British sailor Pete Goss was expected to set sail across the world to Australia yesterday aboard a simple wooden boat he built himself, following a route taken by seven Cornishmen more than 150 years ago.
The ex-Royal Marine and his three crew will sail a 11.3m wooden lugger from Newlyn in Cornwall, southwestern England, to Melbourne, using nothing but the stars to guide them.
They hope to recreate the 17,700km journey undertaken by the crew of Mystery, who left Newlyn on Nov. 18, 1854, to make their fortune in Australia’s gold rush.
Stopping only once for repairs and food in Cape Town, South Africa, the seven Cornishmen made it safely to Melbourne in 116 days, arriving on March 14, 1855. Goss believes he can accomplish the trip in the same time.
“This project has been a long time in the making and now we cannot wait to set sail. We just want to slip our lines and head for the freedom of the ocean,” he said.
Weather permitting, they should have left yesterday evening, his blog said.
Goss is no stranger to maritime challenges, having taken part in the Vendee Globe single-handed around-the-world race in the winter of 1996, changing course mid-way to rescue stricken rival Raphael Dinelli in the Southern Ocean.
In December 2000, it was he and his crew who needed rescuing when their catamaran got caught in an Atlantic storm during sea trials for another race.
This journey will be considerably less high-tech.
Barring a few safety modifications, the boat crewed by Goss, his 14-year-old son Eliot, his brother Andy and brother-in-law Mark Maidment, has no modern electrical or navigational equipment.
The boat is fitted by a satellite tracking device to allow the team at home to keep an eye on them, but those on board will have to rely on the stars.
“A lot of brushing up will be needed for this but I have always wanted to complete a long ocean passage using only the heavenly bodies,” Goss said.
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