Solo Circumnavigation

[barnakiel]

There was a guy sailing a copy of Trekka with a goal of circumnavigating. But he opted out for some reason after arriving in the RSA. His boat's name was Bekka. You may find more on that probably goo gling some. He was from AUS. The boat was an exact copy.

b.

[Blue Crab]

There have been many great sailors. It sure isn't just about the boat.

On that note, I saw a Sundeer 60 last month in Oriental, NC, USA.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooo... ad infinitum.

Damn.

Even a senile geriatric like me could do RTW on that.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

There are a couple of fairly well known Australian women who also did it: Kay Cottee, and
the Grandma who sailed her Folkboat around the world. In addition, there's Julia from "Greshan", who built her own steelie, and did it.

Ann

Your namesake - Ann Gash

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

There's the local hero round here, Jon Sanders - triple navigation. More mad than anything else. But for my money, Moitessier, he's the rockstar, just for blowing off the Golden Globe.
Oh the list.. Jessica Watson is the pick, a 16 year old schoolgirl rounding Cape Horn, gotta love that..

+1 for Jon, a solo RTW, then a solo non-stop double RTW, and finally a solo non-stop triple RTW. So that's 6 solo circumnavigations - no a bad score!

Originally Posted by Bill4

I have not voted in this poll. How can I vote in a poll that doesn't include such legends as Sir Robin Knox Johnston - the first man to sail solo around the world, or Dame Ellen MacArthur who as a child saved her school dinner money for 3 years to eventually buy her first boat?

+1 for Sir Robin

[Group9]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

Robin Lee Graham's adventure written about in National Geographic and his book Dove influenced me at an early age. Of course no one can compare to Slocum.

Me, too. My grandmother subscribed to National Geographic, and every person I've bought a boat from since reading those articles about Graham's voyage at her house, should have sent him a commission check.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by roverhi

None of the above.

Ever heard of Bernard Moitessier???? What about Vito Dumas??

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

There's the local hero round here, Jon Sanders - triple navigation. More mad than anything else. But for my money, Moitessier, he's the rockstar, just for blowing off the Golden Globe.
Oh the list.. Jessica Watson is the pick, a 16 year old schoolgirl rounding Cape Horn, gotta love that..

Unlike the record setters, Moitessier did it for the adventure and being in touch with the natural world around him. He didn't want or like the fan fare.
I think it was a hell of an accomplishment for the 16 year old and took both courage and skill. I can only hope it benefits her life/soul in the future. Otherwise it is just a line in a record book. I shudder when I think that someone else out there wants their child to beat the age record now.

[foolishsailor]

Moitessier would be my favourite as well, of the books that came out of the first Around Alone race his is my favourite. He was my idol for a long time until I learned more about his exploits outside of sailing and how he abandoned his wife and young children. Completely soured him for me and I can't even enjoy his books anymore as with this knowledge it all seems like false and contrived attempts at enlightenment that were really selfish desires to pursue his own path at the expense of his family and responsibilities...

[goboatingnow]

I'm suprised Laura decker didnt do better. I think she certainly outshone Watson

Dave

[Celestialsailor]

Perhaps if the OP sees all the comments about other favorites, they can edit the poll.

[foolishsailor]

Can we also add the best tragic solo circumnavigators?

I still think Donald Crowhurst's story is one of the most compelling of all sailing books period.

"The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst" - he is almost an anti-hero. All balls and brains but no common sense. Definitely part of the "go now" crowd!

If the requirement for solo circumnavigators didn't require them to actually finish - he would be my hands down favourite. Incredible story. The movie "Deep Blue" that was a follow up was also very compelling.

[barnakiel]

But these are all great names and they are great because at one point or another they sought publicity.

I love rowing. I was (I still am) great fan of all the Woodvale heroes ... till I found that people crossed oceans in rowing boats like at least 100 years ago ... no watermakers ... no carbon oars ... plain wooden, heavy, hulls ... Let alone the aboriginal Kiwis ... ;-)

So, how do you think, how many people circumnavigated alone BEFORE Slocum?

b.

[Capt Rottnest]

Originally Posted by foolishsailor

Moitessier would be my favourite as well, of the books that came out of the first Around Alone race his is my favourite. He was my idol for a long time until I learned more about his exploits outside of sailing and how he abandoned his wife and young children. Completely soured him for me and I can't even enjoy his books anymore as with this knowledge it all seems like false and contrived attempts at enlightenment that were really selfish desires to pursue his own path at the expense of his family and responsibilities...

Bit harsh on Bernard. How do you know the marriage didnt need breaking up? Webb Chiles wrote of meeting with him in Tahiti, living in a hut impoverished because his wife hated boats. Webb implied he was a broken man. He stuck it out for 10 years at least, before boarding Joshua again..

[foolishsailor]

None. It is an artifical goal - there are no commercial or societal benefits to doing this.

I think he, or someone within 20 or so years, was the first.

[foolishsailor]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

Bit harsh on Bernard. How do you know the marriage didnt need breaking up? Webb Chiles wrote of meeting with him in Tahiti, living in a hut impoverished because his wife hated boats. Webb implied he was a broken man. He stuck it out for 10 years at least, before boarding Joshua again..

Say what you wish but he didnt just abandon his wife he abandoned his children. Sometimes we have to relinquish our goals for the responsibilities we have created for ourselves. The making of a man is acknowledging these responsibities - especially when they are counter to our personal goals.

Webb is not a biographer. He was not impoverished because his wife hated boats. Perchance you would be better served reading more of his history.

He was a great sailor and not so great man.

[barnakiel]

Now there is a boat that looks like a copy of Joshua here. Her name is Varuna and her flag is Bulgarian.

Anybody knows if this is a true copy?

I heard Northern Lights is.

b.

[Capt Rottnest]

Originally Posted by foolishsailor

Say what you wish but he didnt just abandon his wife he abandoned his children. Sometimes we have to relinquish our goals for the responsibilities we have created for ourselves. The making of a man is acknowledging these responsibities - especially when they are counter to our personal goals.

Webb is not a biographer. He was not impoverished because his wife hated boats. Perchance you would be better served reading more of his history.

He was a great sailor and not so great man.

Think I worded my sentence wrongly, he wasnt impoverished because his wife hated boats, but she was the reason they were land bound in a squalid little hut on an atoll near Tahiti. Also another other than Chiles corroborates this. Anyway, I think we are getting our wires crossed, he was married more than once, I'm referring to a later marriage.