Email
Print
Mooresville man competes in single-handed sailing race
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: July 24, 2008
For several months this summer, give or take a few days here or there, Mooresville's Don Gray had better take all the measures necessary to assure that he won't get too terribly mad at himself.
For the majority of that time, himself is all Gray will have to rely on.
Traveling by land, by sea, by sea and then by land again, Gray will cover in the neighborhood of some 10,000 miles – a healthy amount of them nautical in nature – with only himself as a constant and ever-present companion.
As a result, he will be wearing all the hats as driver, co-pilot, captain, first mate and crew, spending time from late June, through all of July and into the early phases of August at best basically on his own.
"I guess I'm just the kind of guy that nobody else can get along with,'' half-joked Gray, as he made final preparations for the extended excursion early last month. "Honestly, though, this is something that I've really been looking forward to for a long time."
That time has now come. Gray's venture is presently underway, perhaps the most difficult and testing part of the journey taking place after he had to cross the country just to get to that particular portion's starting line.
Transpac 2008
Filling up the bulk of that extended time as his own traveling sidekick will be Gray's first-time appearance in the Singlehanded Sailing Society's 2008 Transpac Solo sailboat race. He will be handling all the duties required as boat captain, first mate, navigator, communications officer, cook and deckhand for that affair that will cover slightly more than 2,100 miles one-way from San Francisco to Hawaii.
The Transpac in the affair's title refers to the transporting of Gray's sailboat Warrior's Wish, a Juston 30 to which he has made some custom adjustments to better suit his needs, from one port to the other across the Pacific Ocean. It will mark the veteran sailor's first trip, solo to boot, across that particular stretch of water.
"I'm really excited about this event,'' summed up Gray, a former member of the U.S, Marine Corps that he still uses to account for his boat's strong military ties. "This has been one of my goals since I first got interested in sailing almost 40 years ago. It will be entirely different from just about anything else I've ever tried, but I figured I'd go ahead and give it a shot now while I still can."
Gray proved that he has the ability and the skills to make the one-way trip that he anticipates taking around 15 days, again give or take a few hours, to complete.
"I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of talking to myself during that time,'' sized up the 60-year-old Gray, whose first sailing experience came when he joined his uncle in England for a sailing trip at the age of 24 and has admittedly been hooked on the sport ever since. "Believe it or not, that's not such a bad thing.
"What does get bad, though,'' added Gray, who embarked on his own sailing career after college, "is when I do something silly that makes me mad at myself. Then, I quit talking, and it gets all quiet. That can be bad when all you have is yourself in the first place."
The trip will account for the longest on his own that Gray has undertaken. It's the second of three such solo sailing adventures that he hopes to accomplish to place on his on-sea log book.
Gray has already participated in the SSS's event taking place from ports in Newport, R.I., to Bermuda, which was a mere drop in the bucket to the extended time he will spend on the water in the Transpac Solo. The third leg of the trifecta is the 2009 Transat event that Gray has plans to engage in some time next year.
"This is by far,'' stressed Gray, "the longest, and probably most difficult sailing trip that I have ever sailed in. It will all be new to me. I've only heard about sailing in and around the Pacific High weather patterns. I've heard they're tough to get through or even try to get around. It will be a new experience for me."
He has prepared well for it.
Gray is nearing 40 years of experience sailing. During that time, he has skippered all types of ocean-going vessels, and the idea of getting involved in solo affairs is one he has been toying with for several years.
"I have always enjoyed single-handed deliveries," revealed Gray. "I had been reading about all the single-handed racing that was going on and decided that if I was ever going to do it, I had to get going."
By land, by sea
For Gray, he's all gung-ho about the trip, one that started from his Mooresville home by land and included touring the nation by highway from there to California. He sat behind the wheel of his truck hauling his boat and trailer over the 3,000 miles just to get to the water portion's starting line. He planned to break the road portion of the ride over the course of four days.
Once in San Francisco, Gray was on board to join all the other participants in the ocean-going attraction that requires so much attention and preparation that it can only take place every two years for pre-race festivities. Included among those numerous affairs are in-depth inspections of all crafts by Transpac Solo and SSS officials to ensure that all of the entries are indeed worthy of successfully navigating the trip.
"You never, ever pass that first inspection,'' noted Gray. "They look at everything on board the boat. It takes around a week or so to get everything in order. I want to make sure I have plenty of time to take care and meet all the requirements.'
Gray will be undergoing a solo sailing event that is nearly two times longer than the 1,400-mile trip included in the Bermuda 1-2 that he sailed in more than a year ago. He will be accompanied on board by just himself – that constant cohort again – as well as all the latest instruments and equipment needed to make such a trip. He will have access to constant communication should the need arise for some assistance and guidance along the way.
"I've heard some horror stories about other sailors," noted Gray, who revealed that the captains are required to check in with race officials at least once a day, "who kind of got confused out there on the ocean all by themselves and had to be helped from their boats during this race. It can do that if you're not careful and really prepared, both mentally and physically. I feel I can tackle any trouble that comes my way."
Hope for Warriors
Gray has the experience.
He is a former member of the U.S. Marines, and it's his continued deep ties to all things military that connect with his sailboat as well. He has named his boat Warrior's Wish, and he has committed his sailing efforts to assist with the Hope for the Warriors program.
The latter is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help enhance the quality of life for U.S. service members and their families that have been adversely affected by injuries or death in the line of duty.
"As a Vietnam-era Marine," Gray disclosed on a subject near and dear to his heart and mind, "this program means a lot to me. I am proud to be a board member. Hope for Warriors turns over 90 percent of its donations to the benefit of U.S. service members and their families."
Gray didn't really know how much of an influence his Warrior's Wish boat was having on the program until he participated in the Bermuda run event. During it, he was floored by the number of calls and letters he received from those he had never heard of who were tracking his entry's efforts and supporting the cause with donations.
"There are folks in this country who still care," nodded Gray. "This is just a little something I can do to show my support as well."
Ship ahoy
Make that a pretty big something.
As for the ocean part of the voyage, Gray was on board to join the rest of the fleet in departing from San Fran's Corinthian Yacht Club in the Bay Area near the South Tower of the Golden State Bridge for the trip beginning this month. He will set sail toward the destination's finish line some 2,200-miles farther west to the site of Pu'u Poa Paa Port in Hanalei Bay, on the Island of Kauai, in Hawaii.
Though eagerly anticipating the excursion, he knows some of what to expect. He's positive he won't gain any weight, and he'll get some limited amount of sleep here and there when he can.
"I figure I'll lose a few pounds along the way," noted Gray, of his on-board menu that included freeze dried food, canned and fresh fruit and protein bars. "And I'm sure I won't get much sleep. I've learned how to get by on some short power naps. There won't be much time for anything else on the whole trip."
While out to sea, Gray will be pitting his own vessel as well as his personal skippering skills against those of near equal size and shape and captain experience, seeing which can complete the one-way trip the fastest. He hopes to be among the top boats in his particular division of competition, one that is also handicapped based on certain criteria involved within the Transpac Solo event.
"I'm just curious to see," noted Gray, "how I fare against other captains, some of them with more experience than me. Hopefully, I will be able to hold my own against most of them anyway."
Offshore support
Gray, also a dad who once served as a volunteer coach at Mooresville Senior High concentrating primarily in track and field, admits the trip and others related to his zeal for sailing could not be possible without strong family support as well as additional assistance from his fellow co-workers at the business he owns and helps operate when he's not out on the open water.
His wife, Sprae, may well be the one that provided the final push for him to go out in the boat on his own. At one time, they were both members of the same sailing crew that took part in several races involving a full compliment of staff. Though a seasoned sailor in her own right, she mentioned that she might not like the competitive part of it as much as she once did.
"She sails," praised Gray, "so she understands how I feel. When she said that she didn't want to go out as much, it kind of got me started out sailing on my own. Also, I have a great crew at work that allows me to disappear for long periods of time. I couldn't do any of this without their help and support."
There and back
For Gray, participating in the Transpac 2008 that last took place two years ago and will next be held in 2010 will account for only half the battle. He will take time to relax once completing the trip from San Francisco to Hawaii before he makes the return trip at a much more leisurely and perhaps less pressure-packed pace later in the month. He will then haul his boat back on the trailer for the four-day return trip from California to North Carolina.
All told, from start to finish, Gray will be gone out on his own from early June through early August, give or take a few days in between. During that time, he will be taking special care not to get too upset at himself. For most of that time, himself will be all he has.
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
