I was listening to kpfa last night. Sundays usually have some stream of consciousness stuff going on and a guy was talking about getting a sailboat and just sailing off into the horizon. I liked the sound of that and decided to see what the gear talk in the sailing world is like. While some may balk at a $1000 pack from McHale, or the other uber nice gear items around I was sickened to see that the nicer boats are upwards of 10 million, for the huge ones we are talking prices of 400+ million. That looks like $450,000,000. With a price like that we can justify any expense in this gear world.

Backpacking is pretty cheap compared to sailing. I know the last tape-drive jib we bought was right at $5,000. Fast though. A lot of people have sailed off in a $10,000 boat though.

Fellows,
And then there was Robert Manry, from Cleveland, who, in the 1960s, with a little 13 foot wooden boat and some good woodworking skills and virtually no money, fashioned a tiny cruising boat and sailed to England in about 3 months.

His book 'Tinkerbelle' is a fine read.

I also sail, near Cleveland, and while not across the Atlantic, I sail in Lake Erie in a canoe.

Marty Cooperman

Joe,
What's yer boat?

m

Edited by barefootnavigator on 04/11/2009 13:28:28 MDT.

Ali,
Nice pictures and reading.

Thanks Thom, youd be suprised at how much UL backpacking has changed our sailing habits. Our boat is smaller than most but we paid cash for her and she carries everythig we need. Ali

Denis, I should have said the boat I race on. I used to be a partner in a Valiant 37, but I am currently boatless (had twins). Or what we like to call POTRAF (parasites of the rich and famous, and my standards for rich or famous are pretty low). It's a lot of fun to race on someone elses boat, and let them foot the bill.

Cool boat Ali, I'm jealous. And a great plan to do it now. You guys look like a good story for Latitude.

Edited by skinewmexico on 02/08/2009 15:55:31 MST.

m

Edited by barefootnavigator on 04/10/2009 22:14:29 MDT.

Well, I'm looking forward to reading about you in "Changes in Latitudes". Good luck with it all. If I ever get to show up, I'll bring the scotch.

Ali -

I do look forward to hearing about that trip! Nice looking boat. I am impressed with all the work you are putting into readying for your journey.

Dirk

Joe,
You race? Now that's my kind of sailing. This is the last sailboat I raced, with me and my oldest son. I just got rid of my last boat, a Swampscot Dory.


Reaching across Millerton Lake near Fresno, CA