A challenge, a mission, one last chance...

[buzzstar]

OK, I'll make a suggestion. A couple of years ago there was a young fellow who did the famous Northwest Passage solo in a (I believe) 27 footer. Perhaps a Vega 27, but I do not recall with certainty. This feat remains a rarity, although apparently doable. How about you aim for it or something similar, and solicit support for the voyage, and pledges if you accomplish it, perhaps on a per mile basis? You could research other difficult and rare trips. Oddly, sailing around the world in not uncommon, even solo. I am not being a wise guy, but if your Dad is alone and could handle it physically, maybe one of the insulin medical device makers would sponsor the whole thing, Adequate refrigeration in those latitudes might not be a big problem. Just an idea.

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by Scot McPherson

I don't think that matters because that's not one of the axioms.


There is no axiom that says "a cat that's been buttered always lands butter down."


The twain do not meet.

Sadly Twain has been dead a long time. Still I like to think he could imagine a world we it buttered cats.

[Abottleofrum]

Originally Posted by buzzstar

OK, I'll make a suggestion. A couple of years ago there was a young fellow who did the famous Northwest Passage solo in a (I believe) 27 footer. Perhaps a Vega 27, but I do not recall with certainty. This feat remains a rarity, although apparently doable. How about you aim for it or something similar, and solicit support for the voyage, and pledges if you accomplish it, perhaps on a per mile basis? You could research other difficult and rare trips. Oddly, sailing around the world in not uncommon, even solo. I am not being a wise guy, but if your Dad is alone and could handle it physically, maybe one of the insulin medical device makers would sponsor the whole thing, Adequate refrigeration in those latitudes might not be a big problem. Just an idea.

Now THAT is a story I got to read up on. Correct me if Im wrong, but isn't the Northwest passage like the Mt. Everest of sailing? Only like, y'know... harder? And wouldn't the ice utterly tear a fiberglass boat to shreds?

But you might have a significant point with the idea of different voyages as opposed to full circumnavigation. I mean, I know the goal for every sailor is to say they sailed around the world. But is it truly that lackluster nowadays?

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by Abottleofrum

Now THAT is a story I got to read up on. Correct me if Im wrong, but isn't the Northwest passage like the Mt. Everest of sailing? Only like, y'know... harder? And wouldn't the ice utterly tear a fiberglass boat to shreds?

But you might have a significant point with the idea of different voyages as opposed to full circumnavigation. I mean, I know the goal for every sailor is to say they sailed around the world. But is it truly that lackluster nowadays?

The hardest achievement in sailing is solo, nonstop, around the world, the wrong way. I can't speak to the accuracy of it, but the standard responce is that more people have been to the International Space Station than accomplished it.

I am pretty sure he was talking about Matt Rutherford who I think was the first person to sail non-stop around the Americas alone. It took ~300 days or so.


Btw, more people climb Everest a year than have soloed the wrong way around the world total.

[boatman61]

A lot of advice here on what boat you need, equipment, money etc etc...
There's a member here in CF called Boat Alexandra who has circumnavigated on a boat he bought for $1000 I believe.
Want to know how its done..?? Contact him.

[hamburking]

Every incredible adventure starts with a dream. Keep on dreaming. Don't stop till you succeed.

I believe in you.
I know you can do it.

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by Abottleofrum

Now THAT is a story I got to read up on. Correct me if Im wrong, but isn't the Northwest passage like the Mt. Everest of sailing? Only like, y'know... harder? And wouldn't the ice utterly tear a fiberglass boat to shreds?

But you might have a significant point with the idea of different voyages as opposed to full circumnavigation. I mean, I know the goal for every sailor is to say they sailed around the world. But is it truly that lackluster nowadays?

Because of climate change the e northwest passage has opened and quite a few sailors make it every year. Still, it's not sailing the islands along the trades. It's is difficult but fiberglass boats have been successful. Preparation is a must. You don't want to take it lightly.

[smacsdesign]

Re: "Twenty Small Boats...." it is some place to start. He`s not going anywhere soon.

[barnakiel]

Imho.

What you need, are:

- skills: you need to be able to sail a likely small boat in possibly any kind of weather, you also need to be able to safely navigate this boat, fix the boat, provision the boat and kedge the boat, etc.

- skills: you need to know how to approach the people of whose awareness you want to raise, you need to know how to talk so that others show some sort of emotional response, you need to know getting emotion out of them is only the first step to get them to act, you need to know only 1 out of 1000 people who emote will add to your cause, there are many factors fighting for our attention (think of Transformers 5, Donald Trump, life on Jupiter moons, Kim Kardashian, you name it, etc.

- skills: to attract the hoola girls when you need them to help you with your project, to know how to wave them goodby - as without this you will get stuck in the first tropical endofnowhere: you ARE 25 after all. Or so you say, etc.

- a boat???: any 2k frp IF will do BUT again: you need skills to pick out the sound one, and to get it ocean ready before you run out of money and dream.

I can xerox and send you a blueprint if you are too shy to learn from your own experience. PM me for that though.

I am 100% dumb as for why you need such a noble CAUSE. The world can be sailed round with your budget, without a cause. But maybe it is this FB thing that young people think they are not alive if their FB likes do not keep on telling them how great they look.

Take your iPhone, make some selfies, post them here.

Go for it, whatever drives you, it is better to live now and retire when old and unlucky.

;-)

Cheers,
b.

[barnakiel]

I will disagree solo is the hardest thing. Sailing with a crew that pisses you off could be harder yet. No?

barnakiel

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Stumble

The hardest achievement in sailing is solo, nonstop, around the world, the wrong way.

I don't think its necessary to sail AROUND the world...maybe start off by sailing around IN the world. However, due to prevailing winds, its usually easier to just keep going than to beat your way back.

To me its plenty enough to sail around the world the RIGHT way. Going the other way is just punishing yourself. Of course Joshua Slocum went the wrong way, and he was the first...so who's to say really?

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I will disagree solo is the hardest thing. Sailing with a crew that pisses you off could be harder yet. No?

Been there, done that, bought the tee shirt.

Seriously though, both are mentally and physically difficult. The grass is always greener.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I will disagree solo is the hardest thing. Sailing with a crew that pisses you off could be harder yet. No?

barnakiel

After a couple of weeks when you start hallucinating that there are crew there... then when they start pissing you off...

It's all the fun of bad crew plus you get the fun of trying to beat up your driver... and yes a buddy of mine really did this, he took a wrenching to a sail bag thinking it was an obnoxiously crew member who refused to leave the bow.


I feel you aren't nuts when you leave, a solo transat will ensure you are when you get done.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by Abottleofrum

Now THAT is a story I got to read up on. Correct me if Im wrong, but isn't the Northwest passage like the Mt. Everest of sailing? Only like, y'know... harder? And wouldn't the ice utterly tear a fiberglass boat to shreds?

But you might have a significant point with the idea of different voyages as opposed to full circumnavigation. I mean, I know the goal for every sailor is to say they sailed around the world. But is it truly that lackluster nowadays?

Originally Posted by Stumble

The hardest achievement in sailing is solo, nonstop, around the world, the wrong way. I can't speak to the accuracy of it, but the standard responce is that more people have been to the International Space Station than accomplished it.

I am pretty sure he was talking about Matt Rutherford who I think was the first person to sail non-stop around the Americas alone. It took ~300 days or so.


Btw, more people climb Everest a year than have soloed the wrong way around the world total.

Stumble is correct, it was Mark Rutherford. Although I am sure I also read it elsewhere, the story I now remember -because I found it in my old magazine pile- was published in the July 2012 edition of Practical Sailor (aren't gift subscriptions wonderful!). It was an (Albin) Vega 27, and he did the complete circuit of North and South America (north, out of Annapolis, around east to west through the NW Passage, south to Cape to Cape Horn, west to east, and north again to Annapolis) all solo and non-stop. Just because it has been done, does nt mean it is easy or common. Even the NW passage alone is uncommon for solo sailors, even rare. If you just had to do something possibly unique, maybe you could figure out a route that would take you around the world in a way acceptable to the skeptics, but using a north south or south north route instead of EW or WE and the five great capes.

BTW, the NW passage is indeed probably less frequently accomplished than Mount Everest, and definitely when the the former is done solo.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Been there, done that, bought the tee shirt.

Seriously though, both are mentally and physically difficult. The grass is always greener.

He is right, but it does not need to be incredible to start as a dream.