Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Salvage of Gregor McGuckin's Yacht: Golden Globe Tracker Now Running in 'Stealth Mode'

17th February 2019
Gregor McGuckin pictured shortly after the start of the Golden Globe Race last July. His yacht is now the subject of a salvage attempt off the coast of Australia. Gregor McGuckin pictured shortly after the start of the Golden Globe Race last July. His yacht is now the subject of a salvage attempt off the coast of Australia.

Gregor McGuckin's Yellow Brick tracker onboard his abandoned Hanley Endurance Golden Globe yacht is running in stealth mode to stop others from trying to salvage the boat according to Race Headquarters. While McGuckin has returned safely to Ireland a salvage bid by American Cody Cordwainer is underway in Australia and in the latest update, Cordwainer explains that The "official" Whiskey Rescue is still in need of a salvage boat.

 

General Salvage Update, 13th February 2019

To All Interested Persons:

Many people and parties have been inquiring as to the current status of the WHISKEY RESCUE salvage project and I apologize for being remiss in our postings.

I arrived of course in Australia on the 16th January and have since then been walking the docks and frequenting the yacht clubs making one connection after another. About two weeks ago we finally found what we thought would be our salvage boat, a 60’ motor-sailer with a 185 HP Diesel Engine. Its owner was an experienced inshore skipper with an adventurous attitude, just the man to work with us on the salvage. Since then we have taken the boat sailing many times, learning the boat and how well we work together as crew. All seemed well until yesterday when I was giving the boat a closer inspection and I crawled into the chain locker. Daylight was visible around the cathead and chain plate and the forestay was pulling out of the deck, delaminating the fiberglass as it went.

Expected costs of readying the vessel for the voyage and fuel, food, etc were expected to total around $25,000 but the repair of such a major structural issue would increase the expenditures by approximately an additional $15,000. So while the motor-sailer will remain a backup option, the search is on once again for a salvage vessel. A strong steel-hulled ketch was volunteered but at the last minute the skipper backed out.
Today we are back on the docks hunting a boat!

It is true that finding a boat for the project is taking longer than originally hoped, but we’ll keep going until the job is done. A famous Carthaginian General once said, “Aut inveniam viam aut faciam.” I shall either find a way or make one. He later proceeded to cross the Alps with around 20,000 troops and many war elephants. If Hannibal could achieve that, we’ll achieve this.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to help Gregor get his boat back! You haven’t been forgotten and you will be entered into the drawing for the whiskey bottle when this is all water under the keel! Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Sincerely,
Cody Howdeshell
Lead Salvor, The Whiskey Rescue

Golden Globe Yacht Race Live Tracker 2022/3

Track the progress of the 2022/3 Golden Globe Race fleet on the live tracker above and see all Afloat's Golden Globe Race coverage in one handy link here

Afloat.ie Team

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

Direct Donation to Afloat button

About the Golden Globe Race

The Golden Globe Race is the original round the world yacht race. In 1968, while man was preparing to take his first steps on the moon, a mild mannered and modest young man was setting out on his own record breaking voyage of discovery. Off shore yacht racing changed forever with adventurers and sailors, inspired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, following in his pioneering wake. Nine men started the first solo non-stop sailing race around the World. Only one finished. History was made. Navigating with a sextant, paper charts and an accurate and reliable time piece, Sir Robin navigated around the world. In 2018, to celebrate 50 years since that first record breaking achievement, the Golden Globe Race was resurrected. It instantly caught the attention of the worlds media as well as adventures, captivated by the spirit and opportunity. The original race is back.

The Golden Globe Race: Stepping back to the golden age of solo sailing

Like the original Sunday Times event back in 1968/9, the 2018 Golden Globe Race was very simple. Depart Les Sables d'Olonne, France on July 1st 2018 and sail solo, non-stop around the world, via the five Great Capes and return to Les Sables d'Olonne. Entrants are limited to use the same type of yachts and equipment that were available to Robin Knox-Johnston in that first race. That means sailing without modern technology or benefit of satellite-based navigation aids.

Competitors must sail in production boats between 32ft and 36ft overall (9.75 10.97m) designed prior to 1988 and having a full-length keel with rudder attached to their trailing edge. These yachts will be heavily built, strong and steady, similar in concept to Robin's 32ft vessel Suhaili.

In contrast to the current professional world of elite ocean racing, this edition travels back to a time known as the 'Golden Age' of solo sailing. Suhaili was a slow and steady 32ft double-ended ketch based on a William Atkins ERIC design. She is heavily built of teak and carried no computers, GPS, satellite phone nor water-maker, and Robin completed the challenge without the aid of modern-day shore-based weather routing advice. He had only a wind-up chronometer and a barograph to face the world alone, and caught rainwater to survive, but was at one with the ocean, able to contemplate and absorb all that this epic voyage had to offer.

This anniversary edition of the Golden Globe Race is a celebration of the original event, the winner, his boat and that significant world-first achievement. Competitors in this race will be sailing simple boats using basic equipment to guarantee a satisfying and personal experience. The challenge is pure and very raw, placing the adventure ahead of winning at all costs. It is for 'those who dare', just as it was for Knox-Johnston.

They will be navigating with sextant on paper charts, without electronic instruments or autopilots. They will hand-write their logs and determine the weather for themselves.

Only occasionally will they talk to loved ones and the outside world when long-range high frequency and ham radios allow.

It is now possible to race a monohull solo around the world in under 80 days, but sailors entered in this race will spend around 300 days at sea, challenging themselves and each other. The 2018 Golden Globe Race was a fitting tribute to the first edition and it's winner, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

Background on Don McIntyre (61) Race Founder

Don is an inveterate sailor and recognised as one of Australia s greatest explorers. Passionate about all forms of adventure and inspiring others, his desire is to recreate the Golden Age of solo sailing. Don finished 2nd in class in the 1990-91 BOC Challenge solo around the world yacht race. In 2010, he led the 4-man Talisker Bounty Boat challenge to re-enact the Mutiny on the Bounty voyage from Tonga to West Timor, in a simil