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When Clive and Jane Green set sail from Wales, their intended destination was Spain, a relatively short hop over the Atlantic.

Sixteen years later however, and they have only just returned home, having turned their experimental seven-day getaway into a 93,000-km round-the-world voyage.

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Their journey has seen them visit 56 countries, swim with sting rays in Tahiti, navigate through pirate-infested waters off the East African coast and survive 23 days at sea without fresh water, desalinating seawater to stay alive.

“We have been very lucky so see our planet in such an amazing way. We didn’t ever plan to sail around the world – it just happened,” said Ms. Green, 60.

“We would sail to a place and then through word-of-mouth from other sailors hear about somewhere else to go on to.

“That has been our life for the last 16 years — it’s been an amazing experience.”

The couple, keen sailors all their lives, bought their 1981 Trident Challenger yacht in 1997 for $30,000. They then spent several months, and $36,000, doing it up.