Yachting and Boating World has revealed that previously unseen, by the wider world at least, pictures of captain Joshua Slocumb and his boat The Spray have come to light in the possession of an elderly lady in the USA. Joshua Slocumb was the first man ever to sail around the world single handed. He was a tough old man. In those days there were not marinas every forty miles and he did it all under sail, no engine in his boat for emergencies, or for making progress on windless days, or for maneuvering in a harbour either.
His life before his famed epic adventure is remarkable too. He endured, mutiny, shipwreck and the loss of his wife from disease on passage. He saw his world crumble as steam started to replace the great sailing ships he loved and captained, yet for all this, the thing that strikes me most hard about Slocumb is the twinkle in the old man's eye, the humour, the humanity. He makes the spirit soar.
The greatest sailor ever.
No comments:
Post a Comment