'I Was Saved From Death Alone In Mid-Ocean'
Yachting Monthly|July 2017

Crippled by pain while sailing solo in the Indian Ocean, Andrew Halcrow had to call for help

'I Was Saved From Death Alone In Mid-Ocean'

In the late 1980s I built a steel yacht in the Shetland Isles with the intention of doing a solo non-stop circumnavigation. It didn’t happen. Instead my brother Terry and I set off on a fiveyear trip round the world on the trade wind route. The desire to do the long solo trip never left me and in 2006 events conspired to make it happen.

My yacht was a Tahitiana, a double ended steel cutter 9.6m long, called Elsi Arrub. I had huge confidence in Elsi as a superb sea boat but she was overweight and undercanvassed by today’s standards and I expected to be at sea for about a year.

At the end of 2005 I left my job after eight years as skipper on a local sail training vessel, Swan, and worked full time on preparing Elsi. The voyage would follow the old clipper route down the South Atlantic, through the Southern Ocean south of all the Great Capes: Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn, and back up to Shetland.

Refitting for a green passage

I knew from our previous circumnavigation that we only used the engine to charge batteries so before leaving I took it out and relied on renewable energy; the wind, the sun and the water I sailed through, for my power. There was no challenge for me in using GPS for navigation and, although I carried a GPS, I used a sextant, compass and log line to keep track of my position.

Although this was to be a 'solo' trip, the only single handed bit about it was that I was the only one aboard Elsi. It was really a team effort with my wife Alyson doing the all-important shore side work while I was at sea. As well as helping to get Elsi ready on time she would provide me with regular weather forecasts and be the vital link between the ocean and the shore.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2017 من Yachting Monthly.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2017 من Yachting Monthly.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من YACHTING MONTHLY مشاهدة الكل
I WAS THE ONLY SAILOR ON OUR FAMILY CHARTER AND IT HAD TO GO WELL
Yachting Monthly UK

I WAS THE ONLY SAILOR ON OUR FAMILY CHARTER AND IT HAD TO GO WELL

Crystal waters, cliff tombs and sunken outboards lain Willis wanted to ensure plain sailing for his family’s first charter around Turkey's Lycian Coast

time-read
8 mins  |
October 2024
HOW IT WORKS SEAWATER PUMP
Yachting Monthly UK

HOW IT WORKS SEAWATER PUMP

The water and oil seals on a water pump shaft will eventually wear with time, leading to pump-shaft corrosion or loss of engine oil.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
THOUSANDS OF MILES ACROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN
Yachting Monthly UK

THOUSANDS OF MILES ACROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN

Floris and Ivar battled severe weather and cross swell to sail from Australia to South Africa, but there were beautiful islands on the way

time-read
8 mins  |
October 2024
The secret of yachts with enduring appeal
Yachting Monthly UK

The secret of yachts with enduring appeal

Fashions come and go, but J-Boats remain a safe choice for great sailing boats, whether you want to own it for ever or sell it

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
Tragic sinking of Bayesian; Italian prosecutors investigate
Yachting Monthly UK

Tragic sinking of Bayesian; Italian prosecutors investigate

The sinking of the Bayesian superyacht in reportedly only 16 minutes and the tragic loss of seven lives has sent a shudder through the sailing community and beyond.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
THE ADVENT OF MARINE AI TECHNOLOGY
Yachting Monthly UK

THE ADVENT OF MARINE AI TECHNOLOGY

Fonathon Savill reports on the revolutionary impact artificial intelligence is about to have on all areas of life at sea

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
IMPROVING SINGLE-LINE REEFING
Yachting Monthly UK

IMPROVING SINGLE-LINE REEFING

Martin Watts explains how to reduce the friction on the reefing lines of newer yachts

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
The secrets of skippering a successful cruise
Yachting Monthly UK

The secrets of skippering a successful cruise

Setting off on a cruise is easy, but planning a route that keeps your options open and ensures the enjoyment of all on board is more of an art

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
CRUISING THE KINGDOM OF THE ISLES
Yachting Monthly UK

CRUISING THE KINGDOM OF THE ISLES

Joanna Martin and her husband Mark sail across the Irish Sea to the legendary sea kingdom and to draw the wonderful wildlife there

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
MOODY DS48
Yachting Monthly UK

MOODY DS48

Can a boat built for long-term, long-distance cruising and offering one-level living still deliver an enjoyable sailing experience? Theo Stocker sets sail across the English Channel to find out

time-read
10 mins  |
October 2024