Two men are sailing the oceans to spread a message of solidarity, peace and tolerance wherever they go.

Juan Manuel De Leon Torre and Juan Carlos Armas Gutierrez, from Tenerife, have, since 2006, sailed to over 40 countries in a yacht called Itaparica.

"Through the local media, we want to give a message to teachers so that they teach their students about understanding different cultures," Mr Armas Gutierrez, a 48-year-old former mechanic with a weather-beaten face says.

The two are also acting as ambassadors to the Canary Islands and their hometown, Puerto de la Cruz. Since the islands lie in between continents, they feel they are in a position to understand better and interact with different cultures.

Inside the yacht cabin, a picture of Our Lady of Mount Carmel hangs on the wooden wall and books stand on the shelves, including Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, Mr De Leon Torre's favourite book.

"The tinned food is for my body, the books are for my mind," the 43-year-old mechanic-turned-sailor said.

When in port, the pair visited the Spanish Embassy and also Valletta, Cottonera, Marsa and St Julians. They were impressed with the Maltese hospitality.

Surprisingly, for people who want to build bridges around the world, the pair do not speak English well but, luckily, their neighbour at the Msida Marina happens to be an Argentinian woman who translates the whole exchange.

The crew's adventure ends next month. They plan to leave today headed for either Sardinia or Spain, depending on the wind.