While most sailors have heard of Joshua Slocum and his famous solo circumnavigation aboard his sloop Spray, many will have never heard of the Canadian John Voss, who made an equally impressive voyage.
What makes Voss’ early cruising voyage so remarkable is not just the feat itself but his adventures from British Columbia to England via Australia and the Cape of Good Hope were made in a 30-foot dugout canoe that he purchased from local native Americans.
Voss was a man of the sea so he was able to modify his new boat with raised bulwarks, decking, a small cabin and a three-masted schooner rig that flew 270 square feet of canvas. Yet, Tilikum, as the boat was known, had only a five-foot, six-inch beam.
That he survived is nothing short of remarkable and in the end many considered him a madman. But, his voyage to England made him famous and his book The Venturesome Voyages of Captain Voss became a best seller.
