Zoltan's old boat?

[ebb]

Too many years ago to admit to, had a couple warehouse jobs in downtown San Francisco,
spent every (extended) lunch break in wonderful used book stores. Amassed two 'libraries'
of boat books that got sold to dealers and helped finance my boat project of the time....

Read a lot and forgot a lot. Zoltan follows a tradition of usually singlehanders who go to
sea without having experience. As you know, there were many who didn't write up their
adventure for publication. But many did, and some accomplishments in stranger craft than
can be imagined. Very often voyages made the man (and woman), and created a unique
genre of virtuoso literature that only sailors can appreciate. Maybe dirigible pilots, too.

More interesting than the boat (though not to the person here) is singlehand psychology.
Not the sponsored-athletic-brouhaha-gear-freak-team-ocean-in-the-face-sled-racing... but
maybe exemplified in one Bernard Moitessier, who rounded 3 Capes and crossed his
outward bound track in the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Singlehanded Race,
first around...but then mid ocean set sail for friends in Tahiti, rather than returning
to Plymouth, sponsors, reporters, and the stink of civilization. And if he had, making
voyaging a competitive sport, rather than what it is for many of us: The Way.
He called it La Longue Route, 1971, translated and many reprints since. The Long Way.

Zoltan had extraordinary luck. Not to say, we don't make our luck. He sailed thru areas
and experiences where others lost their life. Not to say, that if you don't survive, you don't
get to write a book.
Or have a kind editor to spread the word !!

(...yes, got an image of peanut butter being spread on warm toast, stove-top baked in a
pressure cooker oven.)