There are people and there are exceptional people. Within
the context of what Ant achieved, he is truly exceptional, since no other
person has sailed around the world alone in an open boat.
Webb Chiles is another exceptional sailor who almost
completed an open boat circumnavigation. He went on to do four
circumnavigations in various yachts.
Both men experienced tremendous setbacks such as shipwreck, dismasting,
capsizes, each of which they overcame - in Chiles case, the loss of his boat,
and almost the loss of his life.
Ant was shipwrecked, and his boat was virtually a total
loss, but miraculously she was rebuilt for the completion of his
circumnavigation.
What drives such people to the limits of endurance to
achieve their goals and dreams makes the mind boggle.
If they survive to tell the tale they can truly say they
have lived their dream. If they die while trying to achieve it, they can
equally know that before their death, they dared to live. Few of us dare to
live as we dream.
Here’s a great 26 minute film telling of Ant Steward’s
daring and incredible adventure:
Links
Around alone in an Open Boat
Webb Chiles
Webb Chiles and Chidiock Tichborne
Webb Chiles
Hi Bill . . . from your links plus more spent ages looking at Ant's around the world in an open 19ft boat. QUESTION . . . do you know if he actually sailed through the Panama Canal?
ReplyDeleteSteve
Steve,
ReplyDeleteI do no know if he sailed across the lakes, but I think he would not have been allowed to sail the canal sections.
He could have taken his boat by road or hitched a lift as freight on one the ships.
Cheers,
Bill.
I went through the Canal a few years ago on an 85 ft yacht and we had to maintain a cruising speed in excess of 8 knots or possibly more (if I recall correctly). So he could never have sailed through Panama - if that regulation still applied. He probably was towed by a friendly vessel... which takes nothing away from his incredible achievement.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input. It's always good to have firsthand knowledge added to the blog.
ReplyDeleteBill.