July 15th, 2009 - When Frenchman Charlie Girard gave up his 2nd attempt to row across the Atlantic in ignominy on May 29th, New Yorker Victor Mooney contacted his team and asked if he could have the abandoned boat. He was told, "if you find it, it's yours." Mooney had planned to charter a fishing boat to find Girard's vessel but the Canadian Coast Guard got there first. The boat was found on June 2nd off southwestern Nova Scotia.
Now in possession of the boat, Mooney plans to row it from the Cape Verde islands on Africa's West Coast to New York City. He wants to raise money and awareness for AIDs research. He’ll head to Africa with the boat toward the end of 2009. On World Aids Day, Dec. 1, he'll begin his ocean journey. His trip will be completed when he rows under the Brooklyn Bridge. This will be Mooney's third attempt to row across the Atlantic. He's renamed the boat "Never Give Up". Here's a statement from his: website.
"I never thought of making a third attempt to row across the Atlantic Ocean. On April 16, I had to abort my second attempt from Senegal to New York because my water desalination systems didn’t function properly. I was sixteen days (300 miles offshore) into my mission to encourage AIDS testing, raise money for the procurement of anti-retroviral medicine in sub Saharan Africa and to heighten the awareness of global warming. On June 1st, Mr. Charlie Girard, a French ocean rower, donated his boat so I can continue this mission. I recently returned from Nova Scotia and brought this boat to Sheephead's Bay. After some modifications are made, I'll train in the Atlantic Ocean. On World AIDS Day, December 1st, 2009, I plan to depart from San Antão, Cape Verde and row to the Brooklyn Bridge, New York. I’ll make a re-supply stop in the Caribbean. The ocean currents are more favorable from this point of departure. The journey will take approximately twenty-two weeks."
Here's more on the story from Brian Medel of Nova Scotia's The Chronicle Herald. And here are links to previous stories about Girard from MoreBeach:
- First Attempt.
- Second Attempt: Before and After.
Girard's boat was recovered 10 miles off of Seal Island:
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Boating
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Boats
Massive Multihulls Will Compete for America's Cup
July 5, 2009 - Ninety foot multihulls, stretching well past 100 feet when bowsprits are included, will be competing in the next America's cup race. Alinghi of Switzerland will be sailing a catamaran. BMW Oracle Racing of the US will be sailing a trimaran. These will be the fastest boats to ever race in the America's Cup. The Swiss get to choose the venue which will be announced by August 8th. They are considering Abu Dhabi on the Persian Gulf. Racing 12 meter boats off of Newport RI is now a quaint and distant memory. Here's the full story from
SF Gate
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Boats
Sailing Trip to Nantucket
June 21, 2009 - Here's a video of the two night trip I took with my Dad from Harwich Port to Nantucket last week. The 8 minute video shows: Great Point Lighthouse, outside entry into Nantucket Harbor, Polpis Harbor, running aground off Eel Point (expletives deleted), Madaket Harbor, Madaket Marina, dinner aboard, Tuckernuck Island and Horseshoe Shoal (site of future wind farm).
One thing we learned is that Richardsons' 2nd edition chart for the Cape & Islands (there's now a 3rd edition) is inaccurate regarding the entry into Madaket Harbor from the north. For what it's worth, before setting out, I DID ask the Harbor Master at Nantucket about entering Madaket from the north. He said "it depends on how good you are." It's fair to say that I'm better today than I was last week.
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One thing we learned is that Richardsons' 2nd edition chart for the Cape & Islands (there's now a 3rd edition) is inaccurate regarding the entry into Madaket Harbor from the north. For what it's worth, before setting out, I DID ask the Harbor Master at Nantucket about entering Madaket from the north. He said "it depends on how good you are." It's fair to say that I'm better today than I was last week.
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Boats
Around Monomoy Video
On June 13, 2009 I took my 25' O'Day sailboat through the 2007 cut in Chatham's North Beach and around Monomoy Point. The video shows North Beach camp houses threatened by surf, Monomoy Lighthouse, seal colony on Monomoy Point, entry into Saquatucket and more. A few notes:
- The 4am departure was scheduled to take advantage of south flowing tidal current of 1-2 kts.
- The 2007 cut from Pleasant Bay into the Atlantic is roughly half as wide as last year and the cut itself has moved approximately 200 yards west.
- There was virtually no wind.
- The "music" in the video comes from a 5 hp Yanmar 1 GM diesel inboard.
- The 4am departure was scheduled to take advantage of south flowing tidal current of 1-2 kts.
- The 2007 cut from Pleasant Bay into the Atlantic is roughly half as wide as last year and the cut itself has moved approximately 200 yards west.
- There was virtually no wind.
- The "music" in the video comes from a 5 hp Yanmar 1 GM diesel inboard.
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Boats
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Zac Sunderland Update
June 9, 2009 - Zac Sunderland, the 17 year old solo circumnavigator, is now in the Mexican port of Huatalco provisioning for the home stretch. He expects to arrive back in Marina Del Rey by the end of this month. Prior to landing in Huatalco he spent days flopping around in light and variable winds under a blistering hot sun.
Here's an excerpt from Zac's most recent (June 8th) post to his blog.
I am 40 miles off of Huatulco Mexico tonight and I'll be pulling in in the early hours of the morning to check into Mexico.. should be getting in around 6am. Looks like another sleepless night out here. I've got to study up on the charts and keep a close eye out for all the typical coastal hazards. I still have to get all my paperwork in order as well. I just dumped my gun and all of my bullets over the side as Mexico has a zero tolerance policy on fire arms. If customs finds it they could seize my boat and throw me in jail which is not really worth the risk. Here's thre full entry.
Zac has been making a documentary of his journey. Part 1 is almost finished and advance sales are being accepted on his website.
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