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SOFTHEARTED SAILMAKER

I thought the Autism Speaks logo on a big white sail would grab a lot of positive attention, so I paid a visit to Skip Moorehouse of Moorehouse Sailmakers, Inc. in Lumberton, NJ.  

Skip has made, altered, repaired and washed many sails for me over the years, so I know he does great work. He loved the story of The Voyage for Autism Awareness and insisted on donating the sail & logo to the cause.
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As you can see, he did a great job . . .

SHIP SHAPE!

I built "SPRAY" last Spring at a boatbuilding class with instruction from Mark Stevens of Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis, MD. Her namesake was the first vessel to be sailed single-handed around the world by a man named Joshua Slocum. He began his historic voyage on April 25, 1895. 

On April 16, 2011 - 116 years later - The Voyage for Autism Awareness will begin. 

That's a mere 5 weeks from now, so it's time to get "SPRAY" ready for the long haul. We took advantage of a nice break in the weather and got a lot done!

  5 layers of polyurethane paint was removed from the bottom panel and a little off the sides . . .

A lot of wear and tear is expected, so although she is constructed of the finest modern boatbuilding materials, a little extra armor won't hurt. 3 layers of epoxy mixed with graphite provide a tough, scratch resistant shell.  

Some say the graphite makes the boat faster, too . . .

Brother-in-Law Joe Sheehan slaps a coat of varnish on the spars . . .

A fresh coat of  'Sea Green' polyurethane and she's looking good . . .

'SPRAY' will get another coat of paint before we flip 'er over and spruce up the varnish.

Enough, for now, about The Voyage and more about autism . . .

  Autism (from the Autism Speaks website) is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The other pervasive developmental disorders are PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not  Otherwise Specified), Asperger's Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Many parents and professionals refer to this group as Autism Spectrum Disorders.

But what causes Autism?

For the vast majority of cases, the simple answer is we don't know. 
 

With an estimated 1.5 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide affected, just about everybody knows somebody with autism. Do you?

If your life has been touched by someone with autism and you want to share your story on this blog, email . . .

Neil Calore at  calurphy@yahoo.com 

. . . and I will post it here.

John Guider, a friend, inspiration and fellow small boat cruiser shared this with us . . .

"I have a long time friend who has an autistic child. When he was young, a traditional school would allow Henry to attend only if he had a private tutor stay with him. As he grew older and his body became strong, the school was afraid his acting out could be too dangerous and that was the end of his traditional schooling. His mother realizes that Henry will most likely spend the rest of his life at home. She is good with that but worries about Henry after they die. He will have no-one. It's a moving story and one that needs to be told.

You will complete your journey. It is the story of autism that will continue on."

Thanks John 

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Milestone . . .

In a few short weeks, and with little publicity, The Voyage for Autism Awareness has raised it's first $1,000 ! 

Check it out here: 

http://events.autismspeaks.org/tu/voyage

The Competition is ON . . . 

With just a man and his boat, the original goal was $10,000. With the addition of the PFD's Autism Fire Safety Campaign and NBC News' Doug Shimell's coverage of the story (see last weeks post), it seemed a goal of $25,000 was very attainable. It has now been declared that "The Voyage" will try to break the record for a non-corporate team in Philadelphia! The current record of $57,000 was set in 2008 by Jay Brightman and his family, who go door to door and ask for donations at school and in their workplaces. I'm told that Jay is a competitive man and will probably try to break our record! I say BRING IT ON and let's help Autism Speaks fund research and programs for those affected!

A Minor Set-Back . . . 

Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph last week lifted 'SPRAY' from her secure winter storage spot, tossing her about 10 feet on to some rocks and up against a fence. Damage to the starboard gunwale where it meets the transom and several dings in the hull were easily repaired, however, attesting to her strength and stubborn personality. 

I am now even more confident in her ability to make the grueling trip from DC to NYC safely!

The Net . . .

A volunteer Support Crew has been formed and will man a chase boat for the entire trip! Three selfless members of the PFD - Lt. Bill Drennen, FF. Bill Mattox and FF. John Mooney - have made an awesome commitment that changes the trip from a solo "expedition" to a team effort, increasing my chances of completing the 425 mile marothon safely. These three will now handle navigation and  communications for the trip and provide a huge safety net if the April weather pulls any surprises on us. Thanks fellas!

Billy Drennen & his boat with a couple of Retired Members, Asst. Fire Marshall Art Czajkowski & Porsche . . .

A Shaker & a Mover . . .

Tom Murphy of the Barnegat Bay Rowing Club . . . 

. . . is The Voyage's Jersey Shore Fund Raising Captain. An avid rower himself, Tom sees how much good can come out of this trip and has done an awesome job of spreading the word in and around Toms River, NJ. 

Thanks to the generosity of the local Minuteman Press, Tom is passing these post cards out whenever he gets the chance. 

Thanks Tom . . .

 Philly's Fire Boats . . .

Lt. Tommy Gaskill, Marine Operations Officer, is now on the project and is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard Station - Philadelphia to arrange for the festivities when The Voyage arrives.

PFD's Marine Unit 1 . . . 

 Marine Unit 101 (Reserve) . . . 

Check this site often for updates!