Alone at sea with whooping cough

Kass Schmitt recalls a frightening incident that resonates in the current pandemic crisis

What could be safer than being alone in the middle of the ocean during a pandemic? This has been a frequent response to the news that this year’s Original Singlehanded TransAtlantic Race (OSTAR) has been postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I think people are just trying to be funny, but as someone who once spent nine days alone at sea with a respiratory infection, I can tell you it’s no laughing matter. In 2015, I took part in the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club’s Azores and Back Race (AZAB) on Zest, my 1992 Humphreys 36 custom racer/cruiser. This iconic quadrennial British ocean race consists of two 1,200-mile legs from Falmouth to Ponta Delgada and back, and has traditionally been open to solo and double-handed crews (fully-crewed entries…

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Practical Boat Owner (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2020

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