Small boat, long distance...

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KellysEye

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The question 'can a small boat cross the Atlantic' sometimes come up. How about this: An American, Matt Rutherford, has completed a passage of 27,077 nm non-stop sailing through the NW Passage and rounding Cape Horn, sailing solo in a 27 ft Albin Vega. Wow.
 
What Matt Rutherford achieved was really astounding. Not only was he the first person to round the Americas single handed. He is the first person to do it non stop and the first single hander to go through the North West Passage. As a result he has been awarded the Jester Medal and I believe that is the first time it has been awarded to a non Briton. The Jester Medal is awarded for those who have extended the boundaries of single handed sailing and previous recipients include Robin Knox-Johnston and Roger Taylor.

Matt is being flown to the UK to receive his Jester Medal and the following events have been organised around his visit.

17th April 18:30 for 19:00 Combined OCC/CA talk at CA House, London. contact 0207 537 2828 office@cruising.org.uk
19th April 19:30 combined OCC/GXSA talk at All Saints Church Hall, Oval Way, Gerrards Cross. SL9 8QB contact Paul Farrell
20th April 18:00 OCC Awards Dinner, HQS Wellington, London
21st April 16:30 combined OCC/Albin Vega. Fareham Sailing & Motor Boat Club, Lower Quay, Fareham. contact Mike Freeman 01296 712 684

More information can be found at http://www.jesterinfo.org/
 
Yes small boats have done amazing passages. There was the guy in the 8fter who set out to circumnavigate the world from UK. Did the Atlantic then Pacific to NZ then disappeared between NZ and OZ if I remember correctly.
There is a local built 27fter called a Spacesailer a very solid 27fter. One of which has circumnavigated. Then there is our own (West Australian) Jon Sanders completing 3 circuits of the world non stop in a 43ft or there abouts. That after a double in a 34ft and several singles. The problem on small boats is stowing enough food and water. But mostly the skipper's ability to cope with the constant motion. olewill
 
Tradewinds said:
We met him in Barbados!
He was suffering from boils on his *rse ;).

Just goes to show you can cross in anything!
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Its not so much a boat, more a floating fuel tank, unfortunately what they don't mention is how much fuel he needed to carry.

Edit - I just found this on google:

"He equipped the boat with a 2.5-horsepower outboard engine, which enabled him to cruise at 5 knots while never running out of gas from the 170-gallon tank"

21ft boat, 765litre tank!!! That's like sitting on a bomb!
 
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northwind said:
Its not so much a boat, more a floating fuel tank, unfortunately what they don't mention is how much fuel he needed to carry.

Edit - I just found this on google:

"He equipped the boat with a 2.5-horsepower outboard engine, which enabled him to cruise at 5 knots while never running out of gas from the 170-gallon tank"

21ft boat, 765litre tank!!! That's like sitting on a bomb!
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My wife reminded me that our kids made friends with him in the Canaries before he set off. He used to sit on the pontoon eating his noodles - now I know why!! :p
 
What happened over Tom McNally's last venture? He was due to sail the Atlantic in a 3'10"boat in 2009 or 2010, but can't find anything on whether this took place or not.
 
No small boat long distance thread is complete without mention of Shane Acton who took the 18' 6" plywood Caprice called Shrimpy RTW.

I loved his description of cooking himself some 'comfort' food after surviving some bad weather in the Bay of Biscay. He makes chips on a primus stove which is in a biscuit tin held between his feet in the cockpit.
 
Sophie19 said:
Total respect for the achievement but 27' is not, in my opinion, a small boat. Sub 20' is small. Roger Taylor and that Swedish bloke.
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The Swede's name is Sven Yrvind.... but that guy's mad ;-) A little comfort is needed, an Ablin Vega is a grand boat....

There are a couple that sail out of Hawaii Chuck & Laura Rose, they've sailed their Vega from Hawaii to San Francisco and back and now Alaska..... I used to have one! Great stable boat!!
 
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