OT: Deaf people make insane sailors

Posted By: Donnie - P-185 "DonSail" #96
Date: 5/19/09 8:24a.m.

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Some may get enjoyment out of my "crazy" trips but what about this one: 5 deaf male students from Gallaudet University on a sailing trip from Annapolis to the Bahamas. Some of you may say... "that isn't so bad....". Well here's a few twists.. All in between 19-20 of age. NONE of them have any sailing experience. 3 of them took a sailing class to learn the terminology etc but no actual sailing. This will be done on a Cal 2-27. It's a 27 footer with 6700 lbs displacement. They just bought the boat about 3-4 weeks ago for about $1500. They haven't even test sail it yet. They were too busy studying for the final exams and prepping the boat. The plan was to leave sometime next week. The orginal plan was to sail down to Florida then hope across to the islands. After 1-2 months of sailing, they plan to sell the boat and fly back home in time for their fall semester. I knew one of the boy's father's brother who I commute with on the train. I told him while I like crazy trips but this one really suicidal and stupid. For the last couple weeks, been advising him on how to make the trip more safer. Suggested they pick a captain out of the 5. Test sail. Take the intercoastal waterway on the way down. Get familiarize with basic repairs. Finally they started to wise up and decided to have the boat ship to Florida instead. One of the 5 guys is now on a sailing trip from Baltimore to Cape Cod (that's the trip I turned down). He will only do the Baltimore to NYC portion then fly back home for his own trip. They had the boat surveyed and passed. The guys been hitting the libraries reading up on everything they can on boating. Have to say I'm impressed with their determination/preparation but told them that nothing can ever replace actual experience. So the final plan is to have the boat ship to florida then they will sail across to the islands. One of the boys' mother is hearing and volunteered to call advance to the ports which they will sail to. I hope they will do a blog and will let you guys know. Guess deaf people can't "listen" well to common sense. If successful, they will never forget this memory. Donnie