[Healeys] Don Mollett
sebring at illawarra.hotkey.net.au
sebring at illawarra.hotkey.net.au
Thu Jul 12 18:29:09 MDT 2007
Don did depart Sydney as Pat said, BUT about 5 days later I received a phone
call from a man claiming to be him. He said the coastline was very much like
that south of Sydney ( Wollongong) but he believed that he was north of Sydney.
Due to the huge storm he had endured and been forced to weather he reversed his
route to New Zealand and followed some fishing boats back into the nearest
harbour. He sailed with no auxiliary motor, therefore limited electrics above
that supplied by a battery. It was too rough to cook so he ate handfulls of
muesli while he hand held the rudder to sail into the storm and in his 'spare'
time and with his 'spare' hand he operated the bilge pump.This was in a 27 foot
(approx.) timber hull boat built in Hong Kong. In the same storm a cargo ship
bringing steel mill equipment to the company I worked for almost sank in the
weather. When I went into see Don he had eaten the biggest steak available and
was most of the way thro devouring the bone when I arrived.After a short time
to carry out basic repairs back in Sydney he did depart to New Zealand. Still
without a motor. But as Don said he sailed from California without it. I guess
Healey stuff was easy compared to this.
Brave Man.
Joe
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