A Guy after our own Heart

[Cyric30]

this came up in my feed today. i'let everyone discuss this one as i am not qualified.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUi0gsxVHZM

[jotruk]

I've watched this guy for several videos and he has some interesting stuff. I am not sure I would have set out on a 23 Ranger a friend of mine has a 22 and a 23 and I just don't like them. Seem to be more for racing than anything.

[Phantom Jim]

This reminds me of my youth although I never did anything this bold.  Back then sailing boats were generally smaller, a really big boat was 35 feet.  We did not have utube, but we did have Sail, Cruising World and the books these guys would write.  The literature was full of accounts of long distance sailing in boats of 30 feet or less.  The first boat of the Pardey's, Sefraffin, was 24 foot overall length, 22 foot waterline.

Our local dock was a haven of this size boat with guys endlessly working on them getting ready to "get out there".  I suspect most never did get out, but it was a really fun time that I remember fondly.  This forum is devoted to these craft.

This shows you do not have to have an expensive, sophisticated large boat to have greater than life adventures.  Go get them, kid!

[Norman]

Jim, there are still a few parents who are foolish enough to let their boys have real adventures, I just hope that the legal types never catch up to them.

About 20 years ago, sailing my Aqua Finn off Bethany Beach, Delaware, I observed a Sunfish far to the south, headed my way.  I did not expect to meet them, as such craft are inclined to stay off the beach where their parents are watching.

When they arrived at BB, I sailed alongside of them, and visited.  Two boys, about 10, slathered in sunscreen, with an inner-tube around a bushel basket, tied to the mast with part of their supplies in it, another on a tether trailing behind, with the rest.  A water jug trailing close to the stern, submerged to keep the drinking water cool.  There was a small cooler in the foot-well with some of their food, and some clothes that they had been wearing when they set sail that morning in Ocean City, Md were staying dry on the boom, along with their PFD's.

I asked their destination, and they answered, "Atlantic City, NJ"!  Where were they spending the night?  "On the beach, where ever darkness caught them"!  Do you have a compass?  "No, just staying in sight of land".

After visiting and envying them, I added some tips for an improved likely hood of a successful arrival.  Crossing the Delaware Bay, you are out of sight of land for quite a few miles, even on a taller boat than theirs.  In addition, the wind and waves shift by a large amount as you get out of the influence of shore features, so you cannot just hold the same angle on the wind.  In fact, most of the time, the beach wind is onshore from heating the sand, but after clearing the point at Henlopen, the wind will be from the west, off shore.  Naturally, the wave size and direction are quite different, too.

  I suggested that they make a point of noticing the ferry boats, and staying near their path, navigating directly toward them as long as they were in sight going away, and again as they returned, falling off to the side when the ferry hull became visible over the horizon, and they would be on the direct route, plus, if they had an emergency, they could signal the ferry.  They did have flares, and a flare gun.  I also cautioned them as to the deceptive speed of any ocean going ships they might meet in the middle of the bay.

With their colorful sail, and unique size, the Captain was likely to take notice of them, and pay special attention to passing at a safe distance, and observing whether they were in distress.  PA announcements to the passengers  would also be made, and the rails lined with interested people.  With short hauls across the bay, the crew was not likely to be on autopilot, and sleeping, so no danger of being run down.

Their parents were picking them up the next day, or later if it took longer, they were at a cottage in Atlantic City.  At the rate they were going. they were going to be near Rehobeth De by evening, and starting across the bay in the morning.  At their speed, crossing would take all day, and as they only had a flash light, they should not start much after sunrise.

My wife thought they and their parents were crazy, but I did not agree.  The were properly provisioned, had a plan that would work.  The Sunfish was definitely adequate for the weather at hand, and I am sure that they would go ashore for any storm that showed up.  I did check the papers for the next few days, and they did not make the news, so an incredible, unforgettable adventure.

Like Frank says, God made small boats for small boys and old men!

Norman, skipper of  KRUSE'N (a large boat by their standards)

[Phantom Jim]

What better way to become a man (grown up) than to be expected to act like one.  My compliments to those parents letting those boys become men (grown ups).  They will become our future leaders.

[SeaHusky]

There is a movie called Free Solo which I think is worth watching even if you are not into climbing because it has some interesting views on risk management.
Alex Honnold is by any standard a different individual who eventually climbs the highest rock face on earth without any ropes or safety gear. Most people call him crazy including a lot of skilled climbers but he didn't just take a gamble on becoming famous. He spent eight years meticulously crossing off every single inch that he was uncertain about how to pass successfully.
At one point his girlfriend asks him how he feels about the inherent risk and he forms his answer as "Do I feel obligated to maximize my life span? - No."
You can always get a bigger boat (if you believe that to be safer), a better boat, more preparations and eventually you can just stay at home and hope that you will eventually live longer that way.
Is the guy in the video doing something that is distinctly reckless, apart from sailing a boat? If not then why even raise the question? The obvious concern here should be why so few people do what they would like to accomplish if it involves an imagined risk?

[Frank]

Too funny...
Old, but since then, this lad has crossed oceans and sailed around Europe!
Good on him!

[CapnK]

Right on. I've been watching his vids since his CA-HI trip began. That trip, in that boat - doable, certainly, but not everyone's cup o' tea. Kudos, from me.
And now? He's a shoestring cruiser, passion maybe making up for some "lack" in gear or other such (shades of Matt Rutherford, and many many cruisers of prior gen's), but I sure admire his cojones and wish him the best. He's lucky to have learned what he has at such an age.

"If I'd known then what I know now..."

It is easier to break free before being encumbered by life. I reckon that's the good thing about all these YT videos, it seem so much more 'possible' for less, than it seemed 30-40 years ago.
And in reality, it really is.

[Frank]

Ain’t that a fact....

[Owly055]

     The Sunfish story reminds me of being turned  loose by parents at 14 in the first canoe I built (2 years prior in school shop) on the upper Willamette (1969).  My best friend and I, with camping gear, and some paper route money for emergency, no time table.... just call home from a pay phone when we were ready to get picked up.    Parents did that sort of thing in those days.... at least ours did.   We went through the locks at Oregon City, having thought we would have to portage  around the falls.......Approaching an invisible waterfall in a canoe is terrifying, so we were hugging the left bank looking for the ladder we had chosen on a bicycle trip to drag the canoe up and portage.  A man came walking along as asked us if we were going through the locks......We looked at each other, and both yelled YES.   It was like being an ant in a toilet!  No lines, we did a couple of circles in each lock as they drained.   We went through Portland, and on down the Willamette almost to the Columbia, exploring some interesting backwaters, camping on islands, etc.    Today that would be considered "irresponsible parenting", but Curt and I cooked up adventures all the time, and were allowed to do them.   Most interesting were our "survival" treks into the mountains or the coast range for days at a time carrying NO  FOOD whatsoever.  We loved the Deschutes and John Day canyon country, and often spent days afoot in those areas.   Our adventures began very young, and grew in scope and daring.   We were in no way "sheltered", but rather encouraged.   Having lived in a small town earlier and roaming the woods and fields almost as soon as I could walk, I imagine living in the suburbs I became intolerable when I couldn't get out.   I'd bicycle for miles just to get to the woods and rivers, and out of sight of homes and roads.   I loathed urban life, and left the city as soon as I was of age!   Sailing was really not on the horizon for us except for setting up a mast on my 17' canoe, and a makeshift sail on the Columbia river where there was usually wind.