Teenager Mike Perham sailing the cold Southern Ocean (click to enlarge)
Mike’s 50 ft Open racing yacht. Images courtesy of totallymoney.com/sailmike (click to enlarge)
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Young Mike Perham’s sail around the world, “It's two teenagers going out there, living their dream”
Posted: Jul 23, 2009 07:22 am EST
(TheOceans.net) Yesterday ExWeb reported about an American teenager who had sailed around the world. Another 17-year-old, British Mike Perham, is also on a yacht voyage around the world and is currently mooring in Panama.
Departure and aim
Mike left from Portsmouth’s Gunwharf Quays on Saturday 15th November 2008 on a 50 ft Open racing yacht named, ‘Totallymoney.com’.
He was 16 when he left and his intention was to sail around the world non-stop, single-handed, unassisted. Due to equipment failures, Mike had to stop in Portugal, The Canary Islands, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and now in Panama.
Mike Perham and Zac Sunderland
Mike and Zac’s voyages crossed in South Africa in the beginning of the year. Their trips have been very different said Mike. “I originally wanted to attempt to sail around the world non stop, whereas Zac was always going to stop in many different places and really see the world.”
“Our routes have been very different too, I always wanted to see the raw power and fierceness of the Southern Ocean, the most dangerous stretch of sea there is.
I also wanted to surf along at break neck speed and really feel the boat come alive hitting average speeds of over 15 knots at times and surfing well into the 20's, whilst being deep into the southern ocean down at times to almost 50 degrees south and literally days away from rescue. I'm really pleased that I've experienced both of these and I loved it down there!”
“Zac took a different route, and sailed through the tropics which although has much better weather conditions and is much more of a cruising route, and those who've been following his blog will know that this presents a whole different set of challenges...”
Mike further stated, “I always knew that some people would try to pit us against each other and it bugs me when that happens. Was it Zac vs Mike? No. I tell you what it is. It's two teenagers going out there, living their dream and having the adventure of a lifetime!”
Panama
When he neared Panama he wrote, “I've stayed quite far south and to the east of the track as there's more wind here. It's weird being on Port tack as I've been on Starboard Tack for ages and ages! All my gear and everything has been placed and wedged in for a starboard tack for so long.”
“I'm now also heading to the eastern side of the bay, as that’s where the counter current is and hopefully it will help my part-sail, part-drift into Panama. Also there’s much less shipping over there, which is a very good thing if I’m going to just be drifting.”
Mike moors at the Flamenco Marina, Panama. Due to problem with his main engine, he has been staying in Panama longer than planned. “[The engine] has really got a serious problem in that it jumps around all over the place whenever I engage the propeller,” Mike explained. Mechanics worked on the problems and everything has been fixed.
Mike is booked to transit the Panama Canal and in the latest report he was still waiting to get confirmation of his transit time.
Both British Mike Perham and American Zac Sunderland were 16 when they started their voyages. Zac turned 17 on November 29, 2008 and Mike turned 17 on March 16, 2009.
Both attempted to sail around the world. Several stops were made. Mike stayed further out to sea, whereas Zac stayed closer to shore. Zac Sunderland departed on his yacht from Marina del Rey, California on 14 June 2008 and arrived back 13 months later on July 16, 2009. Mike Perham left from Portsmouth’s Gunwharf Quays on Saturday 15th November 2008 and is currently in Panama.
According to his website, “Mike started sailing at the age of seven and has never looked back. He has completed RYA courses in dinghy sailing and windsurfing. At the age of fourteen Mike became the youngest person to ever sail across the Atlantic single-handed. He still holds that world record today.”
Mike has two Ipods full of his favourite music on the yacht, and a bunch of DVDs and books to make sure he doesn’t get too bored. Furthermore his school has even organised some coursework to take with him “in case I get desperate”, he said.
Mike said his dad is his biggest hero. “He is so supportive of everything I want to do and achieve, and he really puts me in the mindset where I can go out and live my dreams.”
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