific, dodged cyclones, sailed the Amazon, and crossed the Indian Ocean. But the Red Sea threw us a full boss-level passage.”

S/V Mothership crew at anchor in the Maldives. The Wood Family / S/V Mothership

The encounter happened north of Port Sudan, when a fast-moving vessel approached in the dark through poorly charted reefs.

“It was clearly not a social call,” said Woody. “At one point we were rail to rail, doing 7 knots in pitch black. I honestly thought we’d end up as a footnote in a piracy report.”

Woody finds a comfortable spot to watch the sunrise over the mountains of Socotra after a midnight hike up the mountain. The Wood Family / S/V Mothership

Thanks to quick thinking and sheer luck, the family avoided harm. But that was only the beginning. Their water pump failed—patched temporarily with a beer can and a plastic bottle. A blown hose clip emptied their drinking water tank. With the watermaker down, bottled water became the only option. Showers were reduced to two jugs of briny water per person.

S/V Mothership at anchor in the Maldives. The Wood Family / S/V Mothership

“Spare parts, fresh water, and hot showers were an impossible dream at this point,” said Woody.

Then came the headwinds. Brutal northerlies pinned them down for days, forcing them to motor and tack through shipping lanes, ghost fishing fleets, and coral-strewn shallows. Sheltering from a gale in El Tur, Egypt, the family debated diving on the hull for cleaning—until a grey reef shark moved in and stayed.

Woody poses by an abandoned Soviet era tank from the South Yemen civil war on the Island of Socotra. The Wood Family / S/V Mothership

“We decided to postpone that,” said Irenka Wood, joint skipper and mother of three.

Darry boat-schooling onboard S/V Mothership off the pirate infested coast of Somalia, between Socotra and Djibouti. The Wood Family / S/V Mothership

Still, the Red Sea passage wasn’t without its magic. The family floated in Djibouti’s salt-crusted Lake Assal, hiked Socotra’s mountains by moonlight, and shared tea with a Sudanese family fleeing civil war.

Now, with the Suez Canal behind them, the crew is preparing to re-enter the Mediterranean—bound for Crete, where it all began.

“Few family boats ever complete a circumnavigation, through cyclones, pirate zones, and pandemics,” said Woody. “We left with toddlers. We’re coming back with teenagers, grey hairs, and a boat held together by hope, cable ties, and a major tea deficit—but we did it.”

A shark stalked the crew of S/V Mothership for days while at anchor in El Tur, Egypt. The Wood Family / S/V Mothership

The couple’s three sons—Rowan (18), Darroch (15), and Yewan (13)—have spent much of their childhoods afloat. Their journey has earned a loyal online following through the Mothership Adrift YouTube channel and social media presence, with storytelling that blends seafaring drama and humor in equal parts.

“Finishing a circumnavigation isn’t just a sailing achievement,” said Irenka. “It’s surviving eight years of repairs in exotic places, sleepless anchor watches, and raising kids in 53 feet of fiberglass on a shoestring budget.”

Map showing the Red Sea route of S/V Mothership with notes. The Wood Family / S/V Mothership

A book chronicling their adventure is set for release in November, timed with the Southampton Boat Show, where the family will speak about life at sea.

As they sail for home, one question lingers: What’s next for Mothership Adrift?

“We’ll see,” Woody said. “But first—I want a solid night’s sleep, a Sunday roast, and a cold pint of Guinness.”

Follow the Wood family at mothershipadrift.com.

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