Julian Megson Ocean Ventures

October has soon arrived.  So has the realisation that I’m not going to get the boat back into the water this year.  The plan was to launch in September and sail her to a permanent mooring in Liverpool.  But there is still much work to do below the waterline before she can be put afloat.

That said and remaining positive, these jobs are better not rushed.  I would be more disappointed – in myself – if I had compromised the quality of the work for the sake of putting her afloat quickly.  Fortunately common sense has prevailed and I have not allowed that to happen, despite the temptation to do so.  Besides, with Winter approaching, I would not be sailing much and the longer she’s out of the water the better she will dry out.

I feel slightly more at ease knowing that there is not much more I could have done to speed things up.  Although I do wonder if I could have found a way.  The weather has been dreadful and has hampered progress and with the usual commitments at home it’s not always possible to get away for a full weekend in order to get stuck in.

There have been times when I’ve found myself hopelessly out of my depth with the refit.  Fortunately for me, I have had some amazing help from a good friend, Duncan, who’s kindness has been overwhelming.  His time, skill and know how have been invaluable.  I’m learning all the time that there is more to sailing, than sailing.

I had a good day at the Southampton Boat Show today.  We had good weather too, it felt like summer for once.

There were two main highlights for me.  The first was to see Suhaili, the 32 foot Ketch built and sailed by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on the first ever non-stop circumnavigation of the globe.  Among the hundreds of moulded glass fibre boats, Suhaili’s hand built teak hull, weathered and imperfect to me looked more stunning than them all.  I couldn’t resist running my hand along her hull, A real piece of history.  If I were given the chance to sail on her or a modern Open 60 I would have to go go for Suhaili.  That said anyone wishing to allow me to crew an Open 60 should not be put off by that remark

The second highlight was been given a chance to speak briefly to Mike Golding, the single handed Yachtsman who has sailed around the world several times.  He gave me some good advice on sponsorship which was very useful and crucial to my future plans.  Thanks again for that Mike.

My Wife Fiona and daughter Megan enjoyed it too.  Megan’s favourite bit, she tells me, was the lifeboat simulator and a tour around a real Taymar class Lifeboat.  It’s a very solid peice of kit, but then you want it to be.  It’s good to know that the RNLI have the best equipment to hand when pulling you out of the drink.

Katie Miller and her boat ‘hot socks’ were there as official ambassador to the Southampton Boat Show.  She’s come a long way since her solo circumnavigation of Great Britain in 2006, a year culminating in being awarded the Raymarine YJA Young Sailor of the Year award.  With a good result in the bluQube 1000 mile Solo race earlier this year she has qualified for the 2009 OSTAR, the Original Single Handed Trans-Atlantic Race.  It’s encouraging for me to see people attaining their dreams.

It’s a big show and you would struggle to see it all in one day.  But if a day is all you’ve got spare as I did,  then it’s still definately worth a visit.

Well the Great British summer has got up to its old tricks again. Rain and more rain with the odd flood here and there. This is making work on the boat slow but not impossible, progress has been made. The hull has been sanded and prepared for a new coat of paint. The engine has been serviced and tested – it was good to here it running for the first time. Seacocks have been overhauled, and the standing rigging is in the process of being replaced with new.

Among my ‘to do’ list is a small crack in the rudder needs investigating, an overhaul of the electrics, a new electric bilge pump plus a whole lot of little jobs. The other thing I’m keen to do is to run all lines back to the cockpit to minimise the amount of time I have to spend on deck. It’s a lot easier and safer to be able to trim the sails from the cockpit without the thrill a banzai dash above decks.

Here’s hoping more sun.

Julian

On Saturday 9 August I signed on the dotted line and took possession of my new boat, a Hurley 24/70 called ‘Ragamuffun’. I’ve been on the lookout for a new boat for a while but it was quite unexpected to find the right boat whilst I was on holiday. We passed the boat yard in Bangor North Wales and decided to take a look around. My wife, Fiona, was looking through the catalogue of boats for sale when she came accross ‘Ragamuffin’. She instantly fell for the boat, not because of the specification, the size or even the way she looked, but because of the name! There is obviously more to buying a boat that just the name, but before I knew it she was arranging a viewing with a member of staff. I trailed both my enthusiastic wife, my daughter Megan and broker through the yard to where ‘Ragamuffin’ was layed up. She was a Hurley 24. A bit tatty here and there but overall she looked well. I should state at this point that I was looking out for a Hurley 22, the smaller cousin of the Hurley 24, so I was pleasantly surprised to be looking at a bigger boat by the same designer.

I decided to think about it for a while and made a couple of visits to the boatyard to take another look before making up my mind. When we got home from our holiday we decided to make an offer and after some bartering we struck a deal. She was mine.

Welcome to my Blog.

This is the beginning of a journey for me. My aim is to make a single handed voyage in a sail boat across the Atlantic Ocean and not only that, but to race. This would push most able bodied people to their limits, let alone someone with a physical disability like mine. I have Spina-Bifida, a spinal defect from birth. However, I am really fortunate because I am able to sail a yacht and sail single handed.

Sailing the Atlantic for me will be a first and I intend to make the whole experience from start to finish a really special time of my life.  It’s a challenge which I would never have thought possible.  But that is what life is all about, living life to the full, pushing through boundaries, achieving great things and inspiring others to make the most of their potential.

I’m not out to change the world, I shall leave that to far more capable people than I.  But should I succeed I hope that in my small way that I might be able to inspire and motivate others to do something far beyond what they thought themselves capable of.  Everyone has a fire in their belly, a desire to do something fantastic with their lives, but it is up to us to do something about it.  Something which I aim to do from this moment on.  Obstacles are to be expected, but obstacles are there to be overcome.

I can honestly say that already I am having the time of my life.  I’m a disabled working class bloke from Bradford. Yet I sail the open sea, with its ever changing moods.  It really is the most beautiful thing.

I hope you enjoy my blog and follow me as I take my journey from landlubber to ocean yachtsman. I welcome all your comments.

Cheers, Julian