It’s the end of the line for solo around-the-world sailor Stanley Paris, whose yacht Kiwi Spirit was yesterday headed for port in Cape Town, South Africa, after suffering damage to his boat on Christmas Eve.

Dr Paris, 77, the father of local sailor Alan Paris who became the first Bermudian to sail the world solo in 2003, had aimed to set his own record as a senior citizen circling the globe in under 150 days.

His first odyssey ended in January for the same reason — a broken boat.

In his recent attempt, which saw Dr Paris sail past Bermuda on November 15 after leaving from Florida, he abandoned the voyage in the Southern Atlantic.

The top quarter of the main sail on the Kiwi Spirit separated and could not be repaired. With gales waiting around the tip of South Africa, the sailor said it wasn’t safe to continue.

Taking the setback philosophically, he conceded disappointment and added: “But that is life. I have never let difficulties get in my way of trying something worthwhile.”

Making his way in to Cape Town, Dr Paris kept a slow easterly course across the ocean so as to conserve fuel.

The sailor said he expected to repair his vessel in South Africa and find a crew to bring the Kiwi Spirit back to the United States.

South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, commonly known to sailors simply as the Cape, was originally called the Cape of Storms, and has notoriously rough seas.