Kudu is up for sale.

[Niander]

The crisis was money

lack of

D

more than just a lack of money
He also had a nasty scare generally at sea and entering the harbor did you not see the video?

part 16

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnIqMVAgnlI&feature=relmfu

its obvious hes had enough by this stage...

by this time it was winter and not the best time to try a circumnavigation in open seas
i think he made the right decision at that time
also having no money is no good as if its stormy [often in winter in fact its a good job he wasn't caught out in a full on north sea winter storm!]you have to wait in harbours for days on end and that costs money so guess he had no choice

 

[tonybannister]

Actual footage is definitely enlightening especially to a newbie like me. It gets across the actual rather than how you interpret words in a book. I am halfway through Libby Purves 'A Summers Grace' and if I went by that book alone I wouldn't go off shore BUT real footage puts all the drama into perspective and I now regard such adventures as a do-able challenge in time....err, maybe!!

This is a good example. She mentions Tony twice in her book, he was single handing round Britain. I know Tony - he completed his round Britain now has a 30 footer and has crossed the Atlantic and back cruised extensively in the Med, Black and Red Seas mostly single handed. Yet in the book particularly in Fishguard you would not have thought he would get very far.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

video is powerful stuff

it really does give you an idea about the conditions

far better than stills

D

It is powerful stuff for those to whom it is powerful; there are several different modes by which people absorb information, and video is only one - and not necessarily the most effective.

I prefer the pictures on the wireless approach - that is, I don't like being presented with a picture, I prefer the one in my head. I don't like watching films of books I've read for that reason, and can absorb information far more efficiently from a book than from a film (I can read events much quicker than they happen in real-time, for one thing!)

I hate it when the BBC News web-site presents a story ONLY in video mode; I can't usually be bothered to watch it.

 

[Searush]

But he had £500.00 when he started off.

Ample for a circumnavigation of the UK ending up at the Jester Start Line?

About a month's housekeeping? & that's ignoring harbour fees, repairs, fuel & comms costs.

Some on here would spend that in a restaurant in one night without a second thought. Or in 10mins in a chandlers.

I would expect to need at least a year's income for a year's circumnav & probably more.

 

[chris46]

when is the next adventure ,is the big boat sorted yet ?

around britain was great, should have been on TV as should ming ming and Roger Taylor

 

[nathanlee]

I don't want to get drawn into slagging off Nathan as he's already done quite well, but there was the quote that the suppliers of said vane are ' spitting feathers '.

I admire Nathan for what he's done but I fail to see how it gets an award from the likes of RKJ, and a lot of people have gone unrewarded for sailing small boats much further - may I suggest the David Blagden Award ( as long as we ignore how he met his sad end ), The Mike Birch Award, there's quite a list !

Wow. I've only just seen this thread. A slightly odd feeling to be the subject of discussion so openly, but alas, those that live in glass houses....

This isn't addressed specifically to you, Seajet, but while I'm here I must correct some of the above.

As for "spitting feathers", I feel that's somewhat incorrect. I received an email from Mr Vee, who had seen Kudu for sale, and wanted to let me know that it's absolutely fine by him if I decided to sell said wind vane. It was won, it was mine, and I was free to do as I pleased with it.

Here's part of an email from Sven, from earlier this year. Smacks of spitting feathers, eh.

"Hi Nathan,

How are you? Hope you have survived Christmas and are still going strong
in your business ventures.

I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

The wind vane is currently in the forepeak, 5ft away from me, and I have every intention of using it.

I'd love to know where you got that little rumour about spitting feathers from. Actually, no I wouldn't.

As for RKJ and the award, I feel I should also clear that up. I lived in London on Kudu, and because I knew literally NOTHING about sailing, I joined the Little Ship Club in an effort to sponge up some knowledge. The award was presented by the LSC, who's president is Sir RKJ, and was awarded to me as a club member, not as a general member of the public.

You are right though. What I did was not a great sailing feat, and I met countless people on the way that were doing, or had done far greater journeys, far more casually - it was a huge undertaking for me, because I had a great learning curve to climb.

I never sought fame or publicity, and the blog was only put up as a diary for my own benefit, but when 1,000 people per day started reading it, and commenting, and advising, and helping, it pushed me on. I also kept getting told I should be raising money for charity given how many people were reading the blog and watching the videos, so I did. I didn't embark on a "round Britain" adventure. I didn't seek sponsorship, or publicity, it just turned in to a circumnavigation attempt in due course. All I set out to do was get the boat to Preston where I could find work, as I had none in London.

You see, some of the comments on here are entirely accurate. I was indeed ill prepared, inexperienced, and for the most part, poorly equipped. It was the people around the coast of the UK, and the people on this forum that got me as far as I did. They taught me how to sail, and I will be forever thankful for that.

As for giving up. Yes, I did. I had no money, it was the end of August and a constant run of low pressure systems were coming in from the Atlantic to keep me in harbours with no electricity for god knows how long, and on the occasion that I did make a run for Peterhead, the gooseneck broke. It was the last straw, so I borrowed some money to pay for a tow back to Preston, then got a job. I gave up. Quit. Got soft.

Kudu has moved on. I sold her last weekend after nearly 4 years of living aboard (she managed an entire week on brokerage by the way).

Finally, my thanks again to all the help I got on the way, whether it was a pint, a chat, or kit. That trip changed my life for the better, and I'll be back to return the favour one day. Just got to fund it first.

 

[nathanlee]

Yes, quite.

Interesting stuff but you put Onkudo on brokerage with Preston Marina in 2009

,

I did. She was halfway through a substantial refit. Marina took if off brokerage because she looked a mess. I then finished the refit (by 2011), and had made some major modifications to the boat. I sailed her (a little) this summer, and wanted to keep her, but then went and bought a Nic 32 last month, so had three boats, all in the marina. This meant Kudu needed to go, so she went back on the market.

and had no money but went out and bought a long keeled 22 footer also in 2009, still owning Onkudo .

I had no money in September when I got back to Preston. I got a job within a week, and I bought Vreli on Boxing day for £700. I'm fortunate enough to have a career where saving £700 in the best part of four months really isn't a problem, especially when your rent/mooring is less than £100 per month.

Any more?

 

[chris46]

Good luck on the next adventure ,i am aiming for 2016 for mine
stocking up with pot noodle and tea.

 

[Lodesman77]

Nathan,

Does this mean you are now going to start up the blog again? Or has it just been resting?

.

 

[nathanlee]

Nathan,

Does this mean you are now going to start up the blog again? Or has it just been resting?

.

It's just been having a wee snooze. I've been struggling to write anything recently.

 

[Lodesman77]

You could cut+paste a good deal from here!

.

 

[chris46]

what happened to episode 6 of around britain couldn't find it anywhere ?

 

[nathanlee]

You could cut+paste a good deal from here!

.

hah. Fair point.

 

[EuanMcKenzie]

wouldn't mind a look at your new boat - How about a post on that!

Good to know you've shaken on the malaise and have direction again.

Good luck with the new boat

 

[photodog]

Any more?

Yeah, Get a haircut for gods sake and ditch that dodgy facial hair!

 

[Koeketiene]

Yeah, Get a haircut for gods sake and ditch that dodgy facial hair!

 

[nathanlee]

Yeah, Get a haircut for gods sake and ditch that dodgy facial hair!

Did that mid summer.

 

[BruceDanforth]

Will you be cutting all the bulkheads out of the new boat?

 

[Zagato]

Nathan you should borrow one of Bob Geldolfs 'T' shirts which have "Feck Off, Leave Me Alone" on the front You seem to get celebrity grief, shame you don't get the income to go with it!

 

[nathanlee]

Nathan you should borrow one of Bob Geldolfs 'T' shirts which have "Feck Off, Leave Me Alone" on the front You seem to get celebrity grief, shame you don't get the income to go with it!

Oh, but I do. I've made very nearly £100 from adverts on the blog since I put it up in 2008.

£25 a year. I'm minted, me, mate.