Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Welcome to the New Blog

In this world there are two kinds of people: those who do well on tests and those who don't. Typically, I would be categorized with the latter group, so I am very pleased to announce I passed all four sections of the masters captains license test and am only a whole lot of paperwork and bureaucracy away from being an official captain.

For those of you wishing to follow in my footsteps in getting a captains license I would recommend quitting your job and social life and preparing yourself for weeks and months of study without letup. Now understand, I'm not complaining as much as trying to give you a picture as to how it really goes. There are four parts that you are tested on when you get your captains license: navigation, nav. general, rules of the road and deck general. Having sailed my entire life, most of this was long known info with the exception being the rules of the road.

The rules wouldn't be so bad except they are written in such a dry and uninteresting way that they are almost impossible to learn. For example, you must memorize dozens of light sequences in which you see red, green, yellow and white dots against a black background and know exactly what type of vessel that is, their size, and what they are doing.

I just told myself while memorizing all this stuff that it will help me immensely when I'm out there on the deep blue dodging ships. In the end I was convinced that I would not do well on the rules test, but must have known them better than I thought because by some bizarre twist of fate I managed to get 100%. Quite a pleasant surprise to say the least.

I have received an abundance of delightful emails explaining in vivid detail what my past blog was lacking, so you may be glad to know that establishing this blog is step one of moving to the new website/blog setup.

For those of you who have just started following my progress I will give you the cold hard facts. I am 17 years old and have dreamt of sailing solo around the world since I was six. The past three years have been spent preparing mentally, physically and financially (cough) for the ultimate expedition of circumnavigating nonstop against the prevailing winds and currents.

I live in Port Angeles, Washington and if all goes well plan on departing for the circumnavigation some time this summer from Port Townsend. My entire life has been spent sailing in the often challenging waters of the pacific northwest, and my offshore experience includes sailing both ways between California and Hawaii with the first person to circumnavigate under 21, Brian Caldwell. Of course, I am also getting my captains license and am training every day for the rigors of the voyage, and will sail thousands of solo miles before departure.

Sailing east to west nonstop around the globe is a much more challenging undertaking than the usual route because it means fighting for every mile against not only the most formidable body of water on the planet, the southern ocean, but the spin of the globe itself. It will be less pleasant because sailing to windward is harder on the boat and sailor. The route will also mean sailing a greater distance because you must tack back and forth when sailing upwind, thus often requiring 15 miles of sailing for every 10 miles made good. It is considered the most challenging solo voyage one can undertake and to date only five people have successfully completed the accomplishment. I can hardly wait.

Now if you will excuse me, there is sailing to be done.

14 comments:

  1. Way to go Ryan! You needed a real blog like this so we can follow your adventure and cheer you on! There'll be many others interested in your voyage!!!
    Chaz

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  2. Ryan,
    I just saw about your new blog on Dilip's Blog!
    Outstanding about your captains license! Having been to your old website, I am pleased you are now using blogspot. I think you'll get more traffic. Nice job explaining your background, where you're from, and your goals. That too is much clearer now! Feel free to solicit us for help as I think our community has a lot of talent and connections to draw from.
    All the best to you,
    Paul Sims

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  3. Ryan the blog looks very sharp! The captain's license sounds like a real pain but you show your mettle by sticking it out. No one is going to say you're not qualified for this trip! I look to many adventures we will be sharing - you doing all the inspiring and work of course!
    Pete

    P.S. Found you on Jessica's blog

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  4. How about some photos so we can see what you look like?

    Thanks

    Emma
    x

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  5. Cool beans dude!!!!!!!!!!!
    Can't wait! How about some boat pics or a link to what it might look like? Do you need sponsors?
    Ray in Santa Barbara

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  6. Ryan ... Congrats almost Captain and also for the outstanding looking website! It amazes me you've been able to finish your captains license, prepare a new website and handle all the criticism at the same time. And be an accomplished violinist. "Only to have a 17 year old mind again.....hmmmmmm......"

    Hope you succeed, I really do. You have an excellent open writing style that will make interesting reading. If you have time, read some of Don McIntyre's posts on Talisker Bounty Boat expedition. His tell-all style is outstanding.

    Good luck with finding new sponsors.

    Bob (formerly Bob from Seattle)

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  7. Ryan, Congratulations on your license. Yeah all these white, red and green, and yellow lights, not to mention the low visibility sound signals - and then below 12m/above 12m/above 50m, fishing and towing vessels. Fortunately you may not have to be concerned with buoys and the difference betw. sector A and B on your voyage.
    Just remember the winds goes the other way round at the southern hemisphere. Its like French: horse is cheuvalle and so it goes.
    Sponsors: You will definitely need FleetBroadBand.
    Hint: (shameless plug from DK) I hope Thrane & Thrane has a distributor in your vicinity. They sponsor Abby´s Sailor250 and Jessica has a Sailor250 also, sponsored by SatCom in AUS. The Sailor antenna must be good stuff, surviving Jessica´s knockdowns. Good luck with the blog - I think everybody is going to like it.

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  8. Felicitaciones !!! Sigue adelante el horizonte te espera, te sigo desde aquí.
    Buenos vientos
    Quito, Ecuador

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  9. Captain Langley,
    Has a nice ring to it. Congratulations on passing your captains license test. What a great accomplishment. I enjoy the Olympic Peninsula every chance I get and plan on making it to one of my favorite towns, Port Townsend, for the big send off. Best, of luck Ryan. Looking forward to following the progress of your preparations.

    From Seattle, WA, USA
    SaltyDog

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  10. Hi Ryan

    Nice to see the new blog - I hope you're going to keep this one active ;)

    It seems to me that you're doing all this along. Are your family and friends supporting you? It'd be great if you could get someone to help out, say by maintaining and growing the website, setting up a Facebook group etc etc. It will all help you gain more needed publicity and, in turn, sponsorship.

    Good luck, as ever.

    Jim

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  11. Hi Ryan, I found this address on Jessica Watson's site.
    I saw you new blog's address on Jessica's site.
    Congratulations! Good job done there! New captain, new blog, new start for your project!
    Now new boat, new sponsors, new challenges... Good luck! I shall follow you regularly and I wish you all the best. Few time left before this Summer, isn't it? Work well and you will achieve.

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  12. Looking good! I can identify with the dry learning and testing; I've taken 6 FCC exams over the years...congrats on the 100%, I wish I'd done that well on all of mine!

    Nice blog, keep it up, Ryan!
    Tray M.

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  13. I might as well add lucky #13 comment.

    How's it going mate? Things moving along well for you?

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  14. Captian,

    I was reading Abby's blog today and found a link to you. I am from Oak Harbor and bought my boat from a guy out on Lopez. I enjoy reading sailing blogs and learn alot from them. I wish I would have know about those lights when I was crossing elliot bay a little while ago when I came across a tug boat pulling a barge of something. I almost sailed over the connecting line. If it were not for the astute captian of the tug who signaled with his flood light I surley would have ran into it.

    Nice blog. I was thinking of starting one for my boat.

    Sponsors are very important, sounds like your parents are sponsoring you now, but an adventure around the globe can be quite costly, so having giant companies with deep pockets that need advertizing really helps with the budget of your journey.

    Hope to hear your posts regularly.

    Chuck D.

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