One for the Road: Blue Horizons – Dispatches from Distant Seas

by Kelly Amabile on

The National Outdoor Book Awards announced their 2007 winners this week, and Blue Horizons – Dispatches from Distant Seas was honored in the Outdoor Literature category. Released in 2006, this collection of sailing stories shares personal stories of inner journeys, and courageous tales of outward expeditions.

After a 3-year, 35,000 mile circumnavigation with her partner, Beth Leonard realized that life on shore was not working — the sea was calling her back. So, four years later, they set out again, this time on a 50,000 mile journey that lasted for six years. This book chronicles that voyage — a compilation of inspiring vignettes from Beth’s columns in Blue Water Sailing magazine, which she wrote throughout the journey.

Leonard has sailed more than 85,000 blue water miles over the past thirteen years, ranging from tropical oceans to Tasmania, Cape Horn, and the arctic seas north of Iceland. Blue Horizons includes dispatches from their sailing adventures to Newfoundland, Iceland, Norway, the Caribbean, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, the South Pacific and British Columbia.

MiniCat: The Boat in a Bag

by Justin Glow on

The MiniCat is a mini-catamaran that folds up into a bag. It’s light enough to carry (40kgs — just under 90lbs) and small enough to fit in your trunk. There are no tools needed to get the cat out of the bag and onto the water, though it does take about a half hour “once experience has been gained,” according to the FAQ. Once your done sailing, it takes about another 20 minutes to get it back into the bag.

Three options are available: Standard, Super, and Sport, with prices starting at £2,450 (roughly $5,000 USD) for the lowest model.

MiniCat-UK.com [via]

Photo of the Day (5/12/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Could it be me or does the man’s foot look like that of a baby or airbrushed? It looks perfect and almost soft to touch, but seriously everything grabs me about this photo. Every part of me wants to cut and paste myself into the scene and pretend as if I were on the boat sailing somewhere – anywhere. I can’t promise my feet would look as nice as the model or photographer found here, but you wouldn’t be paying attention to that after all with the blue water and the sunset out ahead. Sweet shot out of Australia, Kouiskas.

Youngest Person to Sail Atlantic

by Dave Luna on

Earlier today at 14:00 GMT, 14-year-old Michael Perham navigated into Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua where he became the youngest person to sail the Atlantic Ocean single-handedly. He began the challenging six-week, 3,500 mile voyage in Gibraltar and ended up in the record books.

Though, he didn’t sail away without any backup. His father, Peter, tailed Michael’s yacht — named Cheeky Monkey — to keep an eye on the lad. The two Perhams kept in touch via VHF radio between their boats, and kept in close contact with land via satellite phone.

The trip may be over, but you can still follow the odyssey. Michael kept a travel blog in which he detailed life at sea, technical difficulties, and animal encounters. (And I know how much you like blogs, dear reader.)

I have a lot of respect for Michael’s Atlantic accomplishment. When I was 14, I don’t think I’d even crossed my own street by myself. Well, that was probably just because I was locked in my room transfixed by Jenny McCarthy on MTV’s Singled Out.