The life aquatic

Most of the residents living on the islands were friendly and amiable. They offered fruit, sometimes even precious home-grown vegetables, to welcome them.

But on the island of Puluwat, women had to kneel down to walk when their husbands or senior male members of the family passed by, which affected Wan deeply. "Women did not seem to be respected on that island," she said.

Everything about the boats, even sewing the sails, could only be done by the men.

To teach them to sew the sails as good as a sewing machine, Wan became the first woman in the history of the island who could work on the boat, she told China Daily proudly.

At the island of Kosrae, the couple met government officials to lodge their complaints about the unreasonably high charge for visiting sailboats. As a result, the local government held a hearing.

While dispersing candies to the children on the islands, the couple also left medicine to residents who could not receive timely medical treatment.

As a native of Central China's Hunan province, which is famous for spicy food, Wan also provided some unique cooking methods to the island residents.

The couple, who are expected to launch their second voyage, from China to Sweden, by the end of this year, expressed their wish for sailing to become more popular in China.

"People are so busy in China. Why not slow down and enjoy the beautiful sea views and experience a different lifestyle?" Wan said.

They bought the second-hand sailboat for about $120,000 and spent about $1,600 a month when sailing, "an amount many Chinese can afford", she said.

Besides sufficient knowledge about sailing, she advised people to exercise regularly. Wan and her husband cycle for at least one hour every day. Both of them have loved sports since young and continue to keep fit.