Fifty years ago, a 29-year-old singlehander from Victoria, B.C.
named John Guzzwell completed an unprecedented circumnavigation about
Trekka, a 21-ft wooden yawl he'd built with his own hands. The book
he published about his adventures, Trekka Round the World, became a
cult classic among would-be voyagers, and is credited for sparking
the dreams of many who have circumnavigated since.
As keepers of the 'official' West Coast Circumnavigator's List,
Latitude 38 has invited John to attend a special gathering, Thursday,
April 16, 6:30 pm at the Oakland YC to honor the 50th anniversary of
his historic homecoming. (No host bar at 6:30 p.m., presentation at
7:00.) At the time, Trekka was the smallest boat ever to have gone
around. John will also spend some time at Strictly Sail Pacific
Thursday and Friday in the Author's Corner and at Latitude's booth.
In a sport often dominated by massive egos, John Guzzwell is a
refreshingly humble hero who normally shuns the spotlight. So we are
thrilled that he has graciously offered to share insights from his
lifetime of voyaging and custom boatbuilding. He'll show vintage
Southern Ocean film footage shot while accompanying Miles and Beryl
Smeeton on their ill-fated Cape Horn attempt aboard Tzu Hang in 1957
— chronicled in another sailors' classic, Once is Enough. If you
haven't had the pleasure of reading it, let us explain that the
threesome got caught in a horrendous storm that pitchpoled Tzu Hang
and dismasted her. Thanks to John's carpentry skills, they finally
arriving safely in Chile after 87 days at sea. In those days, of
course, the electronic nav and communications devices we now take for
granted were the stuff of science fiction. Not only were there no GPS
units, watermakers, roller-furlers or solar panels, but there was no
accurate weather forecasting. In the far reaches of the world's
oceans, sailors — especially singlehanded sailors — were truly on
their own.
This special April 16 event will also serve as an informal gathering
of West Coast circumnavigators and singlehanders, but is open to all,
free of charge, thanks to our partners, the Singlehanded Sailing
Society, Scanmar and Waypoint.
Born and raised on Britain's Channel Islands, John grew up around
boats, the son of a sea captain. But the tranquility of his childhood
was shattered when WWII broke out, as the family was soon interned in
a Nazi POW camp. Afterwards, he was trained as a shipwright and
eventually emigrated to British Colombia, where, at age 22, he began
building Trekka in his spare time to a J. Laurent Giles design. Her
light-displacement hull was many years ahead of its time.
John later became a pioneer in cold-molded construction, a method he
still advocates at annual workshops at Port Townsend. During his
distinguished career as a custom boatbuilder, he has lent his
expertise to a diversity of projects ranging from the 65-ft Farr-
designed Lively to the 158-ft topsail schooner Tole Mour.
Between projects, John cruised extensively with his family, and in
1994 did the Pan Pacific Yacht Race from L.A. to Osaka, returning via
the Aleutians and mainland Alaska. In both 1998 and 2002 (then 71) he
raced to Hawaii in the Singlehanded TransPac aboard a cold-molded 30-
footer called Endangered Species, a half-sized Open 60 that he
designed and built himself.
We hope you'll join us at the Oakland Yacht Club at 6:30 pm on April
16th in raising a glass to the 50th anniversary of John Guzzwell's
historic homecoming. He is one of our greatest sailing heros, and a
living legend among singlehanders.
— andy
Reply With Quote
