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Stratosphere Found


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I was on her or Sundreamer during a Cow & Calf, Navy Buoy Richmond race late 70's early 80's.

 

If I can remember correctly we did Navy buoy - Rangi light in something like18/20 minutes.

 

Thats about 30 knots.

 

I was in the leeward hull trimming the headsail, mostly underwater, its was blowing a good nor-easterly, but the apparent wind was right around on the port bow.

We overtook a keeler like it was standing still

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Now that she is found - the story of this boat gets more and more interesting.

 

The more I think about it - the more interesting it gets - from sketch to wreck.

 

So I have asked my father to gather all memories, papers, newspaper clippings and photos in an effort to set up a show - be it in the form of a movie, slide show, website or even a book.

 

If anyone out there has recollections or photos of Stratosphere - please record this on our FACEBOOK Page

 

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... 604&v=wall

 

Regards

Adrienne

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That would be Stratosphere ... all right. Did you hear the hulls singing.

 

Is that why I am deaf now, I put it down as industrial damage to get the hearing aids. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

 

Good move about getting the history together., lots a NZ boats and designs have just disappeared with not records of them ever existing except in the old grey cells of people.

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^ thanks Phil

 

found those, bit forlorn she looked

 

and as pics are better than words here again is the mag shot GregW posted on boatdesign

 

you can see where all the various half tubes went

 

69278d1333951218-why-all-cats-like-sundr

 

if the 10mm plastic pipe i have on the boat is long enough 

 

i'll flatten the ends with a blow torch 

 

and maybe it could do as a light air #2 batten for sundreamer's main?

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Hi

I just Found this discussion about finding the catamaran

Stratosphere.

I was member of the Crew on the journey from Panama , headed for the Philipines, and we ship wrecked at Christmas Island in november 1982

I also found the Facebook site, where the owner Geoffrey also is seen as a connection.

 

There was a long dramatic journey until the ship wreck. Two months...with a broken boat, no food and two weeks with less than one liter of water for every person Each Day- and an owner who from the first brake Down of the Engine did not want to let it be repaired at the Marquesas. After that the rudders and the keels also broke, one after the other. We ended up in the Doldrums for 4 weeks unable to manouver. When we came Near Christmas Island we were in alarm, and the Hawaian. Coast watch was contacted with a Pan Pan. They offered to help, but the owner declined. He was not able to steer and we ended on the coral reef.

 

The next Day the boat was drawn up on land,but it was already damaged. The Engine was removed just before the sea water Filled the hulls.

 

I have Papers Photos of the journey and the boat on land and the 14 days stay on the Island before we could fly to Honolulu. Where the owner by the Way just left us in the AirPort with nothing, cheating us for the money We had earned.

We found him and Got our wages and tickets back to Panama. Some months alter we arrived safely back in Denmark.

 

Best wishes,

Mette

Copenhagen

Denmark.

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Great to hear from you Mette, be great if you could post pics etc here, or, if you like you can email them to me at editor@crew.org.nz and I can post them for you?

 

Seems to me from what you say, the owner/skipper had a few issues!

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Hi again

Yes, I do have a lot of Photos, but They are in an old fashioned paper version. I will have some of Them scanned. My ex boyfriend, Henrik, Who also was member of the Crew will also have some pictures. And yes, we have an interesting story to tell.

 

On the journey we where told, that Geoffrey, Called Jerry owned the boat appearently together with the dictator Marcos ....The boat was destined to sail in the Philiphine islands to spread the Christian word and make the muslims Christians!

 

It was not Imelda Marcos that Came to supervise the boat at Christmas Island, But it was Jerry's philiphine wife.

We had a little Contact with the islanders after we left, and They told a little about it.

And yes, the wreckage Can be seen on Google Earth, a little South of Poalnd village!

 

I do not know if the wreckage might have been avoided. I Think so actually, if we have had an engine..then we might have avoided the deconstruction of the rudders etc?

But I know that Jerry sacked the hired captain Tom and took over by himself. Rieb the fifth Crew member WHO claimed to be captain later, was not!! He had a Danish Passport, but surely he was German or Dutch. How he Got that passport I do not know..he was "Best friend"with Jerry and was supposed to repair the boat. He later fled from the Island to Tahiti or Fiji or ?...we never Saw Rieb and Tom again since we flow to Honolulu. Tom flew immediately to Fort Lauderdale.And Jerry abandoned us in the AirPort ......with no money or fly tickets as was the deal. But we found him later and Got it!

 

I will return with Photos.

Mette

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And Hi all. I was the other crewmember besides my ex girlfriend Mette from Copenhagen Denmark. I have sendt all my pictures that we have in common to Mette, and I know she will post them here. Mette and I got the hire in Panama city, where we had been for a while looking for a passage across the Pacific. We found The Stratosphere, and I didnt know it would become one of the single most significant events of my life. I was then an able bodied Seaman entering the Cat, but the rest of the crew knew little about weather, currents and so on. Because we hit the Doldrums they acussed me to deliberately sailing into it:-) they issued orders and insisted to sail on lattitude zero and one north:)))

It was really a remarkable trip. The starboard cabin was full of automatic weapons under the owners bunk. They where to be delivered on a Phillipine Island, as far as I could tell?

Regards from Henrik

Copenhagen Denmark

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