About Jesper Rosenberg
He was born in 1975 in Copenhagen, Denmark and raised on a small island called Amager, which is part of Copenhagen. Right after highschool in 1992 he took a job in a candy factory for a couple of months to get money for the very first travel with out his parents. Jespers parents took him and his brother around Europe in a camper van every summer for many years and that is proberly what tricked the travel bug inside him. In 1993 after the job in the candy factory, just 17 years old, he went to America with a friend and meet up with other friends in Las Vegas. They bought a camper van and drove around Nevada and California, skateboarding everywhere, living in the van and showering where ever it was possible. After 3 months everyone had enough of each other and Jesper went to Hawaii all by him self for a month, he just turned 18 at this point.
The traveling hasn't stopped ever since that first trip to America and now he is skipper on his own sailboat.
In 2001 he took Padi Open Water Diver certificate in Denmark and by November 2004 he became a Padi dive instuctor (MSDT#506091) in Phuket, Thailand and has been working in Denmark, Thailand, Malaysia and Curaçao.
In 2006 he sold everything he owned in Copenhagen. Car, funiture, apartment and everything in it, to live his dream on a sailboat. He got lucky finding S/Y Solitude in Titusville, Florida and sailed it to Caribbean.
He has crossed the Caribbean Sea 4 times and cruised The Intercoastal Water Way, The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, the Virgin Islands, Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, ABC Islands and Venezuela.
In a few years S/Y Solitude and Jesper will cruise through the Panama Channel towards Asia.
JoJo Moreno met Jesper in a random bar. They were both sitting on a bar stool with their elbows on the bar and a beer in front of their faces. (December 2009):
JoJo Moreno: Why the hell did you buy a sailboat?
Jesper: I was tired of security checks in airports.... No, I bought a sailboat to go travel in remote places where few had been before, I would scubadive in places very few would be able to dive and I thought it would be the ultimative freedom.
JoJo Moreno: Is it the ultimative freedom to have a sailboat?
Jesper: It's about as close you would ever get to freedom. No matter what you do in life, you will always be a slave to something.
JoJo Moreno: Did you have any experience before you bought the sailboat?
Jesper: Yes, I had been on a sailboat for a week in Indonesia with a crazy captain and I thought, if he can do it, everyone should be able to sail.... I had no clue what I was doing in the beginning. In a bar I meet a guy when the dream was nothing but an idea and he helped me look for one, buying and getting the boat ready for adventure. He also showed me how things worked out when you are sailing. He knew a lot but I have learned more on my own. I would say I have experience now after three years and many fuck ups.
JoJo Moreno: Now that you have fullfilled you dream, what is next?
Jesper: Go through The Panama Channel and head for Asia with a stop on Rapa Nui or as Jacob Roggeveen a Dutch explorer named it on Easter Sunday 1722, Easter Island.
JoJo Moreno: ... and in long term dreams?
Jesper: Sail to the last frontier on the planet, Papau New Guinea.
JoJo Moreno: When will this happen?
Jesper: Within the next couple of years. In my world plans seem to change all the time for better or worse. I have stopped planning too much. And another thing is, I have to get the right crew, the right amount of money and the mentality ready.
JoJo Moreno: Are you looking for crew for some of your travels?
Jesper: Always, If people like beer, tell stories and have fun they are more than welcome on board.
JoJo Moreno: Do you ever regret that you sold everything and put everything in a sailboat?
Jesper: Every day! .... hahahahahahaha. Some days I really do but then I sit and look around thinking, this is my dream and I'm living my dream. A smile breaks out and I don't regret a single thing.
JoJo Moreno: Good luck with your travels.
Jesper: Thanks very much, I need it!
Countries and territories visited so far:
Andorra
Antigua
Aruba, The Netherlands Antilles
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium
Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Chile
Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
Cuba
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Egypt
England
Fiji
France
Germany
Greece
Grenada, West Indies
Grenadines (Bequia, Cannouan Island, Tobago Cays, Union Island)
Guadeloupe, French West Indies
Hungary
Indonesia
Italy
Jugoslavia
Les Saintes, French West Indies
Livigno
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Martinique, French West Indies
Mexico
Monaco
Montserrat
Namibia
Netherlands
Nevis
Northern Ireland
Norway
Philippines
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
Republic of Ireland
Russia
Saba, Netherlands Antilles
San Marino
Scotland
Singapore
Sint Marteen, The Netherlands Antilles
South Africa
Spain
St. Eustasius, The Netherlands Antilles
St. Lucia
St. Martin, French West Indies
Sweden
Switzerland
Tenerife (Canary Islands)
Thailand
Turkey
USA
US Virgin Islands, St. Croix
Venezuela
Vietnam
