Los Angeles to New York; via yacht

[Frankie Lamb]

Does anyone remember back somewhere in the early 1950's ( yes children, there really was an early 1950's ) when a cartoonist ( True magazine??) and some of his friends "sailed" across the U.S. in a more or less straight line, in a 36 foot yacht? No, there was no big flood, at least not that time; what they did was to hook the yacht up behind a car, then towed the thing all the way to New York!
They wore yachting togs ( they'd be vintage by now, wouldn't they ) and sat in their deck chairs, drinking martini's and waving at the landlubbers as they "cruised" along. Along the way they'd put into "port" at such exotic places as Port Albuquerque, Oklahoma Bay, and Saint Louis Harbor, where the boat's gangplank would be extended and the drunken "sailors" would go on "shore leave"; sometimes, typically, being escorted back to the ship by the local "Shore Patrol."
I don't recall however if, once they'd put in in New York, whether they "sailed" back to Los Angeles or took the bus. ( Is there such a thing as vintage bus togs?? )
Oh for the feel of a rolling deck beneath you, and a stout breeze slapping at the halyards; damn the Volkswagon's, full speed ahead!!!
Anybody out there happen to have a set of vintage yachting togs???
Until the next voyage,
Frankie Lamb, First Mate

 

[John in Covina]

These days I doubt you would be allow to sit on a boat being towed!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Awesome. I want to be friends with those guys.

 

[Frankie Lamb]

Old sailors never die

That's the spirit Miss Bella Hell, but I think those original "sailors" are probably in the "Home for Old Yachtsman" by now, if in fact they haven't gone to that "Big Ocean Liner in the sky."
However, I'll bet that boat is still highway worthy, and Martinis on the fantail at sunset is still in vogue, and...... naw, it could never happen again; unless you could.....!
Frankie Lamb

 

[balder]

Does anyone remember back somewhere in the early 1950's ( yes children, there really was an early 1950's ) when a cartoonist ( True magazine??) and some of his friends "sailed" across the U.S. in a more or less straight line, in a 36 foot yacht? No, there was no big flood, at least not that time; what they did was to hook the yacht up behind a car, then towed the thing all the way to New York!
They wore yachting togs ( they'd be vintage by now, wouldn't they ) and sat in their deck chairs, drinking martini's and waving at the landlubbers as they "cruised" along. Along the way they'd put into "port" at such exotic places as Port Albuquerque, Oklahoma Bay, and Saint Louis Harbor, where the boat's gangplank would be extended and the drunken "sailors" would go on "shore leave"; sometimes, typically, being escorted back to the ship by the local "Shore Patrol."
I don't recall however if, once they'd put in in New York, whether they "sailed" back to Los Angeles or took the bus. ( Is there such a thing as vintage bus togs?? )
Oh for the feel of a rolling deck beneath you, and a stout breeze slapping at the halyards; damn the Volkswagon's, full speed ahead!!!
Anybody out there happen to have a set of vintage yachting togs???
Until the next voyage,
Frankie Lamb, First Mate

An interesting book is "River Horse" by William Least Heat-Moon,who with some friends really did sail across America fom the Atlantic to the Pacific using the river system and as little portage's as possable!

 

[Frankie Lamb]

Blue Highways

I haven't read Moon's book "River Horse," but I read another of his works, "Blue Highways." In it, he traverses the U.S. using mostly the older, secondary back roads. Along the way he finds some really interesting places and people. The book's name comes from the fact that due to the material used in the construction of those old highways, at sunset, if the sun is just right, they appear to be, you guessed it, blue. There aren't many of the old back roads left in America any longer I'm afraid. At least not enough to go very far without landing in some farmers field, or just a plain dead-end. I'll see if I can come by a copy of "River Horse." As I remember, Moon isn't a half bad writer.
Thanks for the tip.
Frankie Lamb

 

[Nighthawk]

I could see someone trying this again if they kept it out of the public's eye until after it was over, much like Alex Roy recently did on his record-breaking 'Cannonball' run from NYC to LA.

http://www.wired.com/cars/coolwheels/magazine/15-11/ff_cannonballrun