Jason Bolt on board Sorlandet

March 2, 2013: Two young Port Stanley men, Jason Bolt and Jeff Wilson, have seen a lot of the world in their 27 years, but they never could have expected that their paths would cross in Capetown, South Africa. That is exactly what happened in February.

Both were born and raised in Port Stanley, growing up a few doors away from each other on George Street. Jason is the son of Jennifer Prothero and Jeff is the son of George and Mary Wilson.

As youngsters, they attended Port Stanley Public School where they developed an interest in music, which they pursued when they attended Central Elgin Collegiate Institute.

After graduation, Jason Bolt attended Humber College while Jeff Wilson enrolled at the University of Western Ontario. Both developed other interests. Jeff enjoyed swimming and aquatics. It was no surprise that Jason became interested in sailing. He had been spending summers on his uncle's tall ships since he was 11.

Despite their different paths, the two friends kept in touch and were reunited every Christmas in Port Stanley.

In 2000, at age 15, Jason and his twin brother, Zack, raised enough money to sail in the Tall Ships Atlantic Race, starting in Bermuda and ending in Bremerhaven, Germany. Since then, Jason has worked on Tall Ships in Halifax, Toronto, and the Caribbean, and has earned second officer rating. Now serving aboard the world's oldest operating tall ship, Sorlandet, under lease to Class Afloat, Jason Bolt has been to Portugal, North Africa, Rio de Janeiro and more recently to South Africa. His travels can be followed on the Class Afloat web site.

Jeff Wilson's studies have taken him to distant places as well. Last year, he was in Oslo but since then has moved to South Africa where he is teaching English at a university about forty miles outside of Capetown. When Jason arrived there in February, Jeff was able to show him the sights, starting with a small farm he lives on at Stellenbosch, surrounded by vineyards and ostriches. They feasted at a braai (South African BBQ) and renewed a friendship that began almost a quarter of a century ago.

Since leaving South Africa, Jason has sailed on to Namibia and it is hard to predict where his future adventures will take him, but wherever he goes, he stands a good chance of running across his globe-trotting friend Jeff Wilson.

It is sometimes incredible what Port Stanley kids get up to.