Hall of Fame - David Tyler

by Graham Cox

David Tyler: 1945 - new ideas, although perhaps the to be more efficient to It takes an independent and emphasis is different. To find a person windward than a adventurous spirit to take a small boat who excels in both fields is rare. David standard, flat-cut

ocean voyaging. To do it time and Tyler is such a person. junk sail, though not Hélène Fercot Hélène again, quietly and competently, David is a lifelong sailor, having as efficient as Lliutro’s requires an organised and resourceful started at the age of 10. He is also an Bermudan rigged sisterships.

mind. It could be argued that similar experienced designer of Marie- qualities are needed to develop and test equipment, working for both M S Gibb This rig consisted of and Kemp Masts (now Seldén stiff battens that were UK) in the UK. It was while split to pass either side of Country and the Isles of Scilly. At developing Hasler self- the mast, joined at the forward end by times they had a hard beat down steering gears, with Blondie a radiused block of wood, with the sail channel, and the rig performed on board Pilmer, that David doubled around the mast and single, excellently. This rig became the basis first became enchanted with flat panels behind the wishbones. The of all David’s future wingsail designs. junk rig. When they wanted running lines passed down inside the After 12 years, David found himself in to fiddle with the self- wishbones, giving the rig improved a position to afford another boat, so steering gear, they would aerodynamic efficiency. There was no bought the hull and deck of a fibreglass just let the sheet fly and the yard. The first mast David built was Lone Gull II (designed by Maurice sail would quietly take care one of the earliest hybrids, but it was a Griffiths), and began fitting it out. He of itself. Pull it back in and bit light and eventually bent. He had to fit a Bermudan rig to Lliutro in off you go. David decided replaced it with a stouter carbon fibre order to sell it, and was thus left with he had to have one. mast. two spare masts. The decision was In the mid 1970s, he began A couple of years later, he adapted a therefore made to rig Ivory Gull, as the fitting out Lliutro, a twin- Swingwing sail from Robin Blain, new vessel was called, as a junk keeled Sadler 25, and cutting it down to fit Lliutro, and schooner. The carbon fibre mast decided to fit it with junk rig. designing shorter wishbones. This rig became the mainmast and the cut- However, being David, he had an articulated joint just abaft the down hybrid mast was used for the was interested to see if he wishbones, inducing camber, although foremast. David, along with other could improve it. His it was just made from a lashing and members of the JRA, had begun subsequent wingsail design was subject to considerable chafe. It experimenting with batten hinges and was highly commended in was a successful sail, allowing David to cambered panels by this time, so Ivory Ivory Gull with original sails made in 1995 the RCC Centenary design cruise, often with his family, to the Gull’s sails were barrel cut with 4% competition. The sail proved Channel Islands, Brittany, the West

February 2016 The JRA Magazine issue 70 Page 5 camber, with hinges in the lower Tystie is an unusual vessel. She is too much chafe and stretch, especially battens as well. 10.36m LOA, displaces 7 tonnes, and for ocean voyaging. It had been quite David’s wife unfortunately died of has moderate draught, with twin, satisfactory on Ivory Gull, which had cancer soon after the launching of Ivory asymmetrical, pivoted bilge boards, much smaller sails. The two upper Gull. David took early retirement at 50, which are toed in and canted out. The panels proved too large for heavy in 1996, and began a series of summer hull has high freeboard aft and is weather, and too much of the sail hung voyages around Land’s End and up to somewhat reminiscent of a Chinese down when deeply reefed. Scotland, where he engaged in a junk in profile. She has a conventional The new sail was a considerable vigorous campaign of mountain hatchway, but this is fitted with a Jester improvement. It had more pronounced climbing, known as “Munro bagging.” pramhood, from where David keeps fanning in the panels, allowing smaller He completed them all, some 280 odd watch and handles the rig at sea, rarely top panels, and was built from peaks, between 1997 and 2003. They are needing to go on deck, and only polyester cloth, Hayward's “Sunwing”, all in excess of 3000 feet. He also putting on his wet weather jacket when and had a U-sectioned sail catcher. The found the time to sail Ivory Gull around standing up in the hatch to reef. battens were retained by a series of Ireland. The boat was initially rigged with a short pockets, instead of being lashed Now that he had no commitments single, 55.7 square metre junk sail, with on, as they were on the first sail, which ashore, David began dreaming of more moderately fanned battens in the lower still allowed access to the battens for adventurous voyages to the far ends of five panels, two large fanned panels in repairs etc. David had tried using Tystie’s first seven-panelled sail the earth. He was not dreaming of the top of the sail, a high-peaked yard, plastic cable ties on the first sail tropical seas, trade winds and flying pultruded fibreglass battens, and a initially, as Tom Colvin recommended, cambered, acrylic sail. The sail had but found they broke easily and chafed crews of 20 or more, used to set fish, however. His preference is for the astonishing amounts of canvas, and lonely, wild and woolly, high-latitude three separate luff-hauling parrels, the sail. each controlling two battens. The lower Arne Kverneland and his cohorts in places, preferably ones with At New Year, 2004, David was Norway have shown what can be challenging mountains to climb. one went aft then forward again, introduced to Fran Flutter by Annie allowing David to haul the luff of the achieved inshore with huge rigs and David’s voyage photos are often taken Hill. Fran had already made a solo fast hulls.) The real problem, however, from the top of some peak, with his sail to windward, to balance the rig circumnavigation and became Tystie’s downwind. was handling the sail in stronger yacht visible as a speck far below. first mate. After a shakedown cruise in winds. Launched in 2000, Tystie joined the JRA the Irish Sea in February (enough to Ivory Gull was not the ideal boat for In winds above Force 7, with the sail such enterprises, so he drew up a set of Scottish Rally that year, and appeared test anybody), they set off to the north, on the cover of the November edition cruising all the Scandinavian countries deeply reefed, the high-angled yard comprehensive sketches that David required the yard-hauling parrel to be Thomas turned into a formal yacht of the JRA Magazine (#37). It was the that summer. first edition to appear with colour eased, which increased twist and design. The hull and deck were built in By the time they returned, David was weather helm. Undoubtedly the sail plywood by Hedley Bewes at Hamble. photos, and her large, bright red sail on thinking of further rig development. the cover looked quite startling. Tystie could have taken Tystie around the On his last summer aboard Ivory Gull, The new sail performed excellently in world in the trade winds, but he felt it David took along a drawing board and later sailed 2,500 miles to Lofoten, moderate airs, although David Norway and back with this rig. would be difficult to handle in high designed his ideal voyaging interior, lamented the lack of sail area for light latitudes. He began thinking of two- then came home and started fitting out Returning from Norway, David winds, as always with junk rig, at least masted rigs. In Tystie’s case, that meant the boat himself. decided that he needed to make a new on short-handed voyaging yachts. a ketch, as he did not want to move the sail. The acrylic material was subject to (Chinese trading junks, with their existing mast aft. He was not

Page 6 The JRA Magazine issue 70 February 2016 convinced that a junk-rigged ketch was even easier to reef than a standard the Cape Verde Islands. Just south of which took them by surprise, as the would give him the performance he junk sail. that archipelago, they were treated to sea-state had not – until then – desired, so he decided to revisit the In 2005 David and Fran sailed to the the stirring sight of a square-rigged appeared particularly dangerous. wingsail concept. Faeroes, around Iceland, to the Azores ship under full sail, the Dutch sail- Fran suffered a cut in her scalp and a Tystie’s new wingsail ketch rig was and back to England, stopping at The training vessel, Europa. Shortly after, few crockery items were broken, but built during the following winter, with Turks Head, Agnes, Isles of Scilly, on the they noted that the log now recorded there was no damage to the vessel or fibreglass battens, wishbones and nose way home, for a pint of English beer 25,000 miles since Tystie’s launch. rig. David later found that the port cones, HDPE bearings, and fibreglass and a pasty. The voyage was an They met the doldrums at 12°N and bilge-board was down, which may articulating joints behind the outstanding success, nothing broke, took 6 days to get through, crossing the have contributed to the knockdowns. wishbones. The battens were all the and the rig was easy to manage at all line on the 10th October. Luckily, they They then chose to run off under bare same length except for the top two, to times. They began planning for their caught plenty of water here, as when poles without further incident, give the top panels a semi-elliptical big departure. they arrived at Fernando de Noronha, although a few waves broke heavily planform. trials early in 2005 Tystie finally left Ravenglass on the 1st they found that only expensive bottled against the . showed that the rig performed better May, 2006, sailing to Plymouth via water was available. Once upon a time It is interesting to note that, in the 1968 than the previous rig to windward and Ireland, the Scillies and Falmouth. a lonely, remote outpost, the island Golden Globe Race, several contestants After farewelling the start these days is largely a resort for rich had trouble in this region. Bernard of the Jester Challenge, Brazilians. Moitessier’s Joshua was knocked down they departed Falmouth South of Fernando de Noronha, Tystie in very similar conditions. He noted on the 12th of June, found boisterous easterly trades and the presence of a cross current on the bound for Cape Town rough seas. Leaks from the forward pilot chart, as well as a subtropical and the Southern Ocean. mast boot and ventilators wet all the convergence of warm and cool currents After brief stops in spare bedding and they decided to nearby. Bill King, sailing Galway Blazer, Spain, Portugal, and request permission to stop at Ilha de fared even worse, being rolled and Madeira, they finalised Trinidade, a military reserve, to sort dismasted, although he was in much preparations in the things out. Permission was granted for fiercer weather. On a later Canary Islands, a brief stop, but they had to cut their circumnavigation, Galway Blazer was including fitting a new, anchor cable and make a hasty exit again capsized and dismasted here. improved self-steering when large rollers entered the bay and Robin Knox Johnston, sailing Suhaili in gear to David’s design, they could not free their anchor from the 1968 race, also had his woes here, which was personally the rocky bottom. though he was much earlier in the delivered to them by South of here they had light easterlies season. It would appear that the higher fellow JRA member, for a few days, crossing the Tropic of latitudes of the South Atlantic are Peter Manning, who has Capricorn on the 5th November, before dangerous in spring and early summer. since launched his own meeting Force 7–8 south-westerlies. Cape Town was reached without sistership to Tystie. On the 13th November, while broad further incident on the 24th November. Departing from Gomera reaching with five panels reefed in the After a pleasant summer cruising the on the 3rd October, they main and four in the mizzen, in other SW Cape, Fran decided she would were carried by fresh words fully reefed, they were knocked prefer not to continue on across the First wingsails on Tystie trade winds down past down twice in the space of 2 hours, Southern Ocean to Australia and New

February 2016 The JRA Magazine issue 70 Page 7 hills. The following spring they set off for Alaska, getting as far north as Skagway. They had a wonderful summer exploring glaciers, observing bears, salmon runs, and visiting the villages of the region’s indigenous inhabitants. David walked the Chilkoot Pass, a high mountain pass through the Boundary Mountains, which was the main route inland during the Yukon gold rush, taking 4 days to tramp 33 miles through rock and snow. On the 7th October, vowing to return to the north to see more of this stunning place, they sailed south, refitted the Ford’s Terror, Alaska Tystie in Desolation Sound boat in San Francisco, then sailed on to Mexico, where they cruised the Sea of Cortez and battled with the endless Zealand. David admitted to being leg down to the Marquesas Islands in facilities for cruising. They left Mexican bureaucracy. Tystie cleared quietly relieved at not having to face 23 days. There were some light winds Nawiliwili Harbour on the 4th August out of Mexico at La Paz, bound for the the Southern Indian Ocean, which has and squalls early on in the passage – and entered Victoria Harbour, British Marquesas, and arrived in Taiohae Bay, a treacherous reputation. David welcomed the squalls as it Columbia, on the 26th. Eight days hard Hiva Oa, after a 27 day passage. They The ship was turned around and they enlivened the sailing – then the SE on the wind against the NE trades, not experienced light winds at times and had an easy, pleasant sail to the trades became well-established, much appreciated by the mate, brought suffered from an outbreak of goose Caribbean via St Helena Island. The allowing Tystie to make some fast runs, Tystie to 38°N, where they found a barnacles on Tystie’s bottom, but passage north through the doldrums, including one of 187 miles. period of light winds, followed by otherwise had an uneventful passage. which are narrower to the west, was The Marquesas failed to impress, moderate westerlies, some fog and Once again, they found the anchorages much quicker than their passage south, despite their dramatic scenery, with much overcast. There was only one rolly and the climate oppressive. Fran and they sailed 3,700 miles from St rolly anchorages, nasty insects, poor near-gale. A visit from two Sei whales, suffered an infected insect bite on her Helena to Tobago in 30 days, arriving provisioning and indifferent locals. who came close alongside, enlivened leg here, requiring medical treatment – on the 1st March. With the help of the They left for Hawaii on the 21st June the passage. They also began to see these islands are notorious for tropical Guyana current, Tystie frequently and had a fast passage, with only a Laysan Albatrosses gliding around the infections – which didn’t improve their logged 150 – 170 miles off the north- brief period of doldrums (ITCZ), ship. opinion of the Marquesas; then they east coast of South America. passing almost directly from fresh SE Tystie had now sailed 24,000 miles since sailed to the Tuamotus. trades at 5°N into the NE Trades, leaving Ravenglass, and visited 11 Passing through the Panama Canal on th Making landfall on Kauehi Atoll after 5 the 17th April, they departed for the arriving at Hilo on the 5 July. countries. It was time for a rest and days, they had to heave-to offshore to Galapagos Archipelago on the 24th. Hawaii proved to be an interesting they happily settled in for the winter in avoid a severe thunderstorm, entering From there, Tystie made the 3,000 mile place to visit on the land, but with poor Port Sidney, where David enjoyed the lagoon the following morning. This donning snow-shoes and tramping the

Page 8 The JRA Magazine issue 70 February 2016 Atoll, which provides perfect shelter bladed propeller, which had poor nut and bolt working loose. However, and is home to only two families. thrust astern, and for a short while it the battens and wishbones were They bought some beautiful black looked as if they might not get off showing signs of wear, as were the pearls here at a fraction of the cost easily. Luckily, there was not a big sails. David wanted to put more they sell for in Papeete. swell running, and their combined camber in the sails, increase the sail A month was spent in Tahiti, awaiting weight forward lifted the stern area by adding to the leading edge of mail and attending ship. They much sufficiently for Tystie to slide off into the mainsail, and improve the shape of preferred the quieter anchorages of deeper water. There was only minor the upper panels. Tahiti Iti, on the southern end of the damage to the keel. David later fitted a Tystie was given new battens, island, to Papeete. Moorea was three-bladed, feathering prop in NZ. wishbones and hinges made from pleasant, with good walks ashore on More rough weather took them on to aluminium. The foil shape now ancient stone pathways. Then it was remote Suwarrow Atoll, made famous extended right to the head of the sail, on to Huahine, a charming, unspoilt in earlier times by the beachcomber, the area of the mainsail was increased, island, Raiatea, Tahaa, and finally Tom Neale, where they celebrated a as was the camber. The improved Bora Bora, considered by many to be cruising couple’s wedding with 23 performance was pleasing. After the most spectacular island in French other yachts. Then it was on to Apia in cruising the east coast of North Island, Polynesia, for the Bastille Day Western Samoa, followed by Tonga, Tystie departed NZ for Australia. festivities. squally all the way. As Fran noted in September 2010 found them cruising Departing French Polynesia after 3 their cruising notes, What idiot months, they ran into a long period of called this the Pacific Ocean? inclement weather, which stayed with Tystie departed Tonga for New them all the way to Tonga. The Zealand and had a windward Western Pacific is notorious for passage, with occasional fronts reinforced trade winds, rain and and rain but no gales, entering squalls. The passage to Avatui, the Bay of Islands on the 11th Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands, saw November. After a bit of rest Assembling aluminium battens in the sail Tystie forging slowly ahead fully and recreation, they went down reefed in strong to gale-force south- to the Tamaki River on the easterlies, while many other yachts on southern side of the Hauraki proved to be a delightful place, with the same passage chose to heave to. Gulf, where fellow JRA member, easy navigation through the coral and a David hiked the cross island trail here, Paul Thompson, has his base. sheltered anchorage off the village. including making an ascent on The Paul had invited them to use his Like others before them, they delighted Needle, a near vertical volcanic plug, workshop to refit Tystie and in the healthy climate and friendly, with the help of two young climbers. David was keen to modify the energetic people of the Tuamotus. An overnight sail brought them to rig. The next atoll, Fakarava was more Aitutaki, where Tystie nearly came to By the time Tystie arrived in NZ, exposed, with a 15 mile fetch across the grief, grounding on the coral reef while the rig had clocked up 40,000 lagoon, and then they made a final stop trying to enter the shallow pass into the miles without problems, apart at Anse Amyot, a blind pass on Toau lagoon. Tystie only had a folding, two from minor chafe and the odd

February 2016 The JRA Magazine issue 70 Page 9 A pleasant summer was the North Island (followed shortly after From Tubai, he sailed up to Tahiti, spent in Tasmania, by Fantail, both heading for the 2012 where he broke 3 battens when they followed by a winter up the NZ JRA Junket), David had decided to tangled in the pulpit during a gybe. He Huon River and an build a fantail sail for Tystie. There was then shifted the attachment point of the excursion around to nothing wrong with the wingsail rig, halyard on the yard, and shortened up Bathurst Harbour and apart from some unanswered questions the topping lifts, to discourage this MacQuarie Harbour on the about the longevity of the alloy hinges, from happening again. rugged W coast of but David just wanted to try something From Tahiti, he sailed to Rangiroa in Tasmania. Once, under the new. the Tuamotus, against fresh trade- cliffs of Tasman Island, Tystie departed NZ with her new winds. At one point, a tropical Tystie was struck by a fierce fantail rig, which sported carbon fibre disturbance brought the wind NNE, downdraught that bent the battens, boom and yard, on the 14th right on the nose, giving him a top 3 sheeted battens abaft July, 2012. She was bound for Tubai in miserable night tacking into steep seas, their hinges. He the Austral Islands, French Polynesia, clawing for every mile, with further straightened these out, en route toward Alaska. She leaks through the forehatch handles. observing that they might experienced strong northerlies for the David says that he briefly considered David Thatcher David not have bent if they had first week, followed by a brief calm, abandoning ocean voyaging and taking been made from T6 grade then several days of strong south- up embroidery or something similar! Fantail rig, New Zealand May 2012 alloy, which is hard to find easterlies, before fresh westerlies sent Taking departure from there for in Australia or NZ. Before the ship scurrying on her way. She he left Hobart, he replaced Hawaii, Tystie encountered an adverse, covered 1000 miles in the first 8 days, WSW current and winds from the NNE the battens with heavier tube. making the 2300 mile passage in 18 Moreton Bay, before heading south to rd to ENE for 5 days. David managed to Pittwater. On the 3 November, 2011, Tystie days, averaging 123 miles a day, with hang onto his northerly heading until a departed Hobart for Nelson and the best day’s run being 152 miles and fresh easterly established itself, Unfortunately, Fran developed serious arrived 12 days later. Four days of only one day below 100. health problems here and left the ship allowing him to make more easting. strong to gale-force north-easterly The boat frequently took green water He crossed the line at 145°W, emerging in October, 2010. Thankfully, she made headwinds were followed by some a full recovery, but her voyaging days on deck and a lot of it found its way in from the doldrums at 10°N, after a excellent westerlies, in which Tystie through the vents and forward hatch. frustrating period battling steep cross were over. She now lives aboard a 25ft reeled off 150+ miles a day. David was yacht in Falmouth, UK. On the 12th David realised he would have to seas, light winds and heavy rain. This pleased, however, to put the somewhat completely seal the vents and forward placed him in a good position to reach November, 2010, without his gallant psychotic Tasman Sea behind him. shipmate, David set sail alone for hatch before leaving Tahiti for the across the NE Trades to Hilo, making Tasmania, catnapping in his hammock Some time was spent in Nelson and windward passage to Hawaii. The rig good time most of the way. under the Hasler pramhood (he was surrounding waters, cruising in worked perfectly, with no breakages, Tystie’s passage from Tahiti to Hawaii coastal cruising on this leg), and using company with Annie Hill on Fantail, though handling the large sail, with its proves beyond doubt that a modern his AIS to alert him to shipping. Two her 26, which now sports a fan- 7m battens, was hard work at times. junk-rigged vessel is capable of making days took him from Eden across to shaped junk sail and self-steering gear He began to think that he’d like to difficult windward passages at sea. Deal Island, and then he sailed on to to David’s designs. David was very make the after sections of the panels This is a tough route that very few the Tamar River. impressed with how good this sail flatter, to stop them from slatting, cruisers are willing to undertake, even looks and how fast Fantail is. By the which annoyed him. Junk rigs are not in boats that are considered windward time Tystie arrived on the east coast of supposed to do that!

Page 10 The JRA Magazine issue 70 February 2016 Hemisphere, but, luckily, sailors ketch rig, but changed his mind after did with her various wingsails, and the soon forget the bad times! building the first set – he was already short battens make the sail very easy to After making landfall at Hilo, feeling exhausted and somewhat manage. Because the sail has a low- Tystie spent Christmas in Lono regretting his decision to proceed. angled yard and short batten parrels, it Harbour, Molokai, before going on So, instead, Tystie’s mast was does not need a luff hauling parrel – to Honolulu for several weeks. She lengthened and a single, high-aspect even the yard-hauling parrel has little left Nawiliwili Harbour for Kodiak, ratio wingsail designed and load on it - and the sail sets and reefs Alaska, on the 11th May 2013. They constructed. The new rig was taken for effortlessly. reached 40°N after 12 days at sea, its first sail in July 2014. This rig Flat-cut, high-aspect ratio rigs were beating hard against the NE trades, proved to have excellent performance tried many years ago but did not prove which went NNE at times, often potential, but David had trouble with to be successful, developing too much sailing deeply reefed. The weather the nose cones and hinges, and spent twist. However, the addition of then became extremely cold, and much of the summer making camber changes the equation David was soon wearing several modifications. By the time winter dramatically, and David has fitted layers of clothing and feeling arrived, he was still not satisfied with upper and lower sheets, with 3:1 grateful that he seldom had to go it. advantage in each, to control the leech. on deck. Undoubtedly he could have resolved After trials, David decided the sail was Four days out from Kodiak, in a these issues, but he did not wish to lose ready for ocean sailing, and he severe gale, Tystie broke a batten, another season in research and departed for New Zealand, via Hawaii later discovered to be caused by a development – he wasn’t getting any and the Western Pacific, at the end of dry spot in the carbon fibre layup. younger and just wanted to go sailing. May, 2015. He was very grateful to make So the wingsail was shelved, the Annie Hill was having her 60th landfall on the 2nd June, shortly doubled section of the sail forward cut birthday bash on the 5th August, and he before another gale and torrential off, and Tystie reverted to a flat-cut, wondered whether he might get there rain descended on the region. He high-aspect ratio junk sail, with poured himself a wee dram in a single, wooden hinge in each celebration, toasting his good luck batten, placed about 40% abaft and his stout ship. Tystie, had now the luff, with 20° articulation. logged more than 75,000 miles at This gives the sail 8.5% sea. camber. These wooden hinges After cruising Alaska, Tystie sailed have the same cross-section, at south to overwinter. A meeting their narrowest point, as a The same sail with the wrap- with Darren Bos and others, who timber batten would have, but around removed 2015 were interested in wingsails and are made from much stronger who had suitable workshop timber. Their design is flyers. At the end of it, David wrote facilities, resulted in David planning a ingenious. that he was not enthusiastic about new wingsail rig, using carbon fibre He reports that the sail is sailing back into the Southern battens, hinges and nose-cones. He delightful to handle. Tystie originally intended to return to the performs almost as well as she The same rig showing the hinged battens

February 2016 The JRA Magazine issue 70 Page 11 in time. It would be a race against the longer route, which favours a more clock. The other reason he was keen to westerly course. Luck went against Think on This... return to New Zealand was to help him and strong contrary winds saw Annie with her new boat, the Sib Lim him headed, at one point sailing off to project, which she shortly announced the NW to get a better slant. Being Typhoon Number Six learned that we had just sailed through would be built to his design. sporting types, the party committee By Rob Prince the eye of Typhoon Number Six. Tystie had an easy passage to Hilo, postponed the big bash for one week, allowing David to arrive in the nick of I would like to reflect on a previous In Japan they number the typhoons sailing 2,397 miles in 18 days, and sailing experience. during the season – too many to name, averaging 130 miles a day. David only time. It is believed he thoroughly enjoyed the party. evidently. made one gybe, halfway through the In 1989 I was sailing my pointy rigged passage, and read War and Peace and David Tyler is a founder member of the yacht in the Auckland to Fukuoka Thinking about that experience today... two other large novels. By using Junk Rig Association, former Chairman Yacht Race. Towards the end of the if we had been junk rigged the sail Predict Wind plus Grib files, he was able of the committee and former Editor of voyage, whilst sailing along the west changes during the typhoon would to shave the edge of the North Pacific the JRA Magazine. He was awarded coast of the Japanese island of Kyushu, have been far easier. High and cut down on the distance the Rose Medal of the Ocean Cruising the wind started to increase very sailed. Club in 2012, for the most meritorious quickly. Thinking about it a bit further... with Shortly after leaving Hilo, David broke short-handed voyage that year. He is all the typhoons coming and going in two battens, later traced to dry spots in one of the most accomplished short- We reduced sail, changing down from that region it is probably no surprise the carbon fibre layup. He returned to handed ocean voyagers cruising today, a genoa and full main to a jib, staysail that junks were developed in those Hawaii and replaced them with timber and one of the most innovative. and reefed main, then as the wind waters battens, then set out again a couple of increased even further to a trysail and days later. Tystie made good time for a storm jib. few days but then ran into extensive doldrums. David swore (but then he All the shipping seemed to have has before) that he would never cross disappeared into safe anchorages the equator again. Once into the SE behind the islands.There was spray trades, Tystie made good time, often everywhere and the seas were very averaging 6 – 7 knots. It was David’s confused. intention to sail non-stop to New Zealand, but a spell of 30 knot All of a sudden the wind vanished and headwinds and very steep seas, while we were tossed around going nowhere. passing through the Samoan Islands, Within a couple of hours a gentle saw him divert into Apia for a few breeze picked up from a different days. direction. We hoisted full sail. In no time at all we had changed down again From there it was direct to Whangarei, to trysail and storm jib. with a marginal likelihood he would make it for the big party. He took a At the evening radio schedule, there gamble and sailed the rhumbline, were concerns for our safety, as we instead of taking the recommended

Page 12 The JRA Magazine issue 70 February 2016