S6E14// For Veterans--The Healing Powers of Sailing

In this video I share how sailing can be a powerful too to help veterans find meaning, purpose, and happiness. The views expressed in this video are my own and based solely on my own experience as a Marine Corps veteran and life long sailor. However, many of the benefits of voyaging are similarly applicable to first responders or anyone looking for a less complicated, less stressful, and more meaningful life than that normally presented the "path to success."

At 12:44 I mistakenly captioned the SV "Granuaile" as a Benford 34 when she is a 35' Wylo II. For more on Granuaile visit: https://farreachvoyages.net/2016/03/0...

All video footage of military operations was sourced from the Department of Defense videos and the military service recruiting command websites. All remaining video is my own.

Other Season 6 episodes include the planing and execution of a sailing voyage from the east coast of the US to the Virgin Islands, building varnished cockpit coamings and teak winch bases, sharing varnishing techniques, demonstrating how the Cape Horn Windvane works, a four part series on refitting an aluminum mast, a two part series on how to build a reinforced boom, how to plan and execute a voyage to the Virgin Islands from the US East Coast, and now a summary of 11,000 miles of mostly offshore sailing.

The Far Reach is highly modified Cape Dory 36 I built from a gutted hull and deck over a six year period in a shed in our backyard in North Carolina. This was a complete rebuild retaining only the hull, deck, portlights, hatches, and a few cleats. Click here for a video summarizing the rebuild:

   • S4 E1//From Gutted Hull to Ultimate Voyagi...  

In Season 5 I singlehanded the Far reach from North Carolina to the Virgin Islands in December 2021. It was my third voyage in the Far Reach to the Virgin Islands. In May of 2022 I single-handed the Far Reach back home to NC via the offshore route, a non stop voyage of about 1,440 Nautical miles.

In the previous Season 4 episodes I shared what it took to rebuild our 36' sailboat from a complete gutted hull and deck into my ideal voyaging boat, installed a small inboard Diesel engine with a folding propeller, and made some additional improvements to the Far Reach. Click here for a video on a from scratch installation of an inboard diesel engine including shaft long and folding two blades propeller:    • S4EP2//Installing an Inboard Diesel Engine...  

Previous episodes recap:
Season 1, Episode 1, contains a short synopsis of a six year total rebuild of the Far Reach from a gutted bare hull. I also double hand the Far Reach offshore with my sister from NC to the BVI.
In Season 2, I single-hand the Far Reach from Sint Maarten back to NC.
In Season 3, I share my Single-handed voyage from NC to the BVI as well as from the VI back to NC.
In Season 4, I detailed the original rebuild of the Far Reach then the planning and installation of a small diesel engine with a folding propeller. I concluding by sharing some additional modifications and upgrades as well as trouble shooting the Cape Horn windvane.

To learn more about the rebuilding of the Far Reach: http://www.farreachvoyages.com

To read about this voyage, and many others, including additional modifications and updates to the Far Reach since her launch in 2015: https://www.farreachvoyages.net

For more information on the Stimson Bow Roof Shed visit https://bow-roof-shed.com

If you have questions or stories to share about your own voyages feel free to post them in the comment section. Happy sailing.