Very briefly the plan is to construct a Raft in Florida and sail it first to Panama, then either using the Panama Canal or road haulage to the Pacific coast and sailing across the Pacific.
"Domentia" is a Raft, not a disease.
As a quick explanation, Dementia is a terrible affliction mostly on the aged.
Raising awareness in aid of Alzheimer’s research is very appropriate for an "Aged Pirate"
The Name of the Raft is deliberate, “Domentia” not a misspelling of Dementia.
Over the years there have been many Raft designs, from Egyptian reed boats or Kon-Tiki, Balsa wood construction, to Rafts built from plastic bottles.
Basically, floatation on which to mount a platform and a house, living accommodation for an extended period, and driven solely by the wind.
The construction of the Raft “ANTKI”, built and sailed across the Atlantic by Anthony Smith was of using plastic pipes as flotation, which in terms of modern materials is as good as it gets.
Four plastic pipes as used by water sewage or oil pipelines, each forty feet long with a diameter of approx. twenty to twenty-four inches to form the basic floatation and building upwards from there with basic living accommodation for four crew.
A single mast with a square sail, which although is designed primarily as a downwind sail, could with some careful planning be used for reaching. So wind direction and route planning are vital to the success of the venture.
Oh Dear, this is such a difficult question.
Why would anybody do anything that is considered dangerous or outrageous?
The list of Adventures throughout history is endless and would have a tough time justifying their reasons. Some obviously for fame and fortune, but others purely as a self-challenge, the adventure.
For my personal logic. I have reached an age where there is a lot less time ahead than there is behind. I have the choice, to sit and watch the television, being forevermore frustrated at the antics of modern man while I wait for God, Or to go out there and do something, an Adventure.
If at my age, I can at the same time make a statement on behalf of all Aged Pirates, such as myself, “Just because I’m old doesn’t mean that I’m finished” all well and good, if at the same time I could actually help in some way to assist the research of Alzheimer's, which is a subject close to my heart, even better.
So really I have no logical answer, all I can say, in keeping with every Adventure in history, including modern-day astronauts, BECAUSE IT’S THERE…
Humbly there are relatively few Aged people over the age of seventy physically able to take on an adventure of this magnitude.
I am humbled, privileged, and honored to be just such a person. When I look around at the suffering of others and their lives taken short for no sensible reason that I can think of, nothing makes any sense, Why am I here yet my partner was taken at a mere fifty-eight? Nothing makes any sense…
I have been an Adventurer all my life. for the past 40 years, sailing and diving all over the world, or even from early childhood when my parents would be frantic searching for me eventually finding me adrift on a roughly constructed raft. So perhaps I am not considered the“normal” person. Which makes me the perfect candidate for an adventure such as this. I like to think there are others that I can find to join me for this, which could possibly be, my last adventure.
Others, that don’t when asked, reply
“You are Quite Mad.”
The planned route of the first leg from Florida to Panama. Taking either route “A” via the Bahamas, or more likely route “B” via the west tip of Cuba.
Everything dependant on weather predictions at the time of departure, which ideally would be soon after Hurricane season ending in November arriving in Panama before the start of hurricane season on the first of June.
Optimistically, Thirty days would be incredibly good luck, forty to sixty days would be more likely.
The longest journey starts with a single step…
Dreaming, sailing a raft from Florida to Panama and then across the Pacific. Could I do it?
Just the flash of a spark across my brain. Following the steps of one of my all-time heroes, Thor Hyerdal who in 1947 sailed the Raft Kon-Tiki across the Pacific, could I do that? And so the spark starts to glow, Scribbling drawings.
Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity, dedicated to causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cure.
With your help we are making great progress.
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