A Wonderful Paradox Story from Western Australia

Yesterday, while trawling the net for information about sailing the Paradox, I came across ASHIKI's blog. In a post from Shark Bay WA ASHIKI's skipper expressed surprise that Paradox named SMALL FRY had sailed from Fremantle, some 370 nautical miles to the south in 5 days. ASHIKI's skipper described SMALL FRY as tiny (he initially thought she'd been launched nearby), but fast through the water ... "no need of an engine" and well stocked with food ("mostly muesli and baked beans). To add to the reputation of her seaworthiness, the skipper reported having sailed SMALL FRY around Cape Leeuwin (that's one of the five great capes BTW). 

So ... I couldn't rest without knowing more. I revisited the blog for any detail, and discovered a photo credited to Geoff Davis, I knew the skipper's first name was Geoff. So I Googled Paradox, SMALL FRY, Freemantle and Geoff Davis in all combinations without winning any direct hits until I read about an incident involving the rescue of a 4.2m sail boat which had rolled and been dismantled off Freemantle. The skipper was a "Geoff Davis". I wondered if this could be the same fellow and whether SMALL FRY had been wrecked.

Scanning for more detail, the news article claimed that Mr Davis built the wooden and fibreglass boat over a period of three years. Davis described the design as "unusual" how she was sailed from below decks, lucky for him, he had the hatch close when the large wave rolled the boat over and dismantled her. Davis said he owed his life to the boat's design saying that if he'd been out on deck on any other yacht, he would have been washed overboard. I'm thinking, surely this must be a Paradox?

So what's good about a Paradox capsizing and dismasting, even of the solo sailor survived? Well the authorities that winched Mr Davis to safety, described the weather as "terrible", not a day to be offshore, with winds to 125 kilometres per hours, or 60 knots. They went off at Davis saying:"his decision to leave port was foolish. Broadcast warnings of heavy weather and winds had been made for over 24 hours". Meanwhile Davis said he was heading off for a few days cruise along the South Coast, before the weather closed in and he attempted to return to the port of Freemantle,  in hindsight reckoned he should have "stayed on the river". 

So the Paradox negotiates hurricane force winds, and even when dismantled and capsized by a rogue wave as it closes shore, the occupant emerges claiming how safe he felt. 

Then much to my delight, when I checked the dates of the sighting at Shark Bay and capsize off Freemantle I learn that the capsize happened first, in fact many years beforehand.  The wreckage of what we can assume is a Paradox off Freemantle sailed by Geoff Davis occurred in 2009, the sighting of Geoff Davis on the Paradox SMALL FRY was last year, in 2014! 

We can't know whether the original paradox survives or another one was built, but for a fellow to be caught offshore in extreme weather and face disaster, to take to sea so bravely in the same design over many subsequent years, says much about Paradox ... or that Mr Davis is more nutty than the rest of us :) I'd love to meet him on the water one day. 

Now, about a jury rig?