Offshore in an open boat

NOWADAYS most people’s perceptions of using an open boat to sail or cruise offshore, they would assume you are totally mad. Guess I grew up in a different era.

In our teens we were undoubtedly inspired by Frank Dye and his amazing trips across the North Sea, Iceland etcetera in his 16 foot Wayfarer. We cruised our GP14’s along the east coast and managed to cross the Channel.

During my generation, sixty years ago, life was slightly different. Health and safety had not been invented and, with having parents who had endured a world war, perhaps they felt we should take life’s chances.

I was reading recently that two Devon sailors, Richard Mitchell and Will Hodson, had sailed