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Yachting World

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Sailing around the world in an 18ft boat: Extract from Australia The Hard Way

• Tom Cunliffe
• August 10, 2020

A violent storm, broken tiller and leaking petrol put David Pyle and crew in great peril on a passage to Australia in an 18ft Drascombe Lugger

The Hermes crew befriended Nell the cat in the Far East

David Pyle was a young sailing instructor who’d crossed the English Channel in a Wayfarer; then he designed and built a 27ft yacht to compete in the 1968 OSTAR . All this turned out merely to be a prelude to the great adventure that was to come when he and Dave Derrick sailed an 18ft open Drascombe Lugger called Hermes to Australia.

In his foreword to this new edition, Pyle notes that the two young men made the trip for no better reason than to prove it could be done. Rather than going by conventional yacht, the Drascombe would allow them to use rivers and harbours impossible for other craft. An example is that, rather than entering the Indian Ocean by way of Suez and the Red Sea, they cruised instead through Iraq down the Tigris and into the Persian Gulf.

This is a book not to be missed in its entirety, but for now we’ll share with them the passage across a stormy Aegean at the height of the Meltemi…

The Drascombe Lugger could sail rivers and enter harbours too shallow for deeper draught craft

From Australia The Hard Way by David Pyle

The local fishermen of Amorgos confirmed our suspicions. The etesian winds had begun and we had still 60 miles to go before Kos, an island off the south-western corner of Turkey. It was also the worst stretch if a north­erly was blowing, with no protection from any islands except one, Levitha, which was very small and uninhabited except for the lighthouse keeper.

For 300 miles north there was nothing, a long enough fetch for a northerly gale to produce a considerable sea. We had to take a chance and attempt the crossing now, before the seas really built up.

The wind stayed light until sunrise the following morning, when once more a stormy north-westerly began. Levitha was only half a mile off the bow; within half an hour we were sailing into a cove on her southern shore, the most perfect natural harbour in the Greek islands. We dropped anchor and both turned in for a fitful slumber on our now leaking air beds.

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Later that morning we awoke to the noise of the wind howling through the rigging; Hermes was perfectly sheltered, but we still had another 40 miles of open seas to cross before we were out of danger.

For three days and three nights it blew a full gale. On the fourth day I decided that we had been on the island long enough. For a few hours the previous night the wind had moderated, and might do so again tonight. The seas, with the long open fetch northward, would be quite large, but 40 miles to the east lay Kos.

Its harbour was a farther 15 miles on its eastern extremity, but to its north lay Kalimnos, and a few other smaller islands, giving some kind of shelter. All movable objects were lashed down; our external buoyancy tanks were fixed around the gunwales but left deflated; by nightfall we were ready and, with only the genoa up, we crept out of our little cove.

The thin tiller snapped off during the storm described in this excerpt

For a while all seemed well; the wind was from the north-west and Levitha offered some protec­tion from the seas. But as we came out from under her protecting shores, it soon became evident that we had a rough passage in store.

The seas were running in onto our quarter, and I kept glancing over my shoul­der with a wary eye, estimating their size and potential danger. They were hitting Hermes 10-15° off the stern, which was preferable to a direct run, where she’d career off on either tack while surfing down the front of the waves.

But it meant a continuous strain in one direction on the helm, trying to prevent her rounding up into the seas and being hit beam on. It took all my strength to keep her on course and the thin laminated tiller often bent at an alarming angle.

Foaming seas

Within half an hour of leaving Levitha, the wind suddenly increased and the seas began to break and foam past us. “Get the genoa down and change it for the working jib,” I yelled, trying to make myself heard over the roar of the seas and the screaming wind. Dave was now highly profi­cient at changing headsails, and the working jib made helming that little bit easier. Meantime my brain was working full-time, trying to work out the most practical solution to our problem.

I thought of lying to the sea anchor; but this would be completely impracticable, as the rocky shores of Kos were to leeward of us, and in time we would have been driven upon them. The only solution was to run before the wind and seek shelter farther on. After an hour the wind subsided from a full gale to 25 knots. I was extremely tired, with pains in my arms making it almost im­possible to grasp the tiller. I handed over to Dave. Ten minutes later another squall hit us.

I could sense that Dave was having difficulty in handling Hermes . Suddenly a monstrous wave came up astern like a car on a big dipper, Hermes was picked up in a welter of foam and surfed down the face of the wave, skidded sharply to port and was then hit beam-on by a break­ing crest.

David Pyle and the recently-built Hermes during the boat’s fit-out

We both clambered frantically to windward, to try to keep her on an even keel. My mind was reeling. Certain that we were going over, I gasped for breath and swallowed a lungful of water.

Coughing and splut­tering, I instinctively grabbed the helm to try and bring her back on an even course. But when I caught hold of the frail wooden stick, it fell to the bottom of the boat, broken off at the rudder stock.

• 1. From Australia The Hard Way by David Pyle
• 2. Crippled and helpless

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Sailing Instructors and Staff

The most important part of any sailing school is the staff. We feel very fortunate to have some of the finest instructors in Southeast Florida.

Chris May, Instructor

Captain Chris May has over thirty years of experience operating vessels from 8 to 800 feet, from the Chesapeake Bay to the straits of Kattegat. As a trainer for the Dale Carnegie organization, he developed an amenable style, coaching people to achieve their ambitions. He now leads and/or teach sailors and divers, helping others to enjoy venturing on, and under, the sea.

Chris has a BSME from Tulane University, a MSME from the Naval Postgraduate School and served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the US Navy for 12 years.

Chris is certified to to teach ASA 101 - 106 and has been an ASA Outstanding Instructor in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Dick Dawson, Instructor · Gail Dawson, Chef

Captain Dick Dawson grew up in Chicago and started sailing on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin where he spent his summers. He was very active in the Boy Scouts of America and achieved their highest rank of Eagle Scout. Along the way he participated in every water sport you can imagine, including white water canoeing, water skiing, scuba diving and under water basket weaving to mention a few! But sailing has always been his love and he just enjoys hanging around boats and docks. He believes there must be some salt water in his blood.

Captain Dick met his wife, Gail, in Iowa while working on his B.S. degree in biology. After college, the Navy took them to California and Captain Dick, who was a Commissioned Naval Officer, spent two tours of duty in Vietnam, one as the skipper of a Patrol Craft Fast patrol boat commonly know as a “Swift Boat”.

After his active duty service he went to work in the petroleum industry in San Francisco, selling bunker fuel to ships all over the world. It was here that he first started teaching sailing for boy’s camps and bought his first yacht, a 30 foot Coronado which he sailed on San Francisco Bay and the California coast.

After raising three great kids, Gail and Dick quit the corporate rat race, sold their house, cars and most of their worldly possessions, bought a 51 foot Jeanneau in St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles and commenced cruising throughout the Caribbean and eventually buying a home on the island of St. Maarten. It was here that Captain Dick became a certified ASA Instructor and also started doing yacht delivery work.

Gail, who also loves to sail, is a first class chef and enjoys passing on cooking tips for food preparation and storage, unique to cruising yachts, to students.

Captain Dick is certified to teach ASA course levels 101 – 106, plus 114 catamaran courses. He has taught seasonally with Blue Water Sailing School since 2008 and has earned the USCG 100 ton Master Captain’s License with close to 60,000 NM in his log book. He has been an ASA Outstanding Instructor in 2018 and 2020.

Jaye Melanson, Instructor

Captain Jaye Melanson’s boating experience began early, with several voyages from the pristine shores of her native Vermont to Cuba and the Bahamas. Her most recent sailing sabbatical was a challenging yet glorious eighteen-month, single-hand excursion. The journey took her down the Eastern Seaboard and throughout much of the Caribbean aboard her beloved Absolutely, a Tartan 37 cruising/racing yacht.

At the culmination of this adventure, Jaye found herself working in Florida. She has since turned her passion for sailing into a career by working as Director of a sailing school, a charter captain, charter agent, an ASA -certified instructor, delivery captain, Director of SailTime Miami, a dive boat captain and dive master.

“I’d have to say I’m happiest while teaching and sharing my love of sailing with our students. Blue Water Sailing School is the best thing that has happened to me, and you’ll say the same if you sail with us.”

Having cruised, dived, moored, fished and explored extensively throughout the East Coast and Caribbean, Captain Jaye is proud to offer her unique perspective and acumen to the yachting world. Her return to port is always filled with smiling faces and fantastic memories.

Jennifer Wirth, Instructor

Captain Jennifer Wirth grew up in Milwaukee, WI. Sailing dinghies on Lake Michigan taught her a love of the sport, and she’s been pursuing it ever since as both a career and a lifestyle. She began her sail-teaching career in college, where she made room in her heavy course load of physics classes to be an instructor for the student sailing club.

After earning her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Jennifer turned her attention to sailing full-time. Following a short stint working aboard a 60-foot ferroconcrete ketch, she downsized to something a little closer to the ocean and more to her taste — a 23-foot Herreschoff cutter. She spent the next six years sailing the Caribbean, living on self-caught seafood and fresh island fruit, enjoying the self-reliance and empowerment of “cruising simple.”

Captain Wirth earned her USCG 100 ton Master Captain’s License in 1995. She runs regular sailing charters out of Miami to the Keys and Bahamas aboard monohulls and catamarans, and fishing trips in the Keys. She’s been an active ASA sailing instructor since 1999, teaching courses up to the Advanced Coastal Cruising level ( ASA 106). When she isn’t sailing or teaching, Jennifer indulges her passion for fishing.

Captain Jen is certified to teach ASA course levels 101 – 106, plus 114 catamaran courses. She has been an ASA Outstanding Instructor in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

José Miranda, Instructor

Captain Jose Miranda was born and raised on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, starting his sailing adventures at age 16. After college and degrees in chemistry and math he travelled in Europe as a fashion photographer, a career which he continues part-time to this day.

Returning to the Caribbean he started sailing as “rail meat” on racing boats, eventually moving up to handling the running backstays on Maxi class yachts.

He has sailed in the Med, Atlantic, Pacific and Caribbean Seas, but the all-time favorite place he has sailed is Antarctica. His favorite time in sailing is when the land dips below the horizon and all that is left is the boat and the sea.

He's style of teaching is very energetic and practical. He loves teaching and he's very patient with students of all levels. When not teaching, he's delivering boats worldwide. He is bi-lingual, English and Spanish. Capt. Miranda is a USCG licensed 100T Master and has American Sailing Association instructor certifications through Advanced Coastal Cruising (ASA 206). He has been an ASA Outstanding Instructor in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

When not on the water, Jose lives in Fort Lauderdale with his wife and two sons.

Tracy Spinney, Instructor

Growing up in the Oklahoma oil fields didn’t offer Tracy Spinney many sailing opportunities. But a family sailing vacation around the Chesapeake in the early 80s conjured a love affair with the wind and waves that’s lasted ever since.

After a successful career on Madison Avenue as a creative director, producer and voice actor, Tracy turned his hobby as a racer/cruiser into a profession, teaching sailing and racing at Manhattan Sailing School, Vineyard Sound and with Blue Water Sailing School. He has delivered yachts from New York to the Caribbean and back again, logging thousands of miles of blue water sailing. Tracy is a USCG Master and ASA Instructor up to ASA 106: Advanced Costal Cruising and looks forward to becoming certified in ASA 108: Offshore Passagemaking. He has been an ASA Outstanding Instructor in 2017.

Tracy refuses to be drawn into the monohull versus catamaran debate by aspiring to have one of each: a mono for racing; a cat for his wife Suzanne, daughters Kristen and Laurel and the family dog, Tiller.

Tony Wall, Instructor

While recovering from a soccer injury in the early 1980s, Captain Tony Wall discovered the pleasures of one-design racing and weekend sailing on Long Island Sound and off the coast of Newport, RI.

“By the mid 80s I was hugely exaggerating my big boat experience, so I could charter large Beneteau and Jeanneau yachts in the Caribbean,” admits Tony. “I soon learned the importance of good training and proper education to add to my pure sailing abilities.”

Now an ASA -certified advanced sailing instructor, Tony has amassed over fifty thousand miles in blue water. A Pacific crossing in 1992 and a transatlantic voyage in 2006 took Captain Tony to many exotic and historically interesting destinations, as well as teaching him the value of self-sufficiency and perseverance. He also has years of racing experience under his belt, and is a three time winner of the Newport–Bermuda race (twice as tactician).

When he’s not busy training a new generation of sailors, Tony is a yacht broker licensed and insured in the state of Florida.

David Pyle, Owner

David Pyle was born and raised far from the sea, in northeast Ohio. He discovered yachting during a college sailing trip in the Bahamas. It was love at first sail, and a new direction in his life was set. After graduating with a degree in math, Dave moved to the San Francisco Bay area and started sailing recreationally.

He eventually got a job as a first mate for a charter company operating in Florida and the Bahamas. With the experience and sea time he gained working for the charter business, Dave attained a US Coast Guard captain’s license and went into business as a delivery and charter captain.

After five years of almost full-time sailing — four transatlantic crossings, numerous trips from the Caribbean to the US, and throughout Florida and the Bahamas — Dave swallowed the anchor and acquired a charter company. A few years, a business partner, and one marriage later, Dave and his wife Monica became the sole owners of Blue Water Sailing School.

Although now he usually sails a desk, Dave is a USCG Master (100 ton), and certified by the ASA to teach courses up to ASA 106: Advanced Coastal Cruising . Besides sailing, Dave enjoys skiing, mountaineering, running and hiking.

We actually went somewhere (Key Largo), rather than returning to the dock each evening. The course was made to be an adventure, as well as simply instructional. The weather was “made to order” — sun and gentle breeze Saturday through Wednesday, then Force 8 for our ‘foul weather instruction’ on Thursday.

I thought it was an excellent, challenging course. It definitely wasn’t a “cruise.” The instructor expected a lot from the students. I like that.

I have nothing but the utmost praise for your entire operation and the quality of the instruction that I received. Al Hatch is a consummate instructor and brings to this activity a love and a passion that is genuine and expansive. I hope to be able to return to Blue Water to experience some of the higher-level courses of instruction, and I certainly would have no trouble at all recommending your company to anyone.

Back in 1969, just to prove it could be done, David Pyle and crew Dave Derrick set off in their 18-foot Drascombe Lugger Hermes, first across the English Channel toward France, and then down the Tigris through the Middle East, and on through to the other side of the world. Negotiating currents, governments, and pirates, the daring duo eventually landed in Darwin, Australia, having quietly undertaken the longest open-boat voyage ever.

We caught up with David Pyle after reading his recently reissued book, Australia the Hard Way.

Do you remember when you first got interested in boats and the first boat you sailed? The first time I remember was around the age of 3, at the end of the Second World War, when our family moved from Sheffield down to Gosport, close to Portsmouth Harbour. My mother and father often sailed their International 14 there before the war and in 1946 my father bought an 18-foot clinker keel yacht and started racing again with me on board, used as a form of moveable ballast. At age seven I was given a rowing dinghy which could mount a small sail. By now my father had purchased a 30-foot wooden lifeboat and converted it into a four-berth sailing ketch. With so many shortages after the war he had to find and use various items from a scrapyard, like masts from lengthy ex-Navy oars, a door to the “head” that had previously been the lid of a wooden bureau, and the engine a home-converted 4-cylinder model from a disused fire truck.

This story is from the November - December 2020 edition of Small Craft Advisor.

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We’re one of the only sailing schools in the United States to offer sailing certification at every level of the American Sailing Association curriculum , and they’ve given us the ASA ’s Outstanding School award five times . Sailing education is all we do — with our specialized approach, you can be assured of the finest training available.

Learn more about Blue Water Sailing School and our award-winning instructors .

We teach sailing classes at every level, from basic sailing to offshore passagemaking. Whether you dream of daysailing on the lake with family and friends, becoming a charter captain, or crossing the ocean in your own boat — we’ll give you the training and experience you need to realize your vision.

View our course catalog to find out what we have to offer.

We actually went somewhere (Key Largo), rather than returning to the dock each evening. The course was made to be an adventure, as well as simply instructional. The weather was “made to order” — sun and gentle breeze Saturday through Wednesday, then Force 8 for our ‘foul weather instruction’ on Thursday.

I thought it was an excellent, challenging course. It definitely wasn’t a “cruise.” The instructor expected a lot from the students. I like that.

I have nothing but the utmost praise for your entire operation and the quality of the instruction that I received. Al Hatch is a consummate instructor and brings to this activity a love and a passion that is genuine and expansive. I hope to be able to return to Blue Water to experience some of the higher-level courses of instruction, and I certainly would have no trouble at all recommending your company to anyone.

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Princess Yachts bought by investment group

Leading British boatbuilder to be bought out by investment group, subject to antitrust approvals

Princess Yachts International, makers of Princess motorboats, is to be acquired by an investment group called L Capital 2 FCPR for an estimated £200m.

The consortium, sponsored by Groupe Arnault, the investment vehicle of French billionaire Bernard Arnault, and LVMH, the luxury goods company he runs, signed the agreement to proceed with the sale on 30 May.

The deal is now subject to antitrust approvals, and it is thought it might be finalised by early July.

The company’s owner, South African billionaire Graham Beck, is understood to have instructed Cavendish Corporate Finance to find a buyer for the business last year. Beck has owned Princess since 1981 when his Kangra Holdings bought the publicly listed Renwick Group, which then owned Marine Projects, the former name of Princess.

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In a latter to employees, David King, current MD of Princess, said that, from 1 July, he would become executive chairman, Chris Gates would become MD, and Will Green would become sales director alongside David Pyle.

“L Capital has recognized in Princess one of the leading yacht companies in the world, with a long-standing tradition of building modern, sophisticated, high quality yachts with excellent seakeeping, under the leadership of a remarkable group of managers”, said Daniel Piette, chairman of L Capital and member of the Executive Committee of LVMH.

David King, founder of Princess, added: “This new partnership will bring lots of opportunities for Princess. We could not have found a better partner who shares our vision for growth and who will help us develop a stand alone business that benefits from the expertise of its sponsors.”

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Delta Superyacht Wildflour Sold and Renamed Paladin

By Ben Roberts

Superyacht Wildflour has today been announced as sold by Denison Yacht Sales , and is now set to become Paladin under the wing of her new owners. A true adventure yacht, this world-cruiser is the latest in a string of sales announcements at the height of the year.

The 47.5-metre (156’) Delta superyacht Paladin is world ready, with a legion of luxury toys and advanced facilities on board for the longer voyages. Built in America, Paladin was launched in 2008 and benefitted from a total refit in 2016, bringing her up to date and back onto the market before her sale between Denison Yacht Sales and Fraser.

With space on board for 12 guests in 5 staterooms, Paladin offers ample space for rest, relaxation and family get-togethers thanks to open deck spaces, a style and size that fits any backdrop as well as a highly luxurious decor.

Walnut furnishings, leather panels, textural weaves and open spaces provide the intimate settings for friends and family to spend time on board together, while the owner’s suite is an unparalleled getaway with clean, strikingly designed spaces with double walk-in shower, huge bed and a style draped in shades of sand, ochre, rust and ivory.

With September behind us and activity picking up between two of the world’s biggest superyacht shows, we look forward to bringing you more from the world of brokerage as the news emerges.

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David A. Pyle

American College of Optics began instruction in 1978 with one campus located in Los Angeles. In 1992, Mr. Pyle expanded the curriculum to include other health care education programs, renaming it American Career College to reflect this broader scope. Today, American Career College has five campuses across Southern California, where more than 5,000 students are enrolled in specialized training programs for careers in Vocational Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, Surgical Technician, Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant and several other medical disciplines.

Among ACC’s notable programs is one aimed at students who have not graduated from high school. ACC started an HSE Program with a GED curriculum at the Los Angeles campus in 2001. The idea: make a direct impact in the lives of non-high school graduates by providing a high quality, no cost GED preparation course and exam testing.

During the next decade and a half, the program expanded under the ACC umbrella to meet growing community demand. This included extending into other Southern California areas, including Orange and San Bernardino counties.

In 2015, the Ascensus Foundation took the reins from ACC in a move to further broaden and grow the program into the current HSE Academies model .

Mr. Pyle’s vision for West Coast University is expansive. He set out to grow West Coast University into a premier educator of nurses, with a student-centric approach focused on completion rates, passing rates on state exams, and placement rates. This approach has proved extremely successful. In 2008, West Coast University became the first school of its kind to offer a Bachelor of Science Degree in Registered Nursing (BSRN). The University also launched a Bachelor’s Degree program in Dental Hygiene in 2008.

Recognized in 2008 by the Orange County Business Journal as “Entrepreneur of the Year,” Mr. Pyle holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. He is an active member of his community, involved in numerous philanthropic and civic activities, and is especially supportive of health care and education programs, particularly those that aid underserved and at-risk children and families. In addition to philanthropic giving, Mr. Pyle gives his time to mentor high school juniors through job-shadowing, one-on-one meetings and individual mentoring opportunities. A native Californian, Mr. Pyle was born in North Hollywood and resides in Orange County.

Testimonials

In all the years I have known David, he has never wavered one iota in his passion and commitment in providing exceptional learning opportunities for students. His genuine interest in the success of students has guided the mission of American Career College and West Coast University. In my book, David Pyle is a winner. To this day, I am honored to be associated with him personally.

MARK HACKEN, Retired Health Care Executive Board of Trustees, West Coast University

As a result of David Pyle’s generosity and compassion, KidWorks is able to reach greater numbers of Santa Ana’s at-risk children and families. David shares our belief that hope is a powerful force that can change lives and help children and families fulfill their dreams of a better life. From our staff, to our board of directors, to the children and families whose lives he helps transform, David has our heartfelt appreciation.

AVA STEAFFENS, President/CEO KidWorks

I met Mr. Pyle in the summer of 2011, when I had the opportunity to attend WCU’s amazing international studies program at the University of Oxford. I was impressed with the way he went out of his way to meet and get to know the WCU students. Obviously he has a lot of responsibilities to juggle, but he genuinely sought us out and wanted our feedback. It’s clear that he truly cares about students, and that’s reflected in the quality of the programs and campuses WCU offers.

SARA ROCHA, 2011 BSN Graduate West Coast University

Augie Nieto is a long-time friend of David Pyle. In 2005, Augie was diagnosed with ALS, and he founded Augie’s Quest shortly thereafter. The intention of Augie’s Quest is to raise awareness and fund research for a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Pyle and Peter Ueberroth, President of the 1984 Summer Olympics, were recently honored by for their support of ALS research. At the annual Tradition of Hope Gala in 2011, Pyle received the Humanitarian Award and Ueberroth received the Robert Ross Founders Award.

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