The "There's Still Hope For Me!" Story

It was an ordinary day. Checking out the cruise ship schedule on TravelTalkOnline (TTOL) to see which days will be the best for shopping in Philipsburg when we head to St. Martin the next time. Seems that the days with the most cruise ships is the best shopping day, since the stores are all open and they are usually giving their best prices to entice the shoppers. Then I start going through the different threads or entries on TTOL to see what is happening at present on St. Martin. An interesting thread appeared and I clicked on it. "A Raft To St. Martin" was the title of the thread and when I opened it I was directed to "Americas on MSNBC". A story titled "Sailor, 85, crosses on raft with friends." 'What else do you do when you get on in years?' 85 years old!! There's still hope for me! A few years ago Carol and I asked our neighbor Hank, who has a license to skipper a catamaran or sailboat up to 60' long, if he would be interested in taking us and 6 friends on a week long sail in the Caribbean. I knew he had done it a few times before and talked constantly about it. He met with the 8 of us and we talked about the trip and eventually half backed out. Didn't like the fact that you bathed in the ocean and washed off with little water in the shower afterward. Also, weren't comfortable bathing next to the ship where others may catch a glimpse of you.OK, we'll do it with 4 and Hank, I thought. Then Hank's wife died, he took a job in Detroit, and we called the entire trip off. Always had it in the back of my mind that maybe someday we would sail the Caribbean, stopping for a swim on some deserted beach and eat fresh lobster and fish we had just caught. Well, maybe it isn't too far fetched to think I can do that someday. Seems this 85 year old British sailor who dreamed of crossing the Atlantic on a raft as a young boy just completed the journey in 66 days with three friends. One of the friends was his doctor. Handy! The trip was 2,800 miles and took two months to complete. The only power on the raft was the sail. The crew took on the jurney to raise awareness about the environment and to prove the elderly are capable of dangerous adventures. They also raised money for the British nonprofit group WaterAid, which provides potable water to impoverished communities. The raft was paid for by money that the 85 year old British sailor, Anthony Smith, got from a settlement after being struck by a van in England that broke his hip. The crew had intended to sail to the Bahamas, but weather and currents brought them to St. Martin. The raft, named "An-Tiki", was made from four, 40 foot water supply pipes and 14 cross pipes. The pipesheld the drinking water for the trip. They had numerous supplies in a small cabin they built as well as a small oven for baking bread. The raft traveled at an average speed of 4 knots, powered by the 400-square-foot sail. They were accompanied by a school of mahi-mahi for most of the trip and had a whale playing next to them a few days. Halfway across the Atlantic, Smith celebrated his 85th birthday with a cake his doctor and cook made on the raft. They ended up docking at the St. Martin Yacht Club and remained on the island for a week. Great story! I guess I shouldn't give up yet on my dream of sailing the Caribbean for a week. But, I better start to make some new arrangements. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - check out how small the raft really is. Photo at the bottom feature the crew from left: John Russell, David Hildred, captain Anthony Smith and Andrew Bainbridge. Notice how Anthony Smith seems to be highlighted by the sun, even in the photo.