Who here would Solo Around the World non stop on their own Boat?

[bbowers2004]

With the right boat, with the right immenities, It would be a pleasure I'm sure.

[Weyalan]

I don't really see the point.
Would I like to sail around the world? Well, yes, provided I could stop a soften and for as long as I like. Non stop? Hell no. Solo? Pffft, I'd rather taken my beautiful, wonderful wife along (not that I'd have any choice anyway, she'd be on board with her gear stowed before I turned around).

[Stu Jackson]

Seems like a pretty irresponsible magnet for people who may or may not be accomplished or prepared enough to do the trip. The Baja HaHa has more prep than this "race committee" seems to exhibit.

Hey boatman, you gonna hit the starting gun for them?

[Adventurebound]

I've met lots of sailers who claim to have sailed around the world many times. Just ask them as they are coming out of the port bar.

[Blue Crab]

Wonder what happened to that guy a couple of years ago on here who was going to do a non-stop so he could be [drumroll please] the first from his country to do so? He mentioned he was in the Med but wouldn't say which country. Guess he worried some North African CFer would rush out to beat him to it. There's a worry I don't share.

I'm guessing he's a Muslim so it's unlikely he was drunk.

[salticrak]

With the Gulf of Aden and ongoing pirate activity, i wonder if it has put a lot of circumnavigators dreams on hold. I mean for those not sailing in the high latitudes?

[Ex-Calif]

I love to meeet the circumnavigators that stop in here.

"Planning to spend a year or so in Asia and get to know the place?"

"No thanks. Gotta get to Thailand by Tuesday, India by Friday, Africa by next week. Anyway we stopped in Indonesia on the way over so we've seeen Asia."

I totally get the "merit badge" earners who do this for personal achievement reasons. Different strokes and all that. Just don't make the mistake of saying you are an Asia expert.

If I live long enough and healthy enough my last 15-20 years will be truly exploring Asia and the South Pacific.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I love to meeet the circumnavigators that stop in here.

Hey Dan!!

Nice to see you here! Where ya been?

Yes, Dan will come and drink beer with any cruising sailor and if he hates you heaps will make you sing a bloody duet wi him in Karaoke. Stuff me if we didnt clear the bar in one verse!




Photo attached is Dan (L) and Mark in Singapore in 2009

[Snowpetrel]

Maybe i'm mad... But Id like to do it one day. Harder to justify now I have a little son to watch, and help grow up.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Hey Dan!!

Nice to see you here! Where ya been?

Yes, Dan will come and drink beer with any cruising sailor and if he hates you heaps will make you sing a bloody duet wi him in Karaoke. Stuff me if we didnt clear the bar in one verse!




Photo attached is Dan (L) and Mark in Singapore in 2009

Hey Mark - My absence = Long story - LOL.

Karaoke - Great time. Glad you stopped in!

Although I am still self-concious about my "small winch handle" -

[Curmudgeon]

Solo nonstop circumnavigations are for 15 year-olds. Looks good on the college application essay. Or for 75 year olds like Chichester who have lost interest in human companionship.

Maybe I'll do it when I'm 75, but I may need a bigger boat so that I can stow enough booze.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I love to meeet the circumnavigators that stop in here.

"Planning to spend a year or so in Asia and get to know the place?"

"No thanks. Gotta get to Thailand by Tuesday, India by Friday, Africa by next week. Anyway we stopped in Indonesia on the way over so we've seeen Asia."

I totally get the "merit badge" earners who do this for personal achievement reasons. Different strokes and all that. Just don't make the mistake of saying you are an Asia expert.

If I live long enough and healthy enough my last 15-20 years will be truly exploring Asia and the South Pacific.

Point taken. Many people in that category would love to spend 10-20 years circumnavigating, but only have a budget for a few years. Reality doesn't quite square with the dream.

[sailorboy1]

when you are coming around on your thrid lap please wave to me as I sit in my cockpit enjoying life with a cold one

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by sneuman

Point taken. Many people in that category would love to spend 10-20 years circumnavigating, but only have a budget for a few years. Reality doesn't quite square with the dream.

Totally understandable. Different strokes and all that. And of course I am totally and completely biased towards the South Pacific.

So how about some paradigm challenges - Here are some of mine...

South Pacific - Thousands of warm inexpensive interesting places to visit. Places with natives who will still almost trade stuff for beads. So many anchorages and isolated places you can't get through them in a lifetime of cruising. Albeit tougher to maintain a boat - supply chain is thin and long for parts however the labor force is "creative" and cheap.

Sidebar - I am a bit of a WWII buff - I want to explore the Coral Sea, Truk Lagoon, the Soloman's - Imagine at night I am a Japanese supply ship evading JFK's PT boat. Beleaguered Marines on Guadalcanal watching the US supply fleet leave as the superior Japanese fleet drives them away. My dad was based in New Guinea and Rabaul. What the hell was that like in 1943/44?

The Bahamas & Caribbean - "Americas" Disneyland of cruising. Commercialized in many respects. Stereotypical "parrot head" cruising. Expensive. Maintaining a boat is relatively easy as the world's biggest warehouse (USA) is about 100 miles away.

Central & South America - Need to do your homework. Bureaucracy and pockets of serious crime. I've visited Rio (and South Central LA) - You gotta know where you can go and where you can't both night and day. Coastal cruising. Probably similar boat maintenance challenges as the Pacific.

Mexico (West Side) - Changed a lot since the 60's-70's - A lot more commercial. "Gringoland" for America's boomer retirees and the Left Coasters.

The Med - Europe's boating Disneyland - Super expensive. Beautiful overcrowded destinations.

North Africa / Gulf States - Forget it... Life's too short.

North & South of the 50's - Who cares? Too freakin' cold

[Adventurebound]

Originally Posted by conachair

“You do not ask a tame seagull why it needs to disappear from time to time toward the open sea. It goes, that's all.”

+


Yeah, but does the seagull ever come back?