I missed my chance!

Lee Davis

New Member
In 1990, my wife and I were on a five year sail of various places in the world aboard our sailboat. In the wonderful port of Reykjavik, I walked over to a small British sailboat to ask what kind of ‘courtesy flag’ we should fly when in the British Isles. As I approached the sailboat a bearded fellow got off it and as we walked past we said ‘hello’ to each other. I walked up to the small sailboat and asked about the correct courtesy flag, The two fellows on deck answered “Don’t know what flag to fly, we aren’t sailors, but mountaineers”, to which I said “I am a mountaineer!”. They wanted to see our boat and so I invited them aboard. They were on a voyage to the west coast of Greenland to do a sail/climb of some new Greenland routes. Shortly afterward, the skipper of the boat came aboard and said “I want to collect my crew… I don’t want them to see sailboats like yours”. I asked all of them to put their names in my book that I had that noted everyone we that had come aboard. When I looked at the names, I was dumbfounded… the skipper was Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail around the world alone, nonstop. I even had his book, A World of my Own" on board!
He invited me to come aboard Suhali, his boat that he did the around the world sail on. It was really something. Small, cramped, loaded with climbing gear and magnificent. He asked me where I was thinking of laying up our boat for the winter and I said ‘Scotland’. He told me that he was the manager of a marina called St. Katherines in London, and their rates were very competitive. Later on, we did indeed berth the boat there for the winter. Going aboard Suhali was something that not many people could do. For an American it would be like sitting in The Spirit of St Louis. Robin asked me if I would do a daily call with him on the single side-band while they were on the way to Greenland, which I happily did. They had quite an adventure.
I came to learn later that the bearded fellow that I had passed on the dock was Chris Bonnington one of the premier British mountaineers of the age. And, I had his book “I Chose to Climb” on board the boat also! I regret not recognizing him. I am one of the very few Americans that would know who both Robin Knox-Johnston and Chris Bonington are, I think, plus have both books written by them. I wish I had been more observant, but who could have known? They later co-authored a book "Sea, Ice and Rock" about their voyage and climb.
One thing more... When at St Katherines, Robin's office was right next to the bar. I filled out some paperwork for the berthing of the boat and Robin invited me to have a drink at the bar. He ordered 2 pints of 'bitter' and we had a nice conversation. After a while, one of the mountaineers who I recognized from Reykjavik came in and joined us, ordering another round. Then another came in and ordered a round. Then another mountaineer that had been on the sail, but I had not met came in, and once again another round. Then a 4th fellow, and round #5. As we were finishing our beers I realized that I was the only one who had not bought a round. So, with 5 beers in me, I felt, What the hell?, and I bought another round for all. Cost me 80 pounds! Then my wife came in and gave me a 'what in the hell are you doing' look. Robin bought her a half pint. I then had 6 pints of very strong beer in me, but felt great, of course. But I learned my lesson. Watch your drinking when with these mountaineers/sailors. Lee Davis
 

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