Trekka was built by John Guzzwell in Victoria and launched into the inner Harbour in August, 1954. Her keel had been laid, clamped and glued-up in the boiler room of the YMCA - and the rest of her building done in a store-room at the rear of Johnny Bell's fish and chip shop on View Street. Trekka means "to journey" and journey she did...from Victoria around the world and back again! Departing on September 10, 1955, John Guzzwell sailed Trekka to the Hawaiian Islands via San Francisco. From there the route was southward to the South Pacific Islands with New Zealand as the planned destination. During this passage, Trekka was often in company with another well-known yacht Tzu Hang, sailed by Miles and Beryl Smeeton, then of Salt Spring Island.

At New Zealand, Trekka was laid up for 16 months while her master joined Tzu Hang to crew with the Smeetons. With them, John Guzzwell survived the pitchpoling of Tzu Hang near Cape Horn and assisted in getting the damaged vessel to a port in Chile where his shipwright skills were invaluable in making repairs. Guzzwell returned to New Zealand in December, 1957, and readied Trekka for a continuance of the voyage that would see Trekka survive a cyclone, take him through the waters of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia between New Guinea and Australia and finally into the Indian Ocean. The little vessel later safely passed the stormy Cape of Good Hope to enter the Atlantic Ocean and, in time the Pacific Ocean via the Panama Canal.

Trekka completed her epic voyage, the smallest vessel to circumnavigate the globe, by returning to Victoria on September 12, 1959.

Following John's circumnavigation, he married and in 1961, he and Maureen, sailed to the Hawaiian Islands and back to Los Angeles. There he sold Trekka. One owner later, Clifford and Marian Cain were able to purchase Trekka and begin their dream of a circumnavigation. Bringing Trekka to their home port of Monterey, California, in 1962, the Cains began their preparation. Sailing the California coast with its periodic fog and foul weather was good training for what was to come. June, 1964, on a windless day, they were towed to sea. Sailing west-a-bout, they sailed first to Hawaii and meandering through the Pacific Islands, arrived in New Zealand for Christmas, 1964. Leaving Russell, North Island in March, the Tasman Sea gave them a bit of a drubbing, including a 180 degree knockdown. Once past the Tasman though, the sea was mostly kindly to Trekka and true to form, the gallant little ship carried out her second circumnavigation, taking the Cains through the Great Barrier, across the Indian Ocean, around Cape of Good Hope, through the Panama Canal, then Hawaii and finally home to Monterey, June 1967.

Trekka was a day-sailor for the next eight years while the Cains got on with their careers but in 1975, Clifford was approached by Joanne Witt, a student in his celestial navigation class. Joanne wanted to sail back to England, her native land, and she wanted to do it in Trekka. Knowing in their hearts that Trekka was meant for the open seas and not day trips to Angel Island, the Cains reluctantly said good-bye to Trekka but not before sailing in company as far as Hawaii in another boat.

For various reasons, Joanne could not realize her dream of sailing Trekka back to Lymington, England but in Honolulu, she found in Eric Abranovich, a new owner who could love and maintain Trekka as she deserved.

In the Spring of 1980, members of the Thermopylae Club of Victoria felt it was time to bring Trekka home for good. Arrangements were made with Abranovich for her prospective purchase and delivery to Victoria. Alone, he set out from Honolulu on August 10. After an eventful voyage of more than 3500 miles and about 50 days, he brought the tiny vessel into Victoria harbour to be greeted by hundreds of well wishers including John Guzzwell, her builder and original master.

Trekka is currently owned by the Maritime Museum of British Columbia and had the honor of leading the Tall Ships into Victoria in June of 2005.