CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Adrian Flanagan pointed yesterday to damaged wires supporting his mast that forced him to pull into the Waikiki Yacht Club. Flanagan aims to sail solo around the world via the Arctic.
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Back on land after 6 months at sea
After spending half a year at sea, an English sailor attempting to make history stops over in Honolulu
A 45-year-old English sailor had not set foot on land for six months until yesterday, when he was forced to take a break in Honolulu from his attempt to be the first to sail around the world in a south-north direction.
"That feels strange -- very, very strange," Adrian Flanagan said as he stepped onto a pier at the Waikiki Yacht Club from his 40-foot titanium and stainless steel boat, Barrabas.
So far, Flanagan claims to be the first solo sailor to travel 18,221 miles nonstop from England to Hawaii. He was attempting to travel nonstop in a south-to-north (longitudinal) direction around the world. But Flanagan said the spreader and shrouds -- steel wires that hold up the 55-foot mast -- were damaged, and he had to dock in Hawaii for repairs.
Though he was elated to be greeted by the media and members of the Waikiki Yacht Club, Flanagan said he is eager to resume his voyage once repairs are completed. With 12,000 more miles to go, he still hopes to fulfill his goal of becoming the first person to complete a solo "vertical" expedition around the world.
Flanagan's desire to do such a voyage was sparked by a book he read when he was 15 years old: "Gypsy Moth Circles the World," by Sir Francis Chichester.* "When I finished it, I thought, 'I want to do that,'" he said.
His dream expedition started in England 6 1/2 months ago. Already, Flanagan has navigated around Cape Horn and was to head through the Bering Strait in mid-July and into the Arctic Ocean. Flanagan plans to return to England through a passage either from Canada or Russia, depending on ice conditions.
Flanagan said that during his sail around Cape Horn, he was caught in a big storm. Water entered the boat, damaging his computer and navigational equipment and forcing him to seek help from his shore team.
At one point, Flanagan dislocated both his wrists while handling the boat's wind generator during choppy wave conditions.
His ex-wife and expedition manager, Louise Flanagan, contacted the Waikiki Yacht Club via e-mail to ask them for assistance to help repair Flanagan's navigational equipment.
As he headed into Hawaii waters, he was met with "nasty, brutal seas" and noticed the damaged spreader and shrouds. Unrepaired, the whole rig would come down if another storm occurred, Flanagan said. Further arrangements were made with the Waikiki Yacht Club to repair the mast -- expected to take between three days and two weeks.
As Flanagan reached the yacht club, Michael Roth, vice commodore for sail, greeted him with an ice-cold can of Guinness that he served on a tray.
So far, Flanagan said, he has learned a lot on his solo voyage. "I think the voyage so far is a very good metaphor for life. When you can make all the plans that you want, and I can guarantee you ... however well your plans are made, they're not going to work out like you planned it," he said. "You just have to deal with it."
His ongoing voyage has also taught him about self-reliance. "There's nobody else. There's you. That's it," Flanagan said. "Since I've been on this boat, I've become the mechanic, an electrician, a cook ..."
"It's been an awakening in a way," he said.
CORRECTION
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
» Adrian Flanagan's desire to sail around the world was sparked by the book "Gypsy Moth Circles the World" by Sir Francis Chichester. A Page A3 story in yesterday's morning edition incorrectly called the book "Gypsy Moth Circles Around the World."
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