Gerald F. Spiess (January 24, 1940 – June 18, 2019) was an American school teacher best known for having sailed his 10-foot (3.0 m) home-built sailboat Yankee Girl solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1979 and across the Pacific in 1981.[1][2]
Gerry Spiess | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gerald F. Spiess January 24, 1940 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 2019 (aged 79) Pine County, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation | School teacher |
| Known for | Sailing single-handed across the Atlantic Ocean in a 10-foot (3.0 m) sailboat |
Sailboat construction
editSpiess designed and built the boat in his garage in suburban White Bear Lake, Minnesota, from plywood. After a test launch in the local lake, Spiess transported the boat to the East Coast for launch.[3] He sailed from Norfolk, Virginia, on June 1, 1979, arriving in Falmouth, England, after a 54-day Atlantic crossing.[4][5]
Legacy
editIn 1991, a tribute song [6] was written about Mr. Spiess journey with Yankee Girl.
See also
editTinkerbelle, the story of a similar sailing feat in 1965.
References
edit- ^ "Obituary for Gerald F. 'Gerry' Spiess".
- ^ "Alone against the Atlantic: Minnesota adventurer Gerry Spiess dies at 79".
- ^ Spiess, Gerry; Bree, Marlin (1981). Alone Against the Atlantic. Minneapolis: Control Data Publishing. ISBN 0-89893-506-7. OCLC 7577810.
- ^ Los Angeles Times July 24, 1979
- ^ New York Times Notes on People July 25, 1979
- ^ Across the Atlantic and Pacific in 10' Sailboat “Yankee Girl”!; Kori Derrick (February 3, 2017)
Further reading
edit- Broken Seas. Bree, Marlin. 2005. Marlor Publishing. (ISBN 978-1892147097)
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