Dr. Stanley Paris & Kiwi Spirit II

Solo non-stop Circumnavigation

Failure - It’s Being Talked About

There has been a lot of talk of failure as of late. Failure of equipment, of efforts to find a downed plane and to solve issues in Crimea. It seems that failure is just a fact of life, and we must recognize that and learn to live with it. Those that experience the most failure are those that take on the challenges of life, be it in business or in recreation. The fear of failure causes all too many to stay on the couch rather than to take on a challenge. Winning is not importa

"Unfinished Business" and "Spirit Undaunted"

"Unfinished Business" and "Spirit Undaunted” were the titles to articles in the April issues of Sailing Magazine and Cruising World respectively. Their contents captured the essence of why the attempt was abandoned, when the attachments of the rigging which hold up the mast proved to not be up to the task, and when the repairs I made to the end of the boom that holds the mainsail were questionable (I think I did good job)! So, I left Sunday for Antigua, in the eastern Caribb

Future Blogs – Help Wanted

From now until the departure in early November, there will be just a few blogs. I leave on the 23rd of this month to go to Antigua to greet the boat and the three members of the delivery crew who are bringing the boat from South Africa. A week later I will sail the boat to St. Augustine. Then in June, I will sail it again to Lyman Morse in Maine where the work will begin. Then to Newport, Rhode Island for additional work. I will report briefly on each of these activities. I

What will be different this November?

In one sense not much will be different, but in another we have learned a great deal. First and foremost, we will address the structural failures that occurred at the end on the boom and the rigging attachments to the boat. In South Africa we re-engineered the end of the boom to better support the sheaves (pulleys) that were ripped out during the accidental jibe. This shall be carefully checked again and the boom, as well as the mast, will be scanned with ultrasound lookin

Game on – Second Attempt to Start this November

Dr. Paris appeared before the City Commission last evening and made the following announcement: Mr. Mayor, Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen: Some two years ago I signed a letter of cooperation with the 450th Centenary Committee. I did this and became a part of this city’s efforts to promote itself nationally. I did this because I love this city. It has been so good to me and all its residents. It is a privileged to live here. The attention that my yacht, Kiwi Spirit, gaine

Coming to a Decision - Making the Yacht "Stanley Centric"

While I am hesitant to use the term "Stanley Centric," it is indeed a suitable term for what Kiwi Spirit now needs to become single handed and for me to successfully circumnavigate the globe. No point in starting again if I cannot have a boat in which I have complete confidence, and which has been adapted in every way possible for a solo sailor of my age and abilities. The boat and I have now done a few miles- most of them solo- my weaknesses and those of the boat have been e

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