Transatlantic With Street

Author: Don Street

A 2 hour master class on crossing an ocean safely without GPS, long range radio or even an engine. In 1985, a pre ARC, it is a voyage into the unknown, truly an adventure. A classic Trade Wind passage, via 11 ocean islands. The last 2100 miles from the Verdes is a very fast 14 day passage but drinking water runs short before "Iolaire" reaches Antigua safely. " In today's electronic world, professionally produced sailing DVDs put the information you've paid for in the palm of your hand. Transatlantic with Street, shot aboard veteran seaman Don Street's engineless 1905 yawl, Iolaire, is on a different tack altogether. Shot in the mid 1980s on a passage from Europe to Antigua, it reminds us that seafaring can still be rough, tough and wildly at odds with today's well-organised ARC crossings. The boat leaks through the deck and through the bottom (it's easy to forget that wooden boats generally do). The hands become disillusioned and some defect, leaving the faithful with the traditional task of signing on volunteers in remote places. Whales accompany a remarkably fast trade-wind passage, and we share the wonders of the deep as the crew navigates by sun and stars. The real magic, however, is the seamanlike wisdom of "Squeaky" himself, contrasted with the quiet, scholarly voice of his acolyte, Gavin Shaw. Shaw ends the movie inspired to roam the seas in his own right, as might we, the viewers. There's nobody quite like Street, and this DVD, two hours of thought-provoking viewing, is worth every penny."