QINGDAO-- Chinese sailor Guo Chuan crossed the equator and returned to the Northern Hemisphere last Saturday, 118 days after he set off his solo non-stop sailing around the world, according to his supporting team on Monday.

Before leaving the Indian Ocean, Guo was disturbed by little wind and the yacht was sailing very slowly.

"It feels like I just left the expressway, as the wind was very strong in the south of the Indian Ocean." Guo said over a satellite phone.

Guo passed through the Sunda Strait on March 12 and started to sail on the Java Sea.

"My yacht was tangled with fishing net when I just arrived in the Java Sea and it took me two hours to get off the fishing net." Guo said.

"I need to be very careful of fishing net and other floating objects before I return back to Qingdao." Guo said.

Guo was expected to arrive in Qingdao, east of China and Guo's hometown, around April 1.

The 47-year-old Guo, the first Chinese sailor to have taken part in the Clipper Round the World (2006) and the first Chinese to complete the Volvo Ocean Race (2008-2009), set off his world sailing from Qingdao on Nov 18 last year.