[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ custom_padding=”14px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”15px||4px|||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Tupac Amaru Sailing: “I believe that restoring a ship is the most ecological and sustainable way to go sailing today”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”22px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||8px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Perhaps it could be said that Manuela S\u00e1ez and Ra\u00fal Ferrer Justo, even before they met, spent their time gazing at the sky: the clouds, the stars, the galaxy\u2014in short, space. Manu\u2014as she’s known\u2014studied astronomy and even earned a doctorate with scientific research on neutrino oscillations from stellar explosions. She worked in the United States, Germany, and Japan, conducting research at institutions like the Riken Institute and the University of California, Berkeley. Until recently, she lived near the ocean in Mar de las Pampas, a town of just over 100 inhabitants on the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires Province. Rau, on the other hand, studied aeronautical engineering at the National University of La Plata, driven by his passion for airplanes and trades such as mechanics, electricity, carpentry, and blacksmithing.<\/span><\/p>\n However, they never imagined that after so many years of study and work, what united them was the calm of the water: since 2024, they have been sailing the Tupac Amaru, a 35-foot ocean-going steel sailboat, which they restored practically from scratch. \u201cWe live very simply, sharing who we are and learning in every port. This isn’t a journey to escape, but to inhabit the world in a different way. After traveling through Europe, Africa, and the Americas, the Tupac ran aground in Uruguay. That’s where we found it in early 2024, in a state of near abandonment, and bought it for a symbolic price. For months, Rau dedicated himself to repairing it with his own hands\u2014sails, rudder, electrical system, engine, and every corner of the hull\u2014until, in November 2024, we set sail. It is, without a doubt, our floating home,\u201d says Manu now.<\/span><\/p>\n For the past few months, moored in the port of La Paloma, on the Uruguayan coast, 90 kilometers from Punta del Este, they’ve been discussing their plans and dreams aboard their sailboat, explaining why they lead an atypical life, one where they don’t accumulate possessions, follow a fixed course, or have any certainties. They’re interested in disseminating scientific content, continuing their work, and living a simple life. However, they’d like to show that another way of life is possible, close to the sea, the wind, the stars, and the waves, through the restoration of a 1986 boat with almost forty years of history and the logbook of all its previous sailors, detailing voyages and journeys across all the world’s oceans. “People send us photos of families who grew up on board, couples who met on board, ports where they moored. We don’t know all the previous owners, but we always receive stories about this sailboat.”<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”14px||12px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Manuela-Saez-2.webp” alt=”Manuela S\u00e1ez 2″ title_text=”Manuela S\u00e1ez 2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Manuela S\u00e1ez (Manu)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Raul-Ferrer-Justo.webp” alt=”Ra\u00fal Ferrer Justo” title_text=”Ra\u00fal Ferrer Justo” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Ra\u00fal Ferrer Justo (Rau)<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||10px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||11px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Entrevista” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”9px||10px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”1 y 2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2014(Rau) <\/strong><\/span>I got into sailing through close friends or their parents, who were sailors and would tell me stories of their voyages. So I began to enter that world through the stories of these adults who shared with me what it was like to sail or live aboard a sailboat. At some point, that sparked in me, it grew, and suddenly I met more people, took a helmsman’s course, and had my first direct contact with sailing.<\/span><\/p>\n Later, I had the opportunity to travel to Brazil and work in water sports. I met more people who lived on boats, and the idea that it was possible, achievable, began to take hold. I didn’t want to think about having to save a lot of money and that someday, when I was 50 or 60, I could buy a boat. In fact, at that time, I met people who worked in their professions and brought them into the nautical world, like a dental technician, on a small steel boat, going from port to port offering his services aboard the sailboat. She managed to work like everyone else. The idea began to seem more feasible.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014(Manu)<\/strong><\/span> I studied astronomy and earned a doctorate. When we met, I was abroad on an academic scholarship. But I’ve always loved the sea, surfing, and kayaking. I lived and grew up in Mar de las Pampas, in Villa Gesell, just half a block from the Atlantic Ocean, and I’d sailed on a river or a lake in Patagonia, but I’d never steered a boat. The idea of \u200b\u200bliving on a boat wasn’t even on my mind until I met Rau and started meeting families who live on boats, and their friends who also live on boats\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014(Rau)<\/strong><\/span> With that goal in mind, I found a small wooden boat to restore, a Frers Cadet, which took me quite a while to get ready. It was my first big boat, and it brought me a lot of joy and many voyages, both with friends and alone. On that boat, I made my first voyage from La Plata to Colonia, then Montevideo, and I even reached La Paloma, Uruguay, because that was as far as I thought I could go with that boat. I moved there, and while living on board (although I couldn’t even sit up straight, because I’m tall and couldn’t do it properly, since it’s a sailboat with a very small cabin and a very low roof), I wanted to look for a bigger boat in Panama, for example, where the costs are lower, but then the Tupac came up.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,3_5,1_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”4px||10px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/b8y1ZwnmOp4″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||16px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”3 y 4″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2014(Rau) <\/strong><\/span><\/span>The Tupac is an ocean-going steel boat, a Caroff, designed by a French designer and also built in a now-defunct shipyard in France. The couple who owned it at the time had been sailing from Europe and were planning to go to Patagonia, Argentina, but the pandemic caught them in Uruguay. They thought it would all be over in 15 or 20 days and went to the United States (because she was from there). The pandemic dragged on, and the boat sat practically abandoned in Montevideo for four years. At one point, they went back to retrieve it, intending to take it to the United States for restoration, but it only made it as far as La Paloma, with torn sails and a lot of work to do. They had also recently become parents, and it wasn’t the right time for that.<\/span><\/p>\n So, they decided to give the boat to someone and sold it to me for a symbolic price, but it was all the money I had (laughs). It was a disaster, for a number of reasons\u2026 Beyond the French design, all the interiors were amateurishly done. It has one mast and is 35 feet long.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014(Rau) <\/strong><\/span><\/span>That winter I spent in La Paloma cutting sheet metal, welding, trying to get it seaworthy, because Uruguay gives you a nine-month period for mooring up, and if you exceed that time they have to inspect the boat to see if it’s seaworthy, and that costs a lot of money. So I tried to leave before the nine months were up and I got to work on everything: in the last two or three months I had left, I met Manu and he came to live with me. We tackled the restoration together and set sail for Brazil with the boat as it was, which left much to be desired in terms of habitability and comfort, but it sailed very well.<\/span><\/p>\n Let’s just say that at first we focused on the seaworthiness, so we had to fix the engine, the sails, the rigging. But there was also a lot of corrosion, which is the main problem with these steel boats, due to the salt air, which is very damaging to the metal, especially in places where the water can’t escape, like the windows or the cockpit. Then it was necessary to cut and put on new sheet metal: that took a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-3px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”19px||6px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tupac-en-Varadero.webp” alt=”Tupac en Varadero” title_text=”Tupac en Varadero” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Manuela-Saez-en-el-varadero.webp” alt=”Ra\u00fal Ferrer Justo” title_text=”Ra\u00fal Ferrer Justo” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||14px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”5 y 6″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2014<\/em> (Rau) <\/span><\/strong>The idea was to reach Portobello, where I met all these friends who introduced me to the nautical world. When we were there, we decided to keep going a little further: we made it all the way to Rio de Janeiro, stopping at many ports along the way. We hadn’t managed to finish repairing the hull the previous winter, so when it rained, it leaked like a sieve. It was tough, but since we were happy, fulfilling our dream, we didn’t mind. Now we’re back in Uruguay, finishing up all the remaining hull work, cutting and welding new sheet metal.<\/span><\/p>\n We also hauled the boat out of the water and repaired the bottom, which had some corrosion, but not too severe because it’s reinforced and thick. We’ve left it in very good condition: we still need to paint some parts of the deck for better protection, but the structural and most important parts are finished. We still need to improve the interior, because to access the areas for welding sheet metal we had to dismantle everything from the inside, including the linings and insulation of the sailboat\u2026 We also added an arch to install solar panels at a height, we are building a rain cover, and we are working on other things related to systems such as the autopilot.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014(Manu)<\/strong><\/span> Of course, we had to take apart a lot of parts to get down to the hull. So now comes the part of restoring the interior and making it more the way we like it, with a forward cabin for when we have guests like family or friends\u2026 There will always be more things to do. But it’s never been as good as it is now!<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”1px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tupac-fondeado.webp” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”||5px|||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||13px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”7 y 8″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2014(Rau)<\/strong><\/span> It’s a robust boat: it gives a tremendous sense of security because it’s a very strong sailboat, the entire hull is heavily reinforced, it feels very safe. It’s slow and heavy, but in good winds it sails like any other boat. I like that it also cuts through the waves very smoothly; it has a dynamic that prevents it from being a complete jolt like perhaps lighter boats, and it glides through or cuts through them more gently. It feels great.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014(Rau)<\/strong><\/span> For now, we’re still in La Paloma, which we love. It’s very peaceful, and the port has a community of sailors from all over the world: people from different countries, some who have just crossed the ocean, others continuing their journey to Patagonia, and still others heading up to Brazil. It’s one of the most affordable options, with electricity, water, and moorings\u2014very good. Initially, the idea was to go to Panama, cross the canal, and sail around the world, but the reality is that we’re very close to our families. We miss being away, and that’s not insignificant right now.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2014(Manu)<\/strong><\/span> La Paloma is the last port before Brazil, and it’s also a great place to work on the boat because it has a large open area that’s perfect for maintenance, especially for those who need to make repairs before continuing their voyages. We’d love to continue living on board, start our family, and we’ll soon sail to Brazil as well, once we’ve finished these last things. We’re always improvising, taking it day by day, because we don’t know what to do; we don’t feel like making plans or promises like some other sailors do. The idea is to travel and see as much as we can, but we’ll see how things go.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”9px||5px|||”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Tupac-en-Varadero-2.webp” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/navegantesoceanicos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Proa-del-Tupac.webp” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”9″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u2014(Rau) <\/span><\/strong><\/span>We also talked about consumerism these past few days: the importance, perhaps, of restoring a boat, of saving it from being scrapped, abandoned, or forgotten. I think it’s also the most ecological and sustainable way to set sail today. We talk about it constantly in these terms, and yet this sailboat would have ended up being dismantled.<\/span><\/p>\n The act of rescuing it has a much smaller environmental footprint than building it from scratch, and it also brings it back to life. Precisely because of the idea of \u200b\u200brestoring it so that it becomes increasingly self-sufficient, in the sense of generating its own energy and recycling its waste, there’s a political element to restoring a boat that captivated us.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond the spiritual aspect that boats have a “soul,” with their own life and stories, we think it’s important because that also imbues it with another kind of energy. Before you go out and buy a boat, look for one to restore. It’s a very beautiful and meaningful act, for us, so that it continues sailing and keeps telling stories with water beneath its keel.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-12px|auto||auto||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”||0px|||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][dsm_image_carousel gallery_ids=”48347,48348″ slide_to_show=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-25px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dsm_image_carousel][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”3px” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_margin=”||2px|||”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Enlaces” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n YouTube:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@navegandoeltupac<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Instagram:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tupacamarusailing\/<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nInterview with Manu & Rau (Tupac Amaru Sailing)<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
How did you get your start in sailing?? <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
How did you get to Tupac Amaru??<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
What is the design of the boat? <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
How did you manage to restore an ocean-going steel sailboat??<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
What was that journey like with the ship only half restored?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
What are the main characteristics of the Tupac when it comes to sailing?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
The ship is still under repair, but you now live and travel simultaneously because the Tupac is already sailing. How do you manage time in your floating home? What are your next plans?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
On your website, you mention an atypical life, somewhat on the fringes of the system. In these times of extreme consumerism, it’s also interesting to consider restoration rather than buying something brand new. Why do you think this way? <\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Links<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n