Top Ten Most Inspirational Sailors

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by SurferShane

Like I was saying, I only discovered David Lewis through finding his book "Ice Bird" at a second hand store. What I really found inspiring was his sense of adventure and honest writing style. Since reading the book, I have been lucky enough to meet another "mature" sailor who had the pleasure of meeting him a number of times. I have lent the book to a friend and the first thing he said to me afterwards was "How amazing is David Lewis?".

I am sure his writings about the Polynesians and early navigational methods. Likewise, I am just as sure that there are many other inspirational works by other sailors sitting on dusty second hand book shelves waiting to be re-discovered.

Interestingly Lewis also studied and wrote on the navigational methods of the Central Australian Aborigines.
And he can't be claimed as multi or mono sailor as he extensively sailed both types.

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Oh, why the ref to owning or not owning. I am talking about the age of discovery. Like the Dutch discovered what is called Australia today but they never owned it or attempted to own it. No Europeans knew about it before that moment. Check your Australian encyclopedia; it wil have it because as I said, it is accepted wordwide just like bronze age etc.

cheers,
Nick.

Not taking anything away from the Dutch but let's not forget the Spaniards that visited Oz. Luis Vaez de Torres (Spain) almost bumped into Janzoon in the (now) Torres Straits in 1606.

[Factor]

Couldn't really give a toss about which european countries thought they may have been the first europeans in this part of the world. Australia had been populated for at least 40,000 years before any of the aforementioned downwind sailors bumped into this continent.

The age of discovery is a uniquely european concept based on europe being the centre of the universe. Even before it went broke it wasn't the centre of the world.

But I digress, not too much that the european invaders did that was inspirational. Sailing or otherwise. Invading already occupied lands, doesn't inspire me.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Not taking anything away from the Dutch but let's not forget the Spaniards that visited Oz. Luis Vaez de Torres (Spain) almost bumped into Janzoon in the (now) Torres Straits in 1606.

Supporters of Torres went as far to claim that he must have seen Oz, but until today they never dared to claim he set foot ashore or visited in any other way Torres himself only reports his passage along New Guinea proving it was not part of a continent. If he actually did what he described himself, he never saw Oz.

What is interresting is that the Dutch called it New Holland, but the name is now Australia which is in honor of the House of Austria. In Torres' days, the King of Spain was of the House of Austria. Anybody knows how this came to be?

ciao!
Nick.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Factor

The age of discovery is a uniquely european concept based on europe being the centre of the universe. Even before it went broke it wasn't the centre of the world.

Now that is interresting. You will now tell us who was? Historians must have missed it...

ciao!
Nick.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Supporters of Torres went as far to claim that he must have seen Oz, but until today they never dared to claim he set foot ashore or visited in any other way Torres himself only reports his passage along New Guinea proving it was not part of a continent. If he actually did what he described himself, he never saw Oz.

Hmm... well many researchers consider that he sighted the hills of Cape York but he mistook them for just more islands.

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

What is interresting is that the Dutch called it New Holland, but the name is now Australia which is in honor of the House of Austria. In Torres' days, the King of Spain was of the House of Austria. Anybody knows how this came to be?

ciao!
Nick.

Australia is derived from the latin for south or southern - "australis". The term Terra Australis Incognita was around in the Roman period. The Incognita bit was dropped after you Dutch guys keep running around here!

Matthew Flinders (local boy made good) pushed for Australia which the Poms agreed to sometime in the early to mid 1800s

[avb3]

Matt Rutherford has to be in the running for someone who is "inspirational".

His mission is to sail solo in a 27' Albin-Vega through the Northwest passage, around the Horn, and back to his home club all in support of mobility restricted sailors.

Not just a dream, but he is 3/4 of the done... he did the Horn about 3 weeks ago.

Great website where you can track his position and some of his blog postings here

[goboatingnow]

also known as
Magallanica
La Australia del Espíritu Santo
La grande isle de Java



PS Mathew Finders , was from Donnington in England and sailed with Bligh, how that make him one of the locals !

[kaimusailing]

Here's another one: Bill Tilman and his voyages to climb mountains in high latitudes, like Patagonia, Greenland, etc.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Hmm... well many researchers consider that he sighted the hills of Cape York but he mistook them for just more islands.

Australia is derived from the latin for south or southern - "australis". The term Terra Australis Incognita was around in the Roman period. The Incognita bit was dropped after you Dutch guys keep running around here!

Yes those researchers that claim he must have sighted Australia, assume that he followed a course further south than what Torres reported. There is no consensus about that assumption though...

Ah.. I mixed it up with "Austrialia del Espíritu Santo" (note the extra "i"), an island of Vanuatu. How two things with very different meaning can come so similar!

In 1638 the Dutch already used "Australisch" for pointing to "lands south".

ciao!
Nick.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

...............
PS Mathew Finders , was from Donnington in England and sailed with Bligh, how that make him one of the locals !

Well technically perhaps no, he wasn't a true blue local especially considering he was born in 1774 but we have sort of adopted him as his exploits make him more Aussie than English. Most of his important (make that excellent) navigational work was done here. There are dozens and dozens (if not hundreds) of place names in Oz that commemorate his presence. His voyages in "Tom Thumb" and "Investigator" were remarkable. However I seem to remember his home town (Donnington) finally stuck up a statue for him (and his cat Trim) a few years ago - bit late guys.

Even the local NSW government (technically still English) awarded him / his wife / his daughter a pension some 40 years after his death.

He is an inspirational sailor, a navigator on par with Cook and an adopted son of the Great South Land.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Factor

Couldn't really give a toss about which european countries thought they may have been the first europeans in this part of the world. Australia had been populated for at least 40,000 years before any of the aforementioned downwind sailors bumped into this continent.

The age of discovery is a uniquely european concept based on europe being the centre of the universe. Even before it went broke it wasn't the centre of the world.

But I digress, not too much that the european invaders did that was inspirational. Sailing or otherwise. Invading already occupied lands, doesn't inspire me.

Sorry us Europeans, found all these empty lands, colonised them and brought them up nice, then they went all independant and got colonised by McDonalds instead.

[Capt Phil]

I'll tell you what is inspirational and truly humbling are the posters here! I've probably learned more about exploration and history from this group than from all the reading I've done over the years... this thread is truly a great read and a wonderful synopsis of the finest sailors and explorers we have had over the past couple of thousand years. Kudos to all who contributed... I'm truly enjoying taking it all in. cheers, Capt Phil

[tamicatana]

Y'know, come to think, another inspiration is James Wharram.

He promoted, and continues to promote, a simple life and good seaworthy boats. Wharram has stuck to his guns in the face of a fair bit of negativity, and although now his concepts are bearing fruit, it must have been a tough road for him.

check Wharram and his sailing philosophies out. http://www.wharram.com