Harry Pidgeon (1869 – 1954), American sailor, was the second solo person to circumnavigate the world, after Joshua Slocum, and the first person to do so twice. On both trips, he sailed a 34-foot yawl named the Islander.
Pidgeon was born on a farm in Iowa. At the age of 18, he set out for California where he found work on a ranch. Before long, he traveled north to Alaska, where he took a raft down the Yukon River and spent some time sailing among the small islands of the southeastern Alaskan coast. Later, he returned to California and travelled and worked in the Sierra Nevada mountains, taking up a career in photography.
In 1917, Pidgeon started constructing the Islander from plans he copied from a book in the local library. It cost $1,000 in materials and took a year and a half of hard work. Upon completion, he tested the yawl with trips to Catalina Island and then to Hawaii. After returning from Hawaii, Pidgeon decided to head for the South Seas. This began his four-year circumnavigation (1921 – 1925).
Starting in 1932, Pidgeon embarked on another solo circumnavigation, this one lasting five years. During World War II, in his seventies, Pidgeon married for the first time to the daughter of a sea captain. The two then set out for yet another circumnavigation, but the trip was cut short when the Islander was damaged by rough weather and then driven up on some rocks in the New Hebrides Islands.
Pidgeon was somewhat unique in that his trips were not done as tests of his bravery, publicity stunts, or any other reason than merely seeing if he could succeed. Moreover, Pidgeon had no previous experience with ocean navigation, boat-building, or long-distance sailing.
His experiences during the first voyage are recounted in his book Around the World Single-Handed: the Cruise of the "Islander".
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Pidgeon"
There is a story in "Wooden Boat" Mag. This month about Harry. I'm sure if someone tried the same thing today, he would be raked over the coals for being an idiot. After all; how could anyone dream of building his own sailboat on a beach, and then sailing around the world? The world needs more people like Harry!
I'd love to read the book if anyone has it to trade for another title.
Did you ever read the book?
I started reading it at the bookstore, a 'classics' reprint, but it didn't make my must-have list that day. The next time I was there it was sold out.
Amazon has used copies starting from $115, ABEBooks has used and new starting from $18.30.
Quote from: Zen on April 21, 2009, 04:42:42 AM
Did you ever read the book?
Haven't read it yet. Still waiting on a trade. I have dozens of good sailing books to trade.
I have a copy, I am half finished reading. I stopped to read Sailing Grace, now I will go back to it. I'll make a trade when finished.
Great! Let me know what you want to read.
Ok, I'm done with Harry Pidgeon...
Quote from: okawbow on January 06, 2009, 09:05:00 PM
There is a story in "Wooden Boat" Mag. This month about Harry. I'm sure if someone tried the same thing today, he would be raked over the coals for being an idiot. After all; how could anyone dream of building his own sailboat on a beach, and then sailing around the world? The world needs more people like Harry.
So true. If you took this post and removed all the dates and posted this as your plan. The cruising world would soon try to crucify you. Good thing that there was no internet back in the 1930`s or he might have never left Iowa.
Gonna have to grab me a copy of the book.
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Forest/2137/Pidgeon/pgpidgeon1.html (http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Forest/2137/Pidgeon/pgpidgeon1.html)
Here is his sailboat "Islander"
Looks pretty good for a farmboy. ;D
Thanks for posting sites. Tells story of what sailing should be, having fun.
The Islander looks like a larger version of a Sea Bird. Can you imagine Rudder magazine publishing plans for a simple home built cruising boat today let alone advocating anyone actually going to sea in one.