MINGMING & the Art of Minimal Ocean Sailing

the cover of Roger's latest offering

Mingming's voyages

2007

2000 miles under patched up battens, 2007

Whales through the Porthole

Piloting Pilot Whales west of Ireland 2007

Pilot Whales West of Ireland 2007

2008

Jester Azores Fleet, Plymouth 2008

Leaving Plymouth for the Azores, Jester astern

Azores Arrival (Photo Tony Head)

Leaving the Azores for Plymouth, 2008

2009

Sailing North to the sun, 2009

Inside Mingming

Approaching southern Jan Mayen

Arctic ice

and again,ice



Yet more...ice

Coast of Jan Mayen 2009

Snaefell Glacier, West Iceland

Off north-west Iceland

Leaving Adalvik, NW Iceland

all photos and captions Roger Taylor

"There are, according to the tetrahedral view of the earth, four oceans; but of these three only are generally necessary to navigation, for the Arctic Ocean is only used by Polar bears and Polar explorers, and in any case not navigable."

So mused the intrepid Irish circumnavigator Conor O'Brien in the opening sentence of his account of his sail around the globe 'Three Oceans', published in 1928. 82 years on, I think Roger Taylor would take exception to that, though certainly not to it's author, whose adventurous spirit mirrors his own.

'MINGMING & the Art of Minimal Ocean Sailing' is Roger's second book. His first, 'Voyages of a Simple Sailor', tells of the events which have led him to his current philosophy and practice of ocean cruising. This new book deals with the implementation and execution of his ideas, and the results of his experiments in real tests, his cruises. He is building on the innovations and experience of his mentors, Blondie Hasler and Mike Ritchie, pioneers of small boat singlehanded ocean cruising. He also brings to his projects a wealth of hard won personal experience gained through a lifetime of sailing. But I don't want to give a false impression. These are not clinical trials. Roger's cruises are his passion. Though he only goes to sea once a year for six to eight weeks, leaving behind his duties as head of an investment management company, his entire year revolves around the planning and preparation for this escape to the solitude and grandeur of oceanic wilderness. It's remarkable that Roger conducts his forays into the Atlantic, the North Sea and the Arctic Ocean in a little 20'7" Corribee MkII, Mingming. Not only is she small, she's also junk rigged and has twin bilge keels, which according to some sailing pundits should make her next to unsailable. Roger's adventures prove otherwise, and I'd hazard a guess that at times he regards her as a living being. She's been heavily modified to allow singlehanded sailing from the warmth and safety of her cabin. Here's Roger on first the planning for his 2007 cruise, then his preparations and modifications to Mingming:

"The winter evenings gripped tighter, darker, colder, but I cared little. I had work to do. I may well have been intending to simply set off and see what happened, but this did not in any way presuppose some sort of lax approach to the project. True freedom of the seas, especially for the sailor of a tiny, engineless yacht, can only be derived from the most rigorous preparation. More than fifty years of sailing had honed my wariness to razor sharpness. Having concieved the general shape of my intended journey, I now had to drill down into the smallest navigational details. Every aspect of the potential routes had to be explored. I had to think through every possible adverse situation to ensure that, in the worst case, I would not be putting myself and Mingming at risk."

And later on, three major modifications to Mingming: Tuning his self steering to allow for infinitely fine adjustments...without having to go on deck, adding protection from spray and weather around the main hatch, and giving her a proper bowsprit.

"My winter preparations for the voyage north were therefore of a dual nature. Contemplation was supported by carpentry. The kitchen worktops, ideal for heavy duty clamping requirements, particularly when it was too cold to work in my garage workshop, were littered with weird works in progress and their constituent parts, along with the saws, files, chisels, glues, screws and so on used to construct them. In the lounge and by the bedside the piles of charts and pilot books and almanacs grew steadily higher. To sail properly, and by that I mean to go to sea unequivocally and without compromise for a month or two each year is a year round business. The preparatory ten months are as integral to the project as the weeks afloat. They are almost as satisfying, too. The more time and effort that go into creating a successful modification, and indeed a successful cruise, the greater the pleasure of experiencing that success during the weeks at sea."

One has to wonder where the time was found to write this book.

Roger goes on to recount three voyages taking place in '07, '08 and '09, two tales of northing and one southern cruise to the Azores. His straightforward accounts of sailing are interspersed with musings on the nature of his projects, and they pull you along with him and Mingming quite skilfully. This is not, in my estimation, your run of the mill cruising yarn ( and I've read lots ). In the interest of brevity here, and so as not to spoil any surprises, I'll leave the rest for you to discover.
The scale of what Roger Taylor is achieving with these cruises brings to mind Joshua Slocum and Webb Chiles, to name a couple. Like those intrepid sailors, he is pushing at the edge of the possible.
Inevitably, I questioned Roger on his influences. Here's his reply:

"Hasler

Richey

Slocum

Guzzwell

My real guiding light, for all his faults (see the article on my website for that) is Bill Tilman. He was of course sailing big fully crewed craft, so with him it’s not about technique but attitude.

And of course Moitessier, whom I met in NZ in the 70s."

I asked Roger to expand on his meeting with Moitessier. His response :

"Nothing to tell, really. He had Joshua on the hard for a while at Opua in the Bay of Islands, where I kept Roc after her Tasman crossings. This was mid-70s, so he hadn’t quite established his legendary status. He was just a fairly well known French sailor. We just had a nodding acquaintance. Can’t even remember exactly what he looked like, apart from a shock of hair. I look back now and think what a missed opportunity it was. If I knew then what I know now I’d have made a much greater effort to get to know him – and I’d have been down there with a camera looking for photo opportunities!

Too late now..."

I hope you'll enjoy Roger and Mingming's adventures as much as I do, and please visit his website.

You can order the book directly from Roger here, or from my Amazon bookstore, too the right.

A great last minute gift idea.

I've never met Roger Taylor in person, but we have had many exchanges (see my earlier posts) and some dealings over the years, and I count him a friend. I'm sure that he's a quiet, retiring type in a crowd, but he opens up deeply when writing. And, I recently persuaded him to join facebook, look for him there.

Roger Taylor and Mingming make good the Davis Strait

The Jester fleet assembled in Plymouth

A Russian contender,Igor Zaretsky, sailed his Peterson 25 The Grand into Newport on the 26 th. of June, being the first to arrive, therefore the 'winner' of the 2010 Jester Challenge, though in my estimation, all entrants, those who got to Newport and those forced to retire, are winners. Read, for instance, about Guy Waites experience, one who had to retire .

Roger Taylor had another idea for his summer cruise, to start with his fellow entrants in the JC, but make for a more distant and exotic goal, the Arctic circle by way of Davis Strait between Greenland and Newfoundland. Here he's checking coordinates mid Atlantic.

Mingming's daily log with Roger's drawing of shearwaters.

Roger celebrated his birthday during the cruise, with cards and newly opened gifts.

Lots of heavy weather experienced on this cruise, here mid Atlantic.

More of the same,

And even more.

Here Roger is hand sewing a Greenland welcome flag in case he needs to make an unplanned landfall. Despite the ensuing events , he didn't need to.

These ingredients make...

A dinner! Typical fare aboard Mingming

The highlight of the cruise, according to Roger, was a visit from this Black Browed Albatross. 8' wingspan.

Davis Strait

courtesy wikipedia

Heavy weather in the Davis Strait.

Mingming was knocked onto her beam ends by a rouge wave in this heavy weather in the
Davis Straits, which flew Roger across the cabin and resulted in his injury

Mingming back in Plymouth Harbour


all photos courtesy Roger Taylor unless otherwise noted

Intrepid voyager Roger Taylor set off this year with the other entrants in the Jester Challenge, but offered a piquant twist. Instead of taking a heading for Newport, RI, like the other participants, Roger decided to make the event his own by stamping off for the Davis Strait, the body of water between Newfoundland and Greenland. He nearly made his proposed goal of entering the Arctic Circle via the Davis Strait, but encountered some very heavy weather in the strait and suffered an injury which caused him to decide to return to Plymouth post haste. A broken rib. Roger:

"A south-easterly gale which started on June 24th built for a day and a half. We were running before it quite comfortably under bare poles. At 0015H on the morning of June 26th, at which point we were about 130 miles west of Cape Desolation on the west Greenland coast, a rogue wave caught us on the wrong quarter, gybing us round and then putting Mingming on her beam ends. I had been dozing on the safe, downhill side of the boat. The gybe moved me to the uphill side, and as we went over I was flipped over onto my back and thrown across the cabin, catching my right side against the corner of the chart table. I did not realize immediately that I had injured myself. My first concern was for my back, which had been wrenched during this short haul flight and awkward landing. It was only a few minutes later, when I was getting us back on the correct heading, and had to reach for a steering line with my right hand, that I heard, as much as felt, a loud 'click' from my right rib cage - the click of two pieces of displaced bone slotting themselves back together again."

At this juncture Roger decided, wisely I believe, to abort further progress and run for home. He returned to Plymouth on July 29th after 67 rather eventful days at sea. Roger reports that he's healing nicely and glad to be home. He counts this voyage as very successful, despite not quite reaching his the circle. I'd agree. Please read the full account at Roger's website.

Also, Roger's second book ,
MINGMING & THE ART OF MINIMAL OCEAN SAILING is actually available now, as opposed to the original date in September. I recommend it.

News from Roger Taylor and Mingming

Front cover of Roger's latest book, due out in August

Roger was awarded the 2009 Jester Medal in recognition of his continuing efforts promoting and experimenting with singlehanded sailing.

Off the North of Iceland

Rounding the NW coast of Iceland, the headland at Straumnes

Off the headland of Straumnes, NW Iceland


all photos courtesy Roger Taylor

Roger Taylor is among those making last minute preparations for the start on Sunday of the Jester Challenge 2010. However, Roger and Mingming will likely not be making landfall in Newport with the rest of the participants. If conditions permit, Roger is planning, instead, in a move reminiscent of Moitessier, to head for a landfall at Cape Dwyer, Baffin Island, a cruise designed to mirror his cruise to Jan Mayen Island last summer, and again putting him within the Arctic Circle. I'm a little disappointed, as I had planned to meet Roger upon his arrival in Newport, but no matter. It's another great adventure for Roger and Mingming, and I'm sure he'll share his adventure with us. Godspeed and safe voyage to you, Roger.
Other news is that Roger was awarded the 2009 Jester Medal for perpetuating the spirit and traditions of ocean cruising established by Blondie Hasler and Michael Ritchie. Congratulations Roger!
The 'soft' photos are screen captures from Roger's understated but totally compelling and mesmerizing videos of last summer's cruise, these taken from the northwest tip of Iceland.

Roger has another book coming out, a book about his voyages in Mingming. I'm sure it will be as deeply engaging as his previous book, ' Voyages of a Simple Sailor', if not more so, will document his recent voyages in Mingming and will have some information on how Roger has adapted his boat for singlehanded sailing.

From the back cover:

'In his new book Roger Taylor follows straight on from 'Voyages of a Simple Sailor', taking us on three more extraordinary voyages aboard his junk-rigged Corribee Mingming. This simple, rugged 21' yacht, constantly developed and honed for effortless single-handed ocean sailing, goes where much bigger and more sophisticated craft fear to tread. Iceland, Rockall, the Faroes, Jan Mayen, the Greenland ice, together with a southern interlude to the Azores, are all encompassed in these enthralling adventures. Written in Taylor's trademark style - fast-moving, witty, uncompromising and intensely observational - these stories will take you to sea as you've never been taken before.'

Due to be published this August, you can reserve a copy here.

Roger! Bon Voyage, have a great cruise.

Michael Richey, 1917-2009

courtesy Billy Black

courtesy Jester Challenge

courtesy Billy Black

courtesy Jester Challenge

courtesy Jester Challenge

courtesy the Gypsy Moth collection

A life well lived and very rich indeed. I do not mourn the passing of Michael Richey, but rather wish to celebrate the life of a man who lived his life to the fullest with a great many significant achievements. Mike passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2009, leaving a rich legacy for all sailors who aspire to adventure. A veteran seaman who saw action in WWII, Mike later followed his passion for navigation to became one of the founding members of the Royal Institute of Navigation. Mike was also the inheritor of Jester, Blondie Hasler's seminal junkrig conversion Folkboat which inaugurated the OSTAR transatlantic races, and it's his dogged participation in these races, all of them, after acquiring Jester from Blondie in 1964, which interests me. Mike was persuaded to buy Jester upon her return from the second Ostar and he and Jester participated in every one of these races until she was lost in the '88 race. A new cold molded Jester was created with the help of a trust organized by Nigel Rowe, and Michael continued to make these crossings. Over the years the race grew more and more competitive, with larger, faster, hugely funded racers quickly betraying the Corinthian( (dated),(nautical) An amateur yachtsman who sails his own yacht without a professional skipper ) origins of the event. Michael seems to have joined the race for reasons other than winning , seemingly it was the journey that mattered. He and Jester last participated in 2000, when a special dispensation was granted to allow the 26' boat to enter as the minimum length had been raised to 30'. In total Mike crossed the Atlantic single handed a whopping 28 times!, nine of which were Ostar's. One source reports: 'He confessed that coming in perfectly last became his objective, since it wasn’t so much the sailing that interested him, rather the navigating. He would often sail with centuries-old Portuguese, Phoenician, Chinese and Spanish navigational instruments borrowed from local maritime museums. ' Mike celebrated his July 5th birthday many times at sea, alone, surrounded by his books and good wine, including his 80th.

Truly a man all can admire, and a life all can celebrate.

There is a great obituary here.
A lovely reminiscence here.
A timely tribute here.
And the Jester Challenge biography here.
Take a look at Mike's articles for the Jester Challenge page here.
There is also a very good article on Jester, and Michael, in WoodenBoat #113, by Sheila McCurdy.

Roger Taylor on Furled Sails

all images courtesy Roger Taylor
altered versions © Thomas Armstrong

Furled Sails, the sailing podcast, has a two part interview with one of my favorite twosomes, Roger Taylor and Mingming. I posted earlier on their summer voyage to the Arctic Ocean, specifically Jan Mayen Island. The images above are screen shots from one of Roger's videos taken during the voyage while he was sailing through bergy bits. I highly recommend the Furled Sails interview with Roger, and Furled Sails in general... Noel and Christie are doing a great job and there' s an overwhelming array of great interviews with sailing personalities, with an emphasis on small boat adventurers. I also urge you to visit Roger's website for his articles and videos. Roger's book, 'Voyages of a Simple Sailor' is a must read for anyone who enjoys this weblog. It's available from Roger directly or from my bookstore on the right of this page. Roger is preparing Mingming for the 2010 Jester Challenge, and I'll be writing about that soon.