Petr Muzik was an extraordinary man. He was my father, mentor, teacher and inspiration.
At the time of writing this post, he had just returned from fulfilling his life long dream – to sail around the world on his yacht, ‘Shoestring’.
My father passed away in 2015. This video is my tribute to him.
“If you’re going to do it, do it yesterday!” – Petr Muzik
He built three yachts in our back yard as I was growing up. His last yacht, ‘Shoestring 3’, took him 15 years to build, between raising a family and running a business.
Some of his friends thought he would never set sail, but in 2005, my dad set to sea for what would become a three year epic journey that changed his life forever.
Tragedy struck one month out to sea when Roy, my step brother, was killed in a motorcycle accident. Dad turned around and sailed one month back to Cape Town for the funeral.
By the time he arrived back in Cape Town, he had to postpone his trip for yet another year as the trade winds had passed.
Having sold his house and car to go sailing around the globe, my Dad and his partner May, lived aboard Shoestring in Cape Town harbor until the trade winds returned one year later.
Undeterred, they left Cape Town for South America, traveled through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean and on to New Zealand and Indonesia. From there, he crossed the Indian Ocean where his boat was shipwrecked in a coral atoll called Cocos Keeling.
Shipwrecked
In the middle of the night, anchored in a small bay in paradise, the wind changed and threw Shoestring onto a coral reef. Water flooded the boat and Shoestring began to sink. Miraculously, there was a boat anchored nearby who had a generator and a pump (Shoestring’s pumps could not cope with the rate of water coming in) and came to the rescue.
During the shipwreck, the rudder had broken off and the propeller was so damaged that Petr had to cut it off with a hacksaw. Things were not looking good. Shoestring had sustained intense damage and was now left with a hole in the side of the boat, no propeller, no rudder and a bent keel!
Again undeterred, my dad pulled the boat into shallow water and waited for the tide to go out. He then had a 6 hour window in which to repair the holes in the hull. Amazingly, with the help of some fellow yachtsmen, they slowed the leaking down to a manageable level. Now, all they needed was a rudder and they could limp home across the Indian Ocean.
Miraculously, one of my Dad’s crew found an old catamaran rudder lying in a bush on the coral atoll!!! What are the chances? It was as if god had reached down and placed the rudder there just for Shoestring.
Dad attached the rudder to Shoestring and sailed for 30 days across the Indian Ocean, finally completing his amazing trip in December 2007. The sailing community put him on the cover of Sailing Magazine, acknowledging his accomplishment.
The moral of this story in the words of my father: “If you have a dream, just do it!”
“Second place us somewhere at the back” – Petr Muzik
Now that my Dad has passed and I’ve had time to reflect on his role in my life, I’m even more grateful for the role model he was to me.
He taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to.
I love you Dad. I miss you Dad. I will always be grateful for your presence in my life.
Bruce
Some of my best Memories as a child come from 10 Dean rd seapoint! Uncle Petr, Roymycuz missing you always!!!!
What a lovely man. My neighbour just two houses away in Port Owen. So helpful in may ways. My honey supplier. One of the finer Commodores of Port Owen Yacht Club. He will really be sorely missed by all.
It was with great sadness and shock I heard of Petr’s death. He had shared his story only the week before at Probus in Velddrif and everyone was overwhelmed at this journey. I will him so much at the Port Owen Market, I used to chat to him about his Simply Bee products. My thoughts are with his family and May at this time
Peter will be missed by many . Thank you for the video clip. By the way it’s not the first time he sailed the Indian ocean with a temporary rudder to get home .
This is great and awesome. I wait no longer for any of my dream.
We lived opposite Peter, Katja, Christian and Tanya 42 years ago on Dean road, our daughter Jenny was over at their house every day or vice versa…and are also sailors. At the moment Rolf is sailing back from Kauai to Victoria Canada where we live, on Esperanto, a 42 foot custom boat. Please congratulate Peter.. what he said is true.. we are living our dream too.. and tell him, if he ever comes to Victoria Canada, look us up. It is a sailing paradise.
Bruce you a great!Glad I found you!If you were to ask me how I found you on the internet,I really couldnt tell you.I have read the Secret and tried everything in the book.I always knew I was missing something.I always felt that there was something more to learn.Then one day I forgot about it and just let it go.Somehow I came across your website.I wansn’t searching for anything particular.Thank you….You teach me something new everyday!
hi Bruce that was an amzing interview with your dad. so inspirational.you are both blessed to have each other, thank you for sharing it.
Thank you so much for this inspiritational story. Living your dream today now makes more sense to me. I am working with clearing blocks to living my dream life, but now realize even more that it is my waiting that is holding me back. Lovely story, thanks for sharing.
Jenn
I want to recommend reading/listening to the lectures by Neville Goddard for attracting the life you desire! Alot like Joseph Murphy but I personally prefer Neville’s delivery. If you want a new apt. or house for ex., perhaps buy something small, inexpensive that you would put in your new place. Hold it or touch it everyday even a few times a day, feeling how good it FEELS to have this item in your new home. See yourself enjoying it and even imagine other friends/family complimenting your new home!
…..if you are waiting………and you ‘FEEL LIKE YOU ARE WAITING’ then that is more of what you are going to get back!!!
Bruce….. that was awesome!
Thank you so much to you and your Dad!
I love you
Shona
Hi Bruce
Thank You for the GREAT reminder. The interview with your Dad was marvelous.
Life and Dreams are TODAY. 🙂 The waiting game is a killer trap.
In Peace and Light to All
Dorothy Biagioni
Bruce, Now I understand from where you come! You and your father’s story are pushing me to take action.
The rudder story is just amazing. Someone must have done some serious praying.
Thankyou. colleen
Hi, Bruce,
I can believe that that man is your father because you really are so inspiring. Chip of the old block so to speak. Anyway once again thank you soooo very very much for that great article and yes you’re absolutey right waiting sucks!!!
am grateful
am bless by ur word always.
You are BOTH so incredibly cool! Thank you for such an inspirational start to my day.
I watched this video of your father for the second time, and enjoyed it just as much. My sister lives not far from there, and we go for a two week visit every March, so I hope I get the opportunity to shake your fathers hand. We used to live there in the early fifties when my own father (deceased) worked on the boats as a radio operator. I’m glad to hear from you again, and I always look forward to your videos, especially when I can get a glimpse of the beach.Thanks to all the other people for their wonderful comments.
Hi Bruce
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story.
I also want to congratulate you on the loving relationship you have with your father…
I believe this is also a beautiful example of the power of unity and the power of the invisible force that creates miracles ….which contributed to this miraculous event… ..a force of love that you clearly have within your close family and the realtionship you have built up with everyone around you in your life team….and is an awesome example for family and relationships, and teams for everyone….
Congratulating again on the loving life/team you have built up.
In gratitude
Michael
I read a few comments at the top and scrolled down to add mine. Now after reading Steven’s comment to Rebecca as well as her origional comment I’d like to add something else.
I have used the same excuse to myself so many times: no money, not even enough to start. On the surface it seems logical but in reality it is an excuse not to begin.
If there is no money you can set an intent. Then break it down into something that you need to accomplish the bigger thing as Bruce’s father did in getting various training that he needed to learn to build and repair boats.
In my case there was no money for electronics training, but it was a passion. I started by getting everything out of the library and reading it. Then I’d get old TV’s and Radios (this was in the 1960’s) and I’d learn to make things from them which let me learn more.
Then I was given the texts from a correspondence course for communications engineer. Even though I was 14 and had no money the dream brough these things to me. I had a dream to be a radio engineer and the pieces started to come. I loved those books and studied them and after another year I sat for the test and passed it on the first try. This got me a job at a local radio station, which gave me money to buy materials to learn more, and so on.
Finally I went from radio to TV to working for Sony Corp, to starting my own software business with software at 5 of the top 10 broadcasters in the U.S.
And it doesn’t end there. The point is you look to the direction you want to go and start noticing the little things around you. When one of them makes you happy, like the books in the library grab it – use it, then the next thing will appear, it will be attracted to you.
As you take the first steps toward the mountain (figuratively) in front of you, you will be able to see some things that you didn’t see before, soon you’ll be on the foothills and able to see more still. You’ll be able to pick a direction that you didn’t know about before.
And that’s it. Instinctively all of us use the Law of Attraction untill people around us teach us not to. Children imagine and play and it is very real. Then we learn not to pretend and experience the thing we want and we cease to be attracted. We can no longer picture it, instead we believe in reality. We shut down and believe that nothing is possible. It works for others because they had something going in that we didn’t … money or talent or anything that we can’t imagine having.
If you can make the vision clear enough, you can achieve it. It was Napoleon Hill who said, “anything the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
Wallace Wattles in “The Science of Getting Rich” talks about visioning the things you want, create a new picture of reality in your mind, then you will begin to attract these things.
As with Bruce’s dad, Wattles says that by the vision you create the things but by action you receive them. A vision, acted on in whatever method he could at the time brought him success, brought his vision into reality; and what a great story.
You have to believe again, wake up that 3 year old somewhere inside and believe. The Bible says, “all things are possible to he that believes.” “All things are possible.” What if it is true but you didn’t believe it?
* but my …
I didn’t see this video first time round, buy my, it brought tears of joy to my eyes. Your father embodies the dream and is a living testimony to all.
Let’s live whilst we’re alive!
I don’t call it a goal but when I was 12, about 45 years ago, I ordered a set of boat plans for a 33 ft Ketch. At the time I had hoped that I could get my father to work with me and build the boat, but it didn’t happen and he has since died. I still have those plans but not a strong desirec to build the boat anymore.
Seeing the interview with your father made me think of the plans and that building it with my father would have been a great thing to do. I have other dreams that I’m working on now but I hadn’t thought of that boat for a long time.
A great story from your dad, thanks for putting it on video.
Well done Peter.
I remember you and “shoe string” in your garden in Cape Town when I started delivering yachts .
I am still sailing and have done over 250000 miles .Looking at the video and you full filling your dream must be an inspiration to all the dreamers .
What has been amazing for me is how easy it is to follow your sailing dream. Remember that the first step is always the most difficult .It really gets easier
To all the dreamers ; in all the miles I’ve sailed, I’ve only experienced a total of 7days of BIG winds and terrifying seas (75 knts) But Ive enjoyed 1500 days of amazing beauty and happiness.
GO ON AND DO IT . you will be amazed at how easy the second and third and fourth steps become
WELL done Peter
PS Im the guy that sold the genoa to you in Cape Town
Dear Petr,
Johnny & Juliet Kipps gave me your link and June & I have just watched it together. I remember very well our sailing off the Cape coast on your Hobie 14 Turbo back in early 80s and our small donations to Shoestring I maybe II. It is lovely to see your dreams fulfilled. We have a dream of living and cruising in some warm, safe waters in the not too distant future. You have inspired us to get on with it! We would love to hear from you. Martin
Wow,
pretty cool. Actually, an extraordinary story of an amazing person. Your dad shows the power of a dream and resiliency. Well I wish I remembered at every moment the time is now and the place is here to live my dreams. This definitely helps remembering.
Thank you for sharing that my friend!
Jan
P.S. For some reason, over the years I have known you, I had no idea that your dad was from former Czechoslovakia. Then seeing his name printed in the blog stroke home and I knew he must be Czech, which the video confirmed. Well, life is full of surprises.
Loved watching the vid (although it didn’t link from your site). I have not heard anyone talk about Chagos in years! I spend about a week and a half there with a small flotilla of yachts. I was sailing with my Mum & Dad on our 40ft yacht Yaraandoo II. An absolutely incredible place. You can spend the day hunting and gathering for the evening pot luck on the beach… we even used to get buzzed by the recon jets from Diego Garcia… they would fly in low (sometimes at mast height) then, when they were right upon us, they would spin vertical, hit the burners and go supersonic, sending a pealing boom across the magical and otherwise pristine atoll to roaring cheers from the group of yachties! Love it!
If I may reply to Rebecca.
Hi Rebecca. Join the club. I have always believed the way you have indicated.
I have lived a life that left me unfulfilled. There has always been this feeling of “There must be something else.”
I started my life out as an apprentice electrician and qualified as a telecommunications electrician Six months early, was promoted to technical assistant in the same year. But after nine years in the trade I gave it all up because I could no longer take that feeling of being unfulfilled.
I moved down to Cape Town and started as a trainee salesman and excelled and became the highest paid salesman in the company in a few years but the feeling never went away so I ditched that and started my own business.
That never blew my hair back and I allowed it to pull me into a large amount of debt. I closed that and till today still owe some of that debt.
I tried driving a radio taxi for two years and tried clearing and forwarding and a few other things and ten years ago I became so “Gatvol” in other words sick and tired that I forced myself into a proper self reflection.
It is in that time that I DECIDED that I there were just a few things that would give me satisfaction.
Here they are, teaching, religious ministry, writing and inventing. Well I have been a religious minister for twenty years but I do not believe in recieving money for that so I do not. I am always writing btu don’t have the desire to publish. I do invent but I normally give my ideas away because I do not have the money to patent. but here is the crux.
I made a firm DESCISION that in four years time I would be a teacher. I told my wife that she would have to start supporting me so that I could go and study.
For reasons that I cannot begin to explain here I did not go and study but “Lo and behold,” I received a phone call four years later and was asked to come in for an interview. I went in for the interview on the Thursday and started working as a lecturer on the Monday.
It is now six years that I have been teaching and I have completed my post graduate certificate in education this year.
The biggest thing of all for me, is that the emptiness no longer exists. For the first time in my life, I look forward to getting up in the morning. I am living the life of my dreams and on a measely salary, much less than I was earning in the early to mid nineties.
Hopefully you can glean out of this story that living the life of your dreams may not necessarily be about how much money you have or intend to have.
If that is what you want then do what I did as salesman. See the people and keep seeing the people and give the best possible service that you can offer. Add to that recipe a lot of being smart, determined and being in the right places at the right time…this list could go on but the most important is see and serve the people. It worked for me.
Now that you no longer have a reason to throw finances in as an excuse for failure, go and reflect upon yourself and find out what it really is that you want and make a DECISION.
Written with love.
Steven Parkes
Your father is a truly inspiring man.He seems a straightforward, down to earth and common sense person.That makes it even more inspiring.
When I start my school I would be honored if he would pay us a visit. In fact, the school that I currently teach at is just down the road from his home and wouldn’t it be wonderful if he would come and address our assembly one Monday morning.
Buren High is full of learners from a less affluent part of the community, with parents and grand parents that went nowhere in life. My dream is to break that cycle and inspire these young people into hope filled action.
Steven Parkes
As an ex sailor {R.N.} Fantastic, power to your Dad.
Your dad’s saga is awe-inspiring, and touching too – in part because it’s my honor to know him, but it’s also a happy story, a dream fulfilled. And I agree – your dad’s a lovely man indeed. He glows. I love him too – and I love the big beyond that he sails on …
Bruce, what a lovely story. What a wonderful journey it must have been leading up to fulfilling the dream. Building your own boat, learning all the things you needed to know about running the boat, reading maps, and just putting together what was needed to take such a massive trip. I would expect the road to the dream was as much fun as the dream itself. Whats next?
Bev, Phoenix, AZ.
Thanks Bruce for opening my eyes! I’m working toward achieving my dream life but you have made me realize that I dont have to wait to ‘live’ but can live it right now. Life is one way – no rehearsals! God bless you BIG.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Phil, what a great comment. I think I’ll write an article on that topic – something to the effect of “Be careful who you listen to…”
Bruce, what a lovely man your father is. Please thank him for sharing his story of courage, achievement and self-reliance. It was incredibly inspirational and reduced me to tears.
I have achieved massively in some areas of my life, but have some way to go in others. I have no wish to go to sea or build a boat, but I draw from this story the importance of self-reliance, being prepared and having specific goals.
Bruce, you are confirmation for me that “what you put into life you get back”. You are a giver not a taker and my hope for you is that you will receive back tenfold. To give, with no thought of whether or what you’ll get back has worked so well for me all my life (on the “pay it forward” as opposed to the “pay it back” principle) and I can see that you apply that philosophy too. Well done!
Tom Berry, Cape Town.
Hi bruce,
it is an amazing lesson i just learned. When i saw your dad’s dream come true because of his vision and dedication to it i was so very proud of him and happy for him. i felt i just had to express myself with a comment, but i made the mistake of reading a couple of comments that were less than positive in content. i literally felt withered by them as if chilled by an arctic blast-i was turned off by it. but i said damn that’s part of the problem listening to people stomping on someone’s dream come true can actually ruin the positive example gained-and stop yu dead in your tracks following yours. like being at a fight before it begins hearing shouts of kill him, he’s a bum –so you throw the towell in before the start bell rings.now i say no- damn the torpedos full steam ahead-your father is tops i
would sail around the world with him any day.
Hi Bruce,
Wow, your dad’s a fantastic person. Very courageous and humble. I wish I had a dad like yours, so that I can be like you. Whatever you’re doing, keep on doing it. You’re helping alot of people. Thank you and God Bless you, your dad and your family, and everyone you’re involved with.
Thank you Bruce, it is quite inspirational. The message at first seemed not to come through but as I put aside my ego and self-victimization, it clicked. As someone born into poverty with numerous physical afflictions, received/receives no real family support, runs into racism daily, I realized this truth. Simply put, stay true to my vision and act on it daily with planning, learning, and being open to opportunity. It’s sort of like building a sandcastle. You know, I’d either go to a beach or buy sand. Before that, the vision of it has to exist in my mind. Then, I must act on it. I’d need to ask or research how to build a sandcastle then creatively attain a bucket, shovel or any necessary tools and do it. I hope this analogy helps those who didn’t get the message. If possible, go to a playground or beach and watch children. They are shining examples of what it means to image and act.
Thank you Bruce
That was very inspirational. What a jolly good fello your dad is . contentment and taking action now is what i learnt from the message.
Oh please, I’ve heard this so many times and I’m sorry but I just don’t get it. You are obviously talking about people who already have the money to have at least some freedom. It costs MONEY to follow your dreams, to be FREE to eat good food, go places, experience life, live in a healthy environment etc. I do wish someone could explain to me how to go ahead and “live my dream” cold, hungry and exhausted living in a run-down dump with no money to do much of anything other than to pay rent and utilities, and buy some food.
I loved the interview with your dad. I have always been one to follow my dreams and I have been living the ‘law of attraction’ life for 12 years. I got swayed from it a couple of years ago, but I’m back on track. I’m getting ready to go after a dream I’ve had for a long time.
There is hope for this world, we just have to keep focusing, visualizing, and passing the word!!
Yes I enjoyed the video …. “be prepared” the boyscout motto comes to mind. Even the prepared aren’t prepared for every contingency .. therefore if all you do is wait, how well prepared will you really be?
Thanks for your comments. I’ll forward them to my Dad so he can read them. I expect he’ll cry with joy knowing his story inspired you…
I loved the video of your dad. Very inspiring and a good lesson to do things now and not to put off your dreams for the future!
What a great thing to do at any age! I admire your determination. Awsome journey!
What an adorable video. And a great interview with your Dad. What a star he is! Many thanks, Anne
Amazing Man! Not that he sailed the world at a riper age but that he dared follow his heart and pursued his dreams.
And that is living life to the fullest. It really takes courage to leave the comfort zones to be really alive.
Thank you Bruce for sharing your father’s inspiring story.
Susan
Absolutely fantastic – starting a new business in a new country does not seem so daunting anymore. Thank you for sharing that – gives me the courage to deal with the obstacles!(The background and accents make me miss SA!)
F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C & I-N-S-P-I-R-A-T-I-O-N-A-L !!!!
Wow Bruce, I’m feeling proud of your dad! Thanks for sharing the video. It’s so true about waiting being detrimental to our dreams. With each step I’m taking towards mine I feel the momentum propelling me forward.
In fact, the sun is shining in Cape Town today so I’m going to finish off here a little earlier today and go spends some time with my daughter outdoors. That’s part of my designer life & this is a great reminder that we can be Living it right now.
Wow!!! What an Inspirational story!! I bought tears to my eyes as here is a man with a dream in his heart, working for years to fulfil it and with the Grace of God acheiving his dream and here to share the story ..THANK YOU Bruce and dad so much..it has lit a whole new light for me Mahesta xx
thank you Bruce for sharing that with us, what an amazing man your father is and you must be so proud of him. he is an inspiration to us, i am very grateful to have heard his tale and he has spurred me on to believe in new adventures! i am 52 year young now instead of old!!
Thank you, Bruce. What an inspiration your father is! What a wonderful man. Courageous, kind and generous of spirit. Thank you for sharing.
Wow Bruce!! This is such powerful stuff. You are so right. We do get caught up in building the massive dream with all the big stuff, and we think we need those big things when really if we look at what we want to really achieve, we can get it with so much less -less time, less money and less effort. Instead we end up paralysed and intimidated by own own big dreams and not able to start achieving them through bewilderment and fear.
Your dad is amazing. As a sailor who spends far too much time on land, his story is wonderful, inspiring and has me thinking about how I can do more of one of my favourite pastimes (and now I know it doesn’t need to involve buying a yacht!)
I’m off to redesign my life!!
Thankyou,
That was just what the doctor ordered, here I was biting into an egg sandwich thinking “I’ll start that diet tomorrow”, Then walked over to my laptop looked at a course I’ve been meaning to go on and thought, “I’m so tired this weekend, maybe I should ring and schedule it for next week”,
Bruce you’ve been a breath of fresh air, reminding me that if I change today I can start really living the life of my dreams now and not in some ever distancing future.
Have a blessed day!
Ah,True but not easy when your sailing the boat lol if faced with problems the visualise part is hard then the doing part is a nightmare. but thanks will keep on trucking lol
For ‘some reason’ I woke up about 4 am and could not get back to sleep. I finally got up and began checking my e-mail, and came across this video. What an inspiration! I am 69 yr. and was beginning to think I was too old to fulfill my dream. But, I am beginning to realize this is the best time in my life.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Reuben Clark
Bruce, thank you for this inspiring video, your dad is wonderful, a true inspiration. It is so good to see real people you can respect. God bless you both, and have a wondeful day! Edith
Ah, waiting… What a trap that one is. And to think that several philosophies stress how important it is to be patient and just wait for the opportunities to come to you. That has never worked for me. I mean, if you lock yourself up in a room for 2 years and do nothing but visualise money and friends and happiness and adventures you’re obviously not gonna get any of it! As for putting your happiness on hold until you get this or that, or until this or that happens, story of my life and the worst thing anyone can do to themselves. As someone very wisely said: “If you cannot be happy here and now, you never will be.”
Fantastic article, and so, so true. I have come to believe that being happy now – with whatever you have- is the way to bring more to you.
Thanks for the note. Would be good to connect with your sister so her email address would be appreciated. You can also give her my email which is tanya.russell@bluewin.ch By the way, do you ever run programs in Zurich? Would be good to attend one of your amazing seminars as my wife raved about it. Take care. Russell
Yes, it is an inspiring story. Well done on your trip to Zurich. My sister lives there. If you want to conect with her, drop me a line. Bruce
awe inspiring journey and brilliant reminder of what one can achieve when you put your mind to it. having used designer life last year, my wife and our 4 dogs completed the move from cape town to living in zurich in november 2007. stories such as Petr’s only begs the question of what else we are going to achieve. thank you, gentlemen.