Thoughts on Sir Francis Chichester

[TimH]

I originally thought this was an amusing aspect of the man, but I also wonder a lot about it...was he just a serious alky? Was it just boredom? pain from his ailments?

I can see having a few drinks here and there while out there, but to remain tanked most of the time and even in heavy weather?

What do you guys think?


From the Life magazine article.

"The other thing that really strikes me about Chichester's voyage is how much he drank. I only learned recently that while loading gin on to GM IV he was quoted as remarking: "Any damn fool can navigate the world sober. It takes a really good sailor to do it drunk." And on re-reading his book, I find he was indeed constantly rewarding himself with bottles of champagne or multiple strong cocktails after sail changes, changes in the weather, and what-not. In addition to the champagne and spirits, GM IV also had an integral beer keg that fed brew to a tap fixed on the side of a clever gimbaled chair Chichester had installed in the galley. Assuming the man understated his consumption, it seems likely he was in fact half-drunk during much of the voyage. Which, as he himself noted, only makes it that much more impressive."

[Canoe]

Hold on there TimH!

you`re talking about a man who is, for many people, a hero and ( for some ) a role model, you do`nt want to encouage people to drink and drive ( sail ) do you?

If you dig into anyone`s life you will find things which could be used to taint their image, weather these things are correct is another question.

I prefer to remember Sir Francis Chichester as a fantastic sailer and flyer who certainly did a lot of spectacular things which us normal folks can only dream about.

A very SOBER:
Alan

[wizbang 13]

I sail half lit half the time.

[rbgarr]

I would be drunk too, if I felt the way he did about the boat. I understand he thought she was way too tender and congratulated himself on getting her around at all. I don't think he cared for going back aboard afterwards.

But I could well be misinformed. (No surprise there!! )

[skuthorp]

Ooops, wrong Sir Frank. But he did like a tipple too I hear.

[Hwyl]

Assuming the man understated his consumption,

Why?

[TimH]

So there is one final challenge that has not yet been met.

To sail around the world solo and nonstop completely drunk This is assuming Chichester was only half sloshed most of the time

[peter radclyffe]

i still have a letter he sent me in wales in 1968, it did not make sense so maybe he was drunk when he wrote it

[Ian McColgin]

It helps to read his books. He very much appreciated GMIV and makes that quite clear. He writes of her in the manner of a true lover, not a delusional fool, who knows that in real life the beloved is real, not some imagined ideal. She was also a new commission with a number of new ideas that had not been tested - especially not tested over the thousands of miles and thousands of hours of use, so of course there were numerous things to deal with as they came up. Chichester's honesty in writing makes for an impressive advance in our understanding of systems at sea. You must remember that in his day the accepted wisdom was that one person could not single-hand across oceans in a boat of over six tons or a sail area of more than 500 square feet. So many of the systems he pioneered got incorporated into rigging thoughts - especially as put forward by outfits like The Moorings that were rigging to make it bullet proof for idiots.

And yes, Sir Francis was a heavy drinker in the English tradition. Once sailing he'd settle into mostly one sort of drink or another, so at the start he had to provision for always beer or always rum -- he had about twice as much alcohol aboard as he ever used in a give trip.

[matoi]

So that must be why he got knighted. Because Her Majesty was full of understanding. She would have loved to be able to run away somewhere and drink in peace too, but couldn't get a chance.

[Bobby of Tulsa]

It helps to read his books. He very much appreciated GMIV and makes that quite clear. He writes of her in the manner of a true lover, not a delusional fool, who knows that in real life the beloved is real, not some imagined ideal. She was also a new commission with a number of new ideas that had not been tested - especially not tested over the thousands of miles and thousands of hours of use, so of course there were numerous things to deal with as they came up. Chichester's honesty in writing makes for an impressive advance in our understanding of systems at sea. You must remember that in his day the accepted wisdom was that one person could not single-hand across oceans in a boat of over six tons or a sail area of more than 500 square feet. So many of the systems he pioneered got incorporated into rigging thoughts - especially as put forward by outfits like The Moorings that were rigging to make it bullet proof for idiots.

And yes, Sir Francis was a heavy drinker in the English tradition. Once sailing he'd settle into mostly one sort of drink or another, so at the start he had to provision for always beer or always rum -- he had about twice as much alcohol aboard as he ever used in a give trip.

A man that loved life.

[bucheron]

Hi Canoe,

Seems to me you are a person who likes to preserve his illusions. That is your right, but I predict you will find it very difficult on these fora. There has never been a

***** SPOILER OF ILLUSIONS ****** warning issued so you will know what not to read.

[Tom Hunter]

It's a matter of fact that nearly all of humanities greatest accomplishments were completed by people who drank more than we do. I'm writing this sober, but it makes you wonder if I should be.

[Canoe]

Hi Canoe,

Seems to me you are a person who likes to preserve his illusions. That is your right, but I predict you will find it very difficult on these fora. There has never been a

***** SPOILER OF ILLUSIONS ****** warning issued so you will know what not to read.

Hi Buchie,

I`m actually a realist, life would probably be easyer for me if I lived in a dream world of illusions!

The point of my above posting was to induce a little respect for a person who did some very great things in his life, sloshed or not he did achieve more than most of us will do in our lives.

Thanks for your warning about the forum - it applies to allmost all forums I`ve visited so far, most things I simply take with humour and just can`t get "bent out of shape" by the "Writings" of folks like Cap. Rod and don`t understand why people took him so seriously, no one takes it personally if a 4yr. old kid freaks out and calls people bad names.....I hope!

Still sober!

Alan.

[bucheron]

It helps to read his books. He very much appreciated GMIV and makes that quite clear

I remember reading the book about his circumnavigation back in the 70s, when I was working up aspirations from inspirations.

That he loved the boat was not my impression at all. He may have appreciated, but no more than he would any boat that actually got him back without sinking.

I quote the article http://www.wavetrain.net/lit-bits/51...-gipsy-moth-iv I have bold'ed 2 statements.

Not surprisingly, though GM IV earned him great fame and a knighthood, Chichester never thought well of her. In his book, perhaps characteristically, he summed up their relationship in a footnote:

(quotes Chichester)
Let me say at once that I think she is a very handsome boat and if she is controlled she can go fast. Time after time she has reminded me of Lisette, the famous mare. Lisette belonged to General Marbot, ADC to Napoleon. Marbot was able to buy her because she had a bad habit of killing grooms. Marbot controlled this viciousness as far as he was concerned and she saved his life, once by her great speed, a second time by treading and killing a Russian who was lunging at Marbot with a bayonet, and a third time by killing a Russian officer striking at Marbot with a saber which wounded Lisette. I admire Lisette immensely, but I do not think I could ever have been fond of her.
(end chichester quote)


It says something of the British character, though I'm not sure what exactly, that they have chosen to worship this obstreperous vessel.
(end article quote)

and in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gipsy_Moth_IV

In his book The Circumnavigators Don Holm describes Gipsy Moth IV as "perhaps one of the worst racing yachts ever built",[3] while Chichester commented:[2]

Now that I have finished, I don't know what will become of Gipsy Moth IV. I only own the stern while my cousin owns two thirds. My part, I would sell any day. It would be better if about a third were sawn off. The boat was too big for me. Gipsy Moth IV has no sentimental value for me at all. She is cantankerous and difficult and needs a crew of three - a man to navigate, an elephant to move the tiller and a 3'6" (1.1 m) chimpanzee with arms 8' (2.4 m) long to get about below and work some of the gear.

(end comment)

This does not sound like love to me. Actions speak loudly and it was reported that he did not sail the yacht again.

All that said, he could be a colourful speaker and his claims to be drunk may have been exaggeration. He did take a lot with him but he had an awful lot of days to sail.

For myself, I admire him tremendously but do not admire everything about him. He set himself some silly goals, then dammit, came very close to achieving them!

Worse, he tried to achieve the goals with an untested vessel, when that was not neccessary. If there was an existing record to break, choosing a cutting-edge design might be appropriate, but a proven vessel would be wiser when the goals were arbitrary.

IMHO.

[Dan Payne]

fellow ex-club member taught me to hold off on drinking until you're on the way home. Let your geusts drink from the start. Just as much fun and you bring the boat in right side up. I've yet to try this.

[JimD]

Rather obvious, but alcoholics will drink no matter what they're doing. His boozing really had nothing to do with sailing.