The Story of Sir Francis Chichester and Gipsy Moth IV

[@jameshopkins3123]

Thankyou I also have a personal connection to Sir Francis Chichester my father helped rebuild the winches for Gypsy Moth on her stopover in Sydney. I remember how proud he was to tell the story of how he helped get Chichester on his way back to England and as a young kid he read me and my brother the book Gypsy Moth Circles the world. It ignited a life long passion for sailing even though my father didn't have a salty bone in his body.

[@andrewecc]

Thank you for your comment James. The winches on GMIV for the second circumnavigation were all new, however we had various memorabilia on board to auction for funds to support the cost of the project. One of them was an original winch which as I recall went for a tidy sum when we were at the Yacht Club in Hamilton Island.

[@paulvr3158]

Great story, I enjoyed that! I am a blue water sailor who grew up in South Africa in the 60's and 70's....and stared slavishly and perpetually at pictures of the "old boats in the old days" and dreamed of one day sailing the high seas....and sail I did and still do!

[@alfreddaniels3817]

Thank you for this story. I was 13 when Sir Francis arrival was shown on Dutch television. My family had bought a tv that year for the first time. It was one of the eyeopeners to how large the world was, but that you could go around it. Is that why I bought my first sailing dinghy that year? And is that why I lived a life of traveling (though not per se around the world and not with a yacht) ?

[@andrewecc]

@alfreddaniels3817 Thank you for your comment on my Gipsy Moth video. I am very happy to know that it reminded you of your younger days. I was just a little older than you when I was inspired by the story of Francis Chichester's voyage and it also affected my whole life thereafter. Happy Christmas!

[@JavierFlores-tt7tp]

Thank you, fantastic documentary. Greetings from Mexico.

[@andrewecc]

Thanks Javier. I am glad you enjoyed it. Greetings from Plymouth, UK.

[@bgreen8853]

I was in an antique shop and brought a cut down wooden propeller its basically just the center i was told by the shop owner that it once belonged to chichester but without providence that means nothing its a cool piece .

[@andrewecc]

Thanks for your interesting comment. If the propeller did belong to Chichester, it would not have been from Gipsy Motyh IV. Boats have bronze propellers, but some aircraft have wooden propellers. Gipsy Moth I and II were aircraft and probably had wooden propellers.

[@SteveMorton]

I remember as a child seeing his arrival on TV and I collected all the newpaper clippings. I was later given his hardback book by my uncle when I was a teenager. I still have the book and I've read it several times! I'm reading it again but on my Kindle, hence watching your video today. His book is one of the few I've read more than once. I also have the book you show at the end of the video! Thank you for sharing this great video

[@andrewecc]

Thank you for your comment. I am very pleased to know you enjoyed my video.

[@Shepherdservices317]

This was a great video, audio was good, your voice sounds great. Well told. Keep up the sailing stories 🙏

[@andrewecc]

Thank you for your kind words. I enjoyed sharing my story.

[@glennrainey1227]

Just as well I managed to delete my other comment which appeared in the wrong place due to a strange YT app fault. So sorry. Have just watched your Chichester video and hope my comment lands on the correct page this time. FC is a huge hero of mine, and I have collected most of his published work. Crossing the Tasman Sea was a stunning narrative of an incredible solo flying achievement, and should be read by all aviators and adventurers. Your experience on GM-IV was wonderful. Kind regards from owner of a Fastnet '79 survivor Nic'33.

[@andrewecc]

Hi Glenn. Thanks for solving the mystery of the strange comment! I am glad you enjoyed my tribute to FC. Getting to sail his boat was a remarkable experience. All the best, Andrew

[@outdoorsandkayaking]

Thanks for sharing this story! Just reading the Book.

[@kathymcbride2425]

i was 10 when sir frances sailed and like you say it was very big there was a stamp that came out i got a first day cover dont know what happened to it well done for sailing again 40 years later x

[@andrewecc]

Thank you for your comment Kathy. I was very lucky to have the chance to follow in the wake of someone who inspired me when I was young.

[@anderssvensson6796]

I am A Swedish man who hade read his book many times . Sir Francis was my idol when à was young. I am now 60 years old. My dream is still to see and sail onboard Gipsy Moth 4.

[@andrewecc]

Hi Anders. Thank you for your comment. I hope you enjoyed my story. I never actually had a dream about sailing on this famous yacht - but it happened! I hope your dream is fulfilled one day. Best wishes, Andrew

[@ellajames1114]

As a former professional sailor, iam at a loss to understand how you and your team run her around. It’s interesting to note that Chichester had only one person to stand watches. You had six. In addition the navigation equipment your team had was so advanced compared to Chichester. Iam interested to know what went wrong. What continues to wringin my head,is that a special ship on a special voyage, deserves special preparation,strong leadership, and a determined team effort. It’s about getting the basics perfect. It saddens me that this appears to have been lost in the modern era.

[@andrewecc]

Thank you for your comment. You can read a detailed description of the grounding in the book published about the voyage ( www.foxschandlery.com/gipsy-moth-iv-a-legend-sails-again ) see pages 133-4. The crew for each leg of the project comprised two professionals, one supervising adult and three inexperienced young people. The vessel ran aground when both the skipper and mate were below, having given a course to steer to the young person who was on the helm. The subsequent inquiry found that the she was 40 deg off course at the time she struck the reef. Following the inquiry, both the professional crew were disciplined. As a professional sailor yourself, you will be aware that in some parts of the world the accuracy of charts cannot be guaranteed due to reliance on very old surveys, so advanced navigation equipment alone may not be enough to stay out of trouble. The old-fashioned discipline of constant monitoring by all available means is still an essential requirement, especially in waters where there are hazards such as semi-submerged reefs.

[@davitdanelia23]

Single handed sailor is song about this man by genius Mark Knopfler.

[@andrewecc]

Hi Davit. Thank you for that comment. I did not know about that song! I have listened to it now. I saw Dire Straits play live many years ago. What a great band. Best regards, Andrew

[@davitdanelia23]

@andrewecc lucky man you are. Great song.

[@edcjohnson9795]

You are a commercially endorsed Offshore Yacht Master, yet in the film taken of you at sea you are not wearing a life jacket on deck. A very poor example to give.

[@andrewecc]

Thank you for your comment. You should bear in mind that this project took place almost 20 years ago and views on safety procedures have developed over time. The operating procedures for the project did not require the wearing of lifejackets when sitting in the deep cockpit of Gipsy Moth IV in daylight hours, however at night we wore lifejackets and were clipped on. For many years now, everyone who sails with me wears a lifejacket at all times, day and night.