Gargleblaster
Well-Known Member
Having been somewhat outnumbered by multi hulls at the last East Coast Jester function in the Walton backwaters, I thought maybe I should find out a bit about them. Was reading 'The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst' and after a few references to Nigel Tetley started to wonder whether he might have faked it as well.
By all accounts 'Trimaran Solo' was not a popular sailing book when it came out and it bombed. Not so now. Both Amazon and Ebay wanted £62 for a second hand copy. There was no way I was going to pay that for a 176 page book. Finally found a copy in the Buckinghamshire County Council book depository and borrowed it.
As a blow by blow description it is quite good. Although I did tire of his daily description of the music he was listening to - one of the reasons that I think sponsorship is counter productive. And his poetry and songwriting leave something to be desired.
It is a pity that Tetley was eclipsed somewhat by the exploits of the more newsworthy Crowhurst and Motissier. What he actually achieved was quite amazing in completing the first solo non stop circumnavigation in a somewhat tired plywood trimaran. From his description he encountered some terrible weather that didn't do his boat a lot of good.
I thought his Windvane steering was interesting and at least I understood how it worked whereas the 'Cooking Fat' system has always defeated me. Like most of the other competitors his Windvane steering was not good for the whole journey. However he seemed to able to get 'Victress' to run quite well in a straight line under twin headsails.
Much is made by other writers of Tetley's exotic foods and he does describe most of his more exotic meals so one thinks he rarely resorted to a more mundane stew. Evelyn Tetly has a chapter in the book on purchasing his dietary needs and includes a full list of everything taken. It is interesting to note that while he has only two tins of pheasant he takes a whole 74 tins of Bullybeef - one of which he uses to catch a shark.
Overall I would say a really good read and perhaps essential reading for anyone venturing offshore in a plywood multihull - and maybe even in a plastic multihull. Oh and the fact that he talked to a NZ motor boat/fisherman discounts my thoughts as to him faking it.
By all accounts 'Trimaran Solo' was not a popular sailing book when it came out and it bombed. Not so now. Both Amazon and Ebay wanted £62 for a second hand copy. There was no way I was going to pay that for a 176 page book. Finally found a copy in the Buckinghamshire County Council book depository and borrowed it.
As a blow by blow description it is quite good. Although I did tire of his daily description of the music he was listening to - one of the reasons that I think sponsorship is counter productive. And his poetry and songwriting leave something to be desired.
It is a pity that Tetley was eclipsed somewhat by the exploits of the more newsworthy Crowhurst and Motissier. What he actually achieved was quite amazing in completing the first solo non stop circumnavigation in a somewhat tired plywood trimaran. From his description he encountered some terrible weather that didn't do his boat a lot of good.
I thought his Windvane steering was interesting and at least I understood how it worked whereas the 'Cooking Fat' system has always defeated me. Like most of the other competitors his Windvane steering was not good for the whole journey. However he seemed to able to get 'Victress' to run quite well in a straight line under twin headsails.
Much is made by other writers of Tetley's exotic foods and he does describe most of his more exotic meals so one thinks he rarely resorted to a more mundane stew. Evelyn Tetly has a chapter in the book on purchasing his dietary needs and includes a full list of everything taken. It is interesting to note that while he has only two tins of pheasant he takes a whole 74 tins of Bullybeef - one of which he uses to catch a shark.
Overall I would say a really good read and perhaps essential reading for anyone venturing offshore in a plywood multihull - and maybe even in a plastic multihull. Oh and the fact that he talked to a NZ motor boat/fisherman discounts my thoughts as to him faking it.
