On Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:41:24 -0500, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:

How long did it take Slocum? My copy of his book is at my mothers
house.

Casady


Slocum actually 'sailed' around the world. No motor on his "Spray." I think
it took him a couple of years but he wasn't out to be the youngest or the
oldest or the fastest, etc. He didn't care much about records. His main
motivation was to do a solo circumnavigation as enjoyment and he stopped and
lectured, etc. as needed to get funds to continue. This is real sailing and
a real one-man show. A far cry from some pimple-face kid who doesn't have a
clue being pushed around the world via committee, repair crews and diesel
power.

All true enough but my point is that Zak has the same right to take
time on shore and enjoy the trip as Slocum. When they got you strapped
to that nursing home bed all you have is your memories, if you are
lucky, and the memories of the trip should be more than miles and
miles and miles of staring at waves. Some have done it nonstop. That
is nuts. Every boat in Iowa is on the trailer right now. Well, the
laser and the canoe are on rafters. I have my choice of a 22 foot
sterndrive cuddy and a square stern canoe with a three horse motor, to
head south with. When gas was four bucks it would have been the canoe.

The committee part sounds bad. I haven't followed the details, but
most people repair broken stuff. Maybe he had too much stuff. I like
gadgets. Iowa boats have just a fishfinder for electronics and that is
it. I believe some of them have a GPS built in so you can find the hot
fishing spot again. They used to buy loran just for that, when one
cost as much as a Harley hog. You can get radar under a grand, and if
I had a T-top to put it on I would have one. Ebay had a 4kw with a
five foot antenna for 1300 bucks. Bit ostentious for a fish/ski. Most
locomotives have a cluster of five horns from about a foot and a half
down. Fit on a T-top easy, but they likely eat a lot of air. I wonder
why nobody has them. I haven't seen the horn on the Queen Mary,
although I crossed the ocean in it. It might not be all that huge,
although either the air tank or the compressor needs to good sized. If
you had one you could scare the **** out of people in the fog. What
it really needs is a power operated trombone. It isn't dangerous if
stuff like that breaks. You can wait until there is nothing happening
to fix it.

Slocum would have, I think, loved one of todays 12 hp Yanmars. I don't
think many go around the world without encountering a lot of little to
no wind. He might have chosen to do without a flush toilet or
refrigerator, depending on if he drank beer. He would have VHF GPS
radar and a solar battery today. I would just as soon take a powerboat
around the world. Something that gets at least 4 mpg.I even have a
suitable pet for the trip: Boltcutter the snapping turtle. Less
officialdom: they don't carry rabies.

Casady