Since getting on Facebook those few years ago I've learned much about dinghy cruising; mostly old guys, home made or modified craft, sailing alone or in groups, for sheer pleasure.
Now, I say pleasure, this needs to broadened out to encompass the dubious pleasure of completing arduous adventures. These are often carried out alone, like Howard Rice sailing a 13' Scamp in the channel country just north of Cape Horn. Sailing together in Raids, which ar e typically multi-day leisurely cruises, pulling in at night for catered meals and some drinking. Then there's what I'd think is the pinnacle of dinghy cruising such as the Watertribe Everglades Challenge, a kind of group solo event, where a group of sailors and paddlers, set off together to race via checkpoints to a destination 300 miles or so along the Florida coastline. Some guys on sea kayaks, skis and paddleboards, paddle might and day for several days to finish. The sailors obviously do what they need to, whether it be sail, row, paddle or tow their tiny boats southward.
(The Paradox was designed for an event like this, and it's designer Matt Layden has placed well in several events).
Preparation for this or other challenges may take years. And its no just about the boat being made fast and safe, its the sailors too. Many umder go rigorous phsical and mental training to give themselves every opportunity to complete the course before the course is "swept" (ie: the sweeper boat gathers the alowpokes and tows them ashore).
Over the years I've "friended" guys that habe sailed several challenges, guy that set off on their first challenge, and guys that are
virgins. So early March is am exciting time, as we spectators from around the world follow the events, through photos of the start, quick posts on the run and reports by organisers.
Very often things go wrong, on fact more often than not as only about a third of the field finish each year and sometimes on heavy weather, fewer still. Mostly, "fails" are due to illness, wxtreme fatigue or gear failure. And really, for everyone concerned all the sailors are winners for just getting to the start line. Unfoetunlately, sometimes sailors die. This years race has been marred by the apparent death of 73 year old Jim Slauson. Sailing solo on a self-by
Built 17' dinghy, he has somehow become disoriented and parted from his boat and has not yet been found.
Sorry news for all followers of the EC. But, it underlines the nature of challenges the we dinghy sailors undertake, and a risk we all willingly accept as part of our lifestyle
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