Solo Transatlantic Attempts

Over the past several years, I have made three attempts at fulfilling a lifelong dream to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to Scotland. This voyage is to honor my Uncle Edward who taught me about boats and sailing and to complete a journey he had planned for the two of us, albeit in reverse. Uncle Edward passed away over 20 years ago. I am doing this in memory of him.

I failed on each of the three previous attempts.

Contaminated Fresh Water Supply

First, it was a judgment call related to my water supply. Just two days at sea, the wind had dropped to almost nothing. However, large waves still remained. The boat was bobbing along like a cork in a washing machine. My water turned brown. I cleaned both tanks before departing. When I switched to the other water tank, the water appeared to be okay. This caused concern because I didn’t know why the water had turned brown. I didn’t know what the brown actually was. I just knew half my freshwater supply was contaminated. So, with only half the freshwater remaining, I decided to turn back. 

Transmission Failure

A mechanical problem halted the second attempt. While motoring out of New York Harbor, heading for the ocean, the transmission started to slip. I could cross the ocean this way. I didn’t need the transmission while sailing across the ocean. However, Ireland’s west coast is rugged, with many rocks and cliffs. I might need the engine and transmission in foul weather. In a bad situation, sails alone may not be enough. Instead of sailing a transatlantic voyage, I sailed to Annapolis for the necessary repairs.

Seasickness and Injured Shoulder

A physical injury cut my third attempt short. On day #3, the winds were light. The forecast was for much stronger winds in the evening. So, I was preparing to reef the mainsail. That is, I was making it smaller by bringing down a portion of the sail. This is all done at the mast. I went to step up onto the cabin top and carelessly stepped on my safety tether. The boat pitched. I fell; landing hard on my shoulder. The root cause was mal de mer. It was the first time in my life to have a case of seasickness. I was not at all prepared for this! There weren’t even crackers onboard. I could barely move my left arm. I could not hold a can of soup in my hand! Once again, I opted to turn around and head back to shore.

To ensure I am prepared to deal with seasickness in the future, the provisioning list has been modified. I have added: Saltine crackers, ginger, ginger candies, and real ginger ale. This is not Canada Dry! It says “made with real ginger”, but check the ingredients. There isn’t enough ginger to be listed! Green Apples also made the list, they are said to settle the stomach.

Physical Therapy

Upon my return, the doctors said it was a good decision to turn back. Had I continued on with the injured shoulder, it would not have improved. The damage would have been permanent. I thought it was a damaged rotator cuff. What it turned out to be was a pinched nerve. It’s one of the few nerves that can not free itself when pinched. Blood flow was slowly being cut off from the nerve. Eventually, the nerve would have died.

The physical therapist not only freed-up the pinched nerve in my shoulder, but she taught me how to care for my shoulders. The therapist modified the stretching and strengthening exercises for me so that I could continue doing them during my voyage. For instance, using the large 24oz can of pasta sauce instead of a small dumbell. It took about 8 months to get myself physically ready to sail again.

While regaining my strength and flexibility, made significant repairs to the boat. I continue doing the stretching and exercises. The therapist explained that shoulder injuries are one of the common injuries for people my age and older. This type of injury can prohibit someone from doing the things they enjoy doing: sailing, skiing, biking, kayaking, etc.

Ready to Try Again!

Enough time has passed. It’s been over three years since I made that last attempt. The shoulder is at 95%. I’m ready for another attempt at a solo transatlantic voyage.!