Annie Hill wrote:

Yes, to both Roamer and Lorcha.  I rather think Batwing completed a circumnavigation, too, but have no record of that.

We should also note Shantung, a Lidgard-designed 30 footer, that did a cicrcumnavigation from New Zealand between 1993 and 1999.  She was owned by Michael and Judy Churchouse and had a junk mainsail, but also used a jib.  They wrote a book called Against the Wind, and indeed, much of their sailing was off the classic tradewind route.  Unfortunately, the book was only published and distributed in NZ, as far as I know, and it is almost impossible to find a copy, (for those who collect books about junk-rigged yachts). 

Link to newspaper article about the voyage

I'd forgotten about Batwing  and Shantung.  it seems Batwing completed a circumnavigation, westabout via the Torres Strait, the Red Sea and the Panama Canal, but I am unsure of the boat's full history. The original owners were Timothy and Sheryl Dunn, who were reported in Pago Pago in October 1977 by the Pacific Islands Monthly.  Plans were to continue on to New Zealand and Japan.  My copy of PJR, published in 1988, records them making it to NZ, but does not mention further passages.  I know the boat was in Holland under new owners, LLoyd and Judy Halvorsen, in 1996.  They visited Arne while there.  They then headed to Spain and the Canaries.  Later, the boat is recorded as being back in Seattle, where it was built, and went on to cruise Mexico.  It was advertised for sale there recently.

I once had a copy of Against the Wind, that I picked up in a marina laundromat.  Unfortunately it did not survive the cull when I moved from Arion to Blue Moon.  It was an interesting read but there was little detail about the operation of Shantung's junk rig.  I have seen photos of Shantung recently, when it was for sale, showing it getting along nicely to windward in a 15-20 knot breeze without the headsail.  I was surprised to see that, since Blue Moon originally had a similar rig, and found that doing so would increase weatherhelm and blunt performance, since the mast is further aft than it might be with a normal junk rig setup.

Anyway, two more circumnavigators!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

s the JRA should add the late Bob Burns, once a JRA member and contributor to the newsletter, who completed a solo circumnavigation through the Southern Ocean, via the great capes, between 1985 and 1987, on Roamer, his steel Ebbtide 36, rigged as a junk schooner. 

That would be an interesting read, Graham - any other circumnavigators we should know about?  Fiona McCall/Paul Howard were mentioned to me as possibles, but I have not read their books so don’t know if they completed a round trip

 

I'd forgotten about these folk, probably because I have not read their books.  Due to financial and space constraints it is rare for me to buy books now.  They left Toronto with their two children on their home-built steel yacht, Lorcha, in 1983, and returned there in 1988 after a five year circumnavigation.  I remember that when they were in Australia, they welded two feet onto the back of the boat and gave it a stern cabin, maybe to accommodate growing kids.  I read an article they wrote at the time for an Australian magazine about that.  The boat was listed as being 29ft in reports of their return to Toronto.  They were a happy family  and got the most out of  their experiences.  They are still cruising, but in a modern catamaran these days.

Kevin, if you are recording junk rig circumnavigations, rather than just awarding medals, then perhaps the JRA should add the late Bob Burns, once a JRA member and contributor to the newsletter, who completed a solo circumnavigation through the Southern Ocean, via the great capes, between 1985 and 1987, on Roamer, his steel Ebbtide 36, rigged as a junk schooner.  He lost his masts in an accident in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, after rounding Cape Horn, and completed the trip with a jury rig utilizing the junk mainsail.  He continued to live aboard and cruise after his circumnavigation and disappeared at sea eventually on passage to the Canary Islands.  Now that I am getting back into writing, I may write an article for the magazine about his voyage, once I have completed a major writing task I am currently engaged in.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the completion of the first junk rig solo circumnavigation by Bill King and Galway Blazer II.   The JRA and King’s old sailing club, Galway Bay Sailing Club, collaborated to mark the occasion:

• joint press releases and other press contacts to alert the yachting press to the anniversary, leading to a number of website and magazine articles
  
• the creation of an exhibit in Galway city, officially opened this week by King’s children Leonie and Tarka
  
• the institution of the JRA circumnavigation medal and its award to Alan Martienssen, Bruno and Elise Gouget, Helen Den Dekker and the late Jim Den Hartog (let us know who we may have missed)
  

Last night the GBSC ended their events with a few words from Leonie and Tarka and a presentation on the Galway connection to the Junk Rig from the JRA chair, organised by JRA/GBSC member Declan McKinney.  The Commodore of GBSC was kind enough to say that the Galway 50th celebration was kick started by their contacts with JRA.

I think that’s more or less it for that celebration, but there will be other events to mark in the future and we are very open to hearing what members feel about how we should recognise JR sailors and JRA contributors.

GBSC was reeling from a recent big wind and storm surge that had sent a huge amount of water into their dinghy pen doing a lot of damage to boats while King’s old residence, Oranmore Castle experienced 3 feet of water in the ground floor rooms.