All at sea when dreams fail

Almost to the day 15 years ago, 50,000 people crammed into a 1km radius of the Swan River and gave a standing ovation to Jon Sanders.

The then 60-year-old veteran sailor was very much full of life as he carried the Sydney-bound Olympic (Games) torch into an evening function at Burswood Park.

Just two weeks ago, only a handful of people were on the ocean this side of Steep Point when Mr Sanders was plucked from a stricken yacht. Without them, and good fortune, he may have been knocking on death’s door.

The same can be said of two British lads who were rescued (yet again) from their craft in waters west of Kalbarri on Wednesday.

Mates James Ketchell and Ashley Wilson want to break the world record for rowing across the Indian Ocean.

One has epilepsy and hit his noggin during rough seas and a merchant vessel was sent to their aid.

Just two months back, the pair had to abort a planned row from Geraldton to Mauritius just one day into the journey after electronic guidance equipment failed.

I don’t know Messrs Ketchell and Wilson — though they’ve got to know quite a few people in Gero — but I do know Jon Sanders.

Few, if any, know as much about the waters of the world as he does.

The bloke once spent 658 consecutive days at sea, doing a triple circumnavigation of the world.

He was once described as “the greatest yachtie there’s ever been”.

So if Mr Sanders can get into trouble when sailing “out there”, anybody can.

The ocean is like that. It cannot be tamed, no matter how often you travel it, it’s a moody beast.

And that’s all going well, aside from things going awry with people or their craft while on the water.

It’s great to have dreams — many would ask why live if one doesn’t dream — but there must be a sense of reality.

Good luck to the British boys in search of their watery wants.

However, methinks eight or nine out of 10 Jacks and Jills in the street wouldn’t be too keen on resources (some of which they pay for) going out once, twice and maybe thrice, for rescues.

And there’s the more important part: putting others at risk.

Peter Sweeney is editor of The Geraldton Guardian.