The Skipper

Greg Carroll’s previous voyage, The Atlantic ….Once Around, was supposed to take care of that life-long urge for a major sailing trip. Fortunately, it proved to be like gas on a fire. In June of 2006 between the main course and dessert, Alpheratz (under a different name) was located in Darien, Connecticut and within 4 weeks was tied to a mooring in Blue Hill, Maine. Maine Yacht Center did a complete refit over the following winter and now there is a very strong , seaworthy yacht (with no varnish above deck) for sailing around the world.

The Mate

Jonathan Lewis (winner of the North American Sail-Around-the World-for Two-and a Half Years and Get-Paid-for-It Lottery) hails from Nova Scotia where he has sailed for the last 5 years out of the Chester Yacht Club. He survived a 5 day interview under racing conditions in the Gulf of Maine, spent a half an hour in 58 degree (15 deg C) water cutting lobster warp out of the propeller in Marblehead Harbor, and finally survived a 4 hour dinner with Greg’s family to claim the job! A great sailor, athletic, witty and a great chef. The skipper is not sure who really won that lottery.

RJ Hoar

RJ at Navtronics got the first call in June 2006. “We’re gonna need lots and lots of electronics, RJ.” And lots and lots we got; a well thought out plan for sailing instruments scattered like rice in multiple locations with multiple redundancies. RJ was our first official passage maker from NY to Annapolis and it was a joy to watch him play in the nearly perfect navigation station that he helped create. We are expecting him back for many more legs of this voyage.

Brian Harris

Brian has been part of every one of my voyages going back to Moonfleet in 1986. This time he oversaw the entire refitting of Alpheratz from the pre-purchase survey to the shakedown race to Halifax. So far he is scheduled for the legs to Bermuda and then Mauritius to South Africa, two tricky passages. There isn’t another man on the face of the earth who I’d rather have refit and prepare a vessel for offshore sailing. ……..and there isn’t another man I’d prefer to have with me on a “tricky” passage.

Neil Collins

Neil is sailing the leg from Norfolk to Bermuda….but more importantly, this is the guy who installed every new mechanical and electrical system on Alpheratz; months and months of brilliant planning and flawless execution. From a new engine to a new watermaker, countless electronic instruments, batteries, electric panel, radios and satellite receivers. He did it all…….and he’s going to be getting many, many phone calls for help in the next 2.5 years.

Scott Morash

Scott hails from Halifax where he is a long time friend and sailing companion of the Mate’s. He is reportedly a very fine chef and we will give him many opportunities to prove that. He is joining Alpheratz in Bermuda and, in theory, flying home from Antigua.

Hal Carroll

Hal is a veteran of the Canary Island to Antigua crossing of 2004. This time he is joining us for the Bermuda to Antigua leg.  It will be again be dueling crossword puzzles but this time it will be the Mate not the Skipper who tells him to clean his cabin.

Sophia Carroll

Sophia (niece) joins us in the BVI for a few days of relaxing and then the trip upwind back to Antigua. She has already mastered mast climbing and she volunteered for the beat back to English Harbor. She will be owed a good downwind leg in some tropical place in the next couple of years.

Andy and Jan Lindsay

Andy and Jan will be joining us for the month of January. The plan is a southern arc through the islands below Antigua, the Grenadines, Venezuela, Lesser Antilles, Cartegena, San Blas Islands and to Panama. Our last cruise together was in 1990 from Bermuda to St Pierre and Miquelon. This time we shouldn’t have to cook brownies in order to heat up the cabin…better accommodations too!

Nate Emmons

Nate Emmons joins us for the passage from Antigua to Panama. He is currently travelling in South East Asia and will use this voyage to segue into real life when he goes home in February to find a job. It will be great to have him aboard especially since he was once a possible mate for the entire trip.

Sam Miller-Little

Sam is a dedicated sailor from the Kollegewidgwok Yacht Club in Blue Hill. He arrives in Panama in early February and will sail with us to Isla de Coco and on to the Galapagos Islands. He is being encouraged to continue on to the South Pacific and I have a doctor’s note already for his parents. Unfortunately, his father is a doctor as well….and will probably see right through the ruse. Sam is a student at Cornell studying this semester in Ireland.

Peter McPheeters

Peter signed up for the Panama-Galapagos passage about 20 minutes after we purchased the boat. In exchange for this plum of a leg, he has agreed to return for the nastiness of Mauritius to South Africa. We crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland together in 2004. He is a great sailor, chef, and shipmate and I am happy to cross any other oceans with him as well.

Matt Rooney

Matt is on board from the Galapagos to The Marquesas. I’ll report later where he actually disembarks! Matt sailed on the Atlantic trip from Ireland to Marseille. In Spain his quick work with the broken boom saved the mainsail, the rest of the rigging, and made the boat safe for the crew. He is an amazing asset on a voyaging ship…… I wonder if I can get him tp stay on until Tahiti…..or Fiji…..or say, New Zealand?

Jamie Houtz

Jamie is a veteran of the Irish crossing in 2004. Long about the 15th day of the 20 day passage, he was found in his bunk muttering”Dirt, dirt…I need some dirt”. But apparently he has forgotten and he is most anxious to make the Galapagos to Marquesas passage…..the longest leg of the circumnavigation. In exchange for us going north 150 miles after the Galapagos so he can cross the equator, he has agreed to get a tattoo in the Marquesas……and his good wife Nancy has agreed.

David and Christy Millet

  After dire warnings of rain, cold, and wind, the Millets got 10 days of the best weather we had seen in New Zealand in 6 months. The cruise included Hauraki Gulf, Great Barrier Island, Whangaroa, Bay of Islands, and an auto tour of the Kauri trees and Nz’s most northern point Cape Reinga. they are most delightful ship mates……….though Christy DID trump my method for slicing a sandwich.

Alex Vial

Alex, who survived the Med, endured the Atalantic, is back to challenge himself with a 3400 mile passage across the Indian Ocean from Bali to Mauritius. With Jonathan as Instructor, he also hope to get his OW scuba diving certificate………..then back to NYC to get a job………..promise!