BLUEMOMENT

I'm a bit of a fan of Roger Taylor and got his book for Xmas.

Anyway, I was half following his entry in the Jester Challenge to Newport RI. Well, I say "following". He did it the Hasler way - his position wasn't tracked and he was 'missing' 'till he turned up again. I'm pretty sure no EPRIRB either.

Anyway I just checked and sure enough he's back to tell everyone where he was:

http://www.thesimplesailor.com/voyages.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It seems he entered an event with destination of Newport RI with the intention of sailing West of Greenland, and that's what he did.

Slightly eccentric, but you gotta respect it.

I love reading about that fella. Seems like a real old fashioned pioneer type. Puts what I get up to into real perspective.

A legend in his own lifetime thats for sure.

Tough little boats these Newbridge types.

http://corribee.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think people would be hard pressed to recognise Rogers Ming Ming as a Corribee, as she has to be the most extensively modified one on the planet.

http://www.furledsails.com/article.php3?article=779" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://furledsails.com/article.php3?article=780" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I agree with others - most impressive.

This bit intrigued me:

We lay to Mingming's series drogue for 12 hours and, after that parted through chafe caused by a silly mistake on my part when setting it, another 5 hours under my home-made B & Q sand-bag sea anchor.

I presume he's modified one of those bags they use to deliver sand or gravel when you buy it by the tonne.

(I also got the book for Christmas.)

Yes indeed. What interested me was the comparison with the series drogue. Many have argued the great superiority of the latter compared to a "single point" sea anchor. Here we have a direct comparative trial! It would be interesting to know more...

DaveS wrote:Yes indeed. What interested me was the comparison with the series drogue. Many have argued the great superiority of the latter compared to a "single point" sea anchor. Here we have a direct comparative trial! It would be interesting to know more...

You might be interested in the first article which gives RT's view:
http://www.thesimplesailor.com/articles.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm not going to go all of that in too much detail here. That is for the book.

So we'll need to buy the book to get the full SP.

Ah, thanks for that, some very interesting stuff.

On the specific drogue comparison point, however, he says:


I also had the opportunity, caused by a silly mistake on my part that lost me the JSD, to compare its performance against that of a large single drogue.

I'm not going to go all of that in too much detail here. That is for the book.


Which is fair enough.

(Edit - apologies for the duplicate post - I'd started to read more of the articles, then the defrosting burgers needed attention... )

I had an American parachute, a gravel bag and a 2metre drogue aboard when we set off for Spain. Never used any, needless to say. I think you need to bore a hole in the gravel bag to make it work properly - and then buttonhole stitch it to stop it shredding...

Silkie wrote:So we'll need to buy the book to get the full SP.

Sorry DaveS and Silkie - didn't read it properly.

I much prefer him now that he has given up all that rock music nonsense.
Great writing and a very inspirational sailor.