Miles and Beryl Smeeton facts for kids

Miles Smeeton (1906-1988) and Beryl Smeeton (1905-1979) were an amazing couple. They were famous travellers, explorers, and sailors. They won many awards for their sailing adventures. They were also farmers, writers, and worked to protect wildlife. They even started a special group called the Cochrane Ecological Institute in Canada. This group helped bring the swift fox back to Canada after it had disappeared from the area.

Miles and Beryl's Lives

Miles Richard Smeeton was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1906. He went to military schools and joined the army in 1925. During World War II, he showed great bravery. He earned the Military Cross for his courage in 1942. He also received the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership in 1945. Miles left the army in 1947.

Beryl was born in 1905. She grew up in a family of British soldiers. This meant she travelled a lot around the world. She wrote about some of her early travels in books like The Stars My Blanket.

Miles and Beryl married in 1938. In 1939, they tried to climb a huge mountain called Tirich Mir in the Himalayas. It was 25,263 feet tall! They climbed with a famous guide named Tenzing Norgay. Even though they didn't reach the very top, Beryl became well-known. She was one of the first women to climb so high.

After the war, the Smeetons settled on a farm. This farm was on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada. They lived there with their daughter, Clio.

Sailing Adventures

In 1951, the Smeetons bought a 46-foot sailboat. It was a ketch named Tzu Hang. They bought it in England and sailed it all the way back to British Columbia. They learned a lot about sailing during this trip.

In 1955, they sold their farm. They then set off on Tzu Hang for Australia. In December 1956, Miles and Beryl left Melbourne. They planned to sail Tzu Hang around Cape Horn to England. This was a very difficult journey. Few small boats had ever done it going east. A young friend, John Guzzwell, joined them. They also had their Siamese cat, Pwe, on board.

As they neared Cape Horn, a giant rogue wave hit their boat. It flipped Tzu Hang upside down! Beryl was steering and was thrown from the boat. She was injured. The boat's mast broke, and it filled with water. But the three sailors were amazing. They managed to sail the damaged boat to Chile. They spent a long time repairing it there.

In 1957, they tried to round Cape Horn again. But storms hit them in almost the same spot. Their mast broke again! Once more, they made it to the coast of Chile. Tzu Hang was then shipped to England for more repairs. They wrote a famous book about these adventures called Once is Enough.

After fixing their boat, they sailed around the world over several years. In 1968, they tried Cape Horn one more time. This time, they sailed around it successfully!

Later Years and Wildlife Work

In 1971, Miles and Beryl started something special. It was called the Cochrane Ecological Institute (CEI). This group works to help endangered wildlife. They achieved a huge success. They were the first to bring the swift fox back to its natural home in North America. The swift fox had disappeared from the area.

Beryl Smeeton passed away in 1979. Miles died in 1988 at the age of 83. Their daughter, Clio, continues to run the CEI today.

Awards and Books

Miles Smeeton wrote ten books, and Beryl wrote two. Their books shared their amazing adventures. For their incredible sailing achievements, they received the Blue Water Medal in 1973. This is a very important award for sailors. They also won other awards for their seamanship.

Tzu Hang

In 1969, the Smeetons sold Tzu Hang to a friend. They then moved to Alberta, Canada. Sadly, Tzu Hang was later seized by US agents in 1988. In 1989, it sank during hurricane Hugo. The boat was destroyed in 1990.