Pete Goss
© AFP/File Gerry Penny LONDON (AFP) - The ex-Royal Marine and his three crew will sail a 37-foot (11.3-metre) wooden lugger from Newlyn in Cornwall, southwestern England, to Melbourne, using nothing but the stars to guide them.
They hope to recreate the 11,000-mile (17,700-kilometre) journey undertaken by the crew of "Mystery", who left Newlyn on November 18, 1854, to make their fortune in Australia's gold rush.
Stopping only once for repairs and food in Cape Town, South Africa, the seven Cornishmen made it safely to Melbourne in 116 days, arriving on March 14, 1855. Goss believes he can accomplish the trip in the same time.
"This project has been a long time in the making and now we cannot wait to set sail. We just want to slip our lines and head for the freedom of the ocean," he said.
Weather permitting, they should leave Monday evening, according to his blog.
Goss is no stranger to maritime challenges, having taken part in the Vendee Globe single-handed around-the-world race in the winter of 1996, changing course mid-way to rescue stricken rival Raphael Dinelli in the Southern Ocean.
In December 2000, it was he and his crew who needed rescuing when their catamaran got caught in an Atlantic storm during sea trials for another race.
This journey will be considerably less high-tech.
Barring a few safety modifications, the boat crewed by Goss, his 14-year-old son Eliot, his brother Andy and brother-in-law Mark Maidment, has no modern electrical or navigational equipment.
The boat is fitted by a satellite tracking device to allow the team at home to keep an eye on them, but those on board will have to rely on the stars.
"A lot of brushing up will be needed for this but I have always wanted to complete a long ocean passage using only the heavenly bodies," Goss said.
©AFP