LETTERS
COURTESY MARCOUX FAMILY
officials who aren't corrupt, and god knows where they're to be found. ⇑⇓VOYAGING BELONGS TO SEAMEN While I agree that the apparent loss of singlehanded sailor Hubert Marcoux between Canada and Bermuda aboard the 45-ft Mon Pays was "preventable," I thought the 'tsk-tsk' tone of your report was unfortunate. Marcoux may well have been an experienced sailor simply living his life and sailing life the way he needed to. Before ascending the high road, recall this popular Latitude 38 'Wisdom' snippet: "Voyaging belongs to Experienced French Canadian solo sailor seamen, and to the Hubert Marcoux, 68, left Halifax on Novemwanderers of the world ber 9. He never made it to Bermuda. who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about." I've done several passages on well-found yachts. At age 35, for example, I was crew on a 29-footer that we doublehanded from Sri Lanka to Thailand. The only radio we had was a VHF, the diesel was dodgy, and we didn't have a liferaft. There were moments I wondered about that choice, but I have to say, my world became and remains brighter and more alive for the experience. Now, at age 50 and being the father of a young daughter, I would voyage only with 'proper' safety gear. But alone and in my grayer years, I may just play it a bit more loose again. It's my choice. Beats fading away. As it may have been for Marcoux. Was his a preventable loss? Likely. Regrettable or worthy of disapproval? Not necessarily ours to say. Erik Pedersen Mental Floss, Aquarius 21 Santa Cruz Erik — If we came across with a disapproving tone in writing about Marcoux, it was unintentional and we apologize. But do we find Marcoux's loss regrettable? Absolutely. If you were to be lost at sea 'in your grayer years' because you didn't invest in a way to receive weather while offshore, we think your daughter would find it regrettable, too. ⇑⇓A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF A REMARKABLE MAN We were saddened to read of the presumed loss of Canadian singlehander Hubert Marcoux and his yacht Mon Pays. We had only recently learned of the fascinating and adventurous life of this enterprising man, as we just finished Around the World in 18 Years, his autobiography. As a novice sailor, Marcoux extensively sailed his first yacht, a 32-ft Canadian design named Jonathan, often by himself. While sailing alone one night, he fell asleep, and Jonathan — named after Jonathan Livingston Seagull — fetched up on a reef at Pohnpei, FSM. That just happens to be where we're anchored now. In any event, the uninjured Marcoux was forced to leave Jonathan to the mercy of the sea and reef. Nonetheless, he went on to build and sail Mon Pays. Ironically, some time later, a couple managed to free JonaPage 46 •
Latitude 38
• January, 2010