Please select your home edition
Edition
Selden 2020 - LEADERBOARD

Celebrating Marvin Creamer's uniquely ambitious circumnavigation

by David Schmidt 25 Aug 2020 08:00 PDT August 25, 2020
Big rollers on the Southern Ocean Leg from Cape Town to Fremantle © Clipper Race

I've spent large parcels of the last several weeks writing about the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (August 30-September 4) for a different publication, and one of the most impressive things that I learned was exactly how close navigators and tacticians take these massive yachts to the bricks as they compete in the regatta's coastal racecourses. This event—for those who might not know—is limited to yachts that are at least 60 feet, LOA, and up. And this, of course, translates to impressively deep-draught keels and boatspeeds that are easily measured in the low-to-mid teens for uphill work and low-to-mid 20s for downhill sailing, provided, of course, that the weather gods cooperate.

While these metrics are impressive, what put my jaw on my desk was the fact that the best teams often sail these seafloor-scratching keels mere feet above rocks that could wreck absolute havoc if contact is made.

Granted, these yachts are crewed by some of the world's best big-boat sailors, but when the accuracy of one's GPS information is called into question before an afterguard commits to a particular routing, you know that you're playing for keeps in a regatta setting.

It was with these stories in my recent memory that I read The New York Times's (www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/sports/sailing/marvin-creamer-a-mariner-who-sailed-like-the-ancients-dies-at-104.html) excellent obituary on Marvin Creamer (1916-2020), a geographer, university professor and lifelong sailor who earned international admiration and respect in 1984 when he and a small crew sailed Globe Star, a 36-foot sloop, around the world, sans any navigational instruments.

You read that right: a circumnavigation without even so much as a compass or a watch for guidance or dead-reckoning assistance.

(N.B., to be fair, Creamer and company kept a compass, clock, radio and a sextant aboard, sealed in a locker, in case of an absolute emergency; this scheme allowed them to later prove that they did not rely on any instrumentation on their lap of our lonely planet. In this same light, Creamer also kept an hour glass on hand, which was only used to maintain the crew's watch-keeping schedule.)

All told, Creamer and his crew managed to sail Globe Star some 30,000 nautical miles using only their senses and their knowledge of the earth as guidance.

If this sounds reminiscent of the famous South Pacific wave pilots, you're on the right track.

According to Margalit Fox, who penned Creamer's obituary in The New York Times, Creamer and company trusted "nothing more than wind, waves, the sun by day, and the moon and stars by night." Additionally, Fox wrote that Creamer could determine his position based on water temperature and color, humidity levels, and the presence of certain fauna species when the skies were obscured by clouds.

Yet unlike foolhardy circumnavigations attempted by woefully unprepared "mariners" (I use the term lightly) such as Donald Crowhurst, Creamer spent his life preparing for his around-the-world journey. This included a childhood obsession with star-gazing and ancient forms of navigation, many university-level classes in geography and oceanography, a lifetime passion for offshore sailing, and a series of transatlantic crossings that were made sans all instrumentation.

Despite these significant preparations and previous trials, Fox reports that the world effectively scoffed at his plans when he announced his intentions.

Yet Creamer boldly brushed aside this criticism and, on December 21, 1982, he and his crew set out on what would prove to be a 513-day journey that began and ended on the waters just off of Cape May, New Jersey.

Plenty of adventures ensued, including a temporary detention in the Falkland Islands (remember this was in 1983), some serious partying in Hobart, Tasmania, and a rather unique journey around Cape Horn, not to mention close calls with storms, passing ships and marine life, but, throughout the length of their 30,000 nautical mile voyage, Creamer never doubted his abilities.

The Globe Star crew returned home to a rightly deserved heroes' welcome and much international attention, and Creamer was awarded the Cruising Club of America's prestigious Bluewater Medal.

Most importantly, Creamer proved to himself that his dream of becoming the first sailor to circumnavigate the planet without any navigational tools wasn't a suicide mission.

I'll admit to smiling at the last lines of Fox's obituary, where she notes that Creamer sailed well into his tenth decade on this planet. Ironically, his final sailboat was equipped with a GPS, but the not-so-ancient mariner never bothered to learn how to use it.

It's not like he needed it.

My one regret after reading this obituary of a life truly well-lived is that I had not heard of Mr. Creamer during his living years, nor did I have a chance to interview a truly masterful navigator and sailor. This, of course, reflects only my own ignorance, and I will raise my next glass in his honor and to his audaciously bold theory of navigation.

While it's likely a good thing that he stayed away from the kind of rock hopping that will be unfurling at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the sailing world is undoubtedly richer for Mr. Creamer's circumnavigation, and for his lifetime of preparation that enabled him to put paid to a truly proud childhood dream.

May the four winds blow you safely home.

David Schmidt
Sail-World.com North American Editor

Related Articles

San Francisco SailGP news, Vendee Globe, GL52s
A rotating cast of characters who have been reaching the podium's top step One of the coolest aspects of SailGP's fifth season of racing has been the rotating cast of characters who have been reaching the podium's top step. This past weekend, in San Francisco, it was the Spain SailGP Team's time to shine. Posted on 25 Mar
Going to publish the 'F' word – Again!
Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing Now we published the first one back in June last year. It did really well, thank you. Very much appreciated. Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing, and are keen to get into the foiling world. Posted on 23 Mar
SailGP news, J/22 Midwinters, SP80 update
Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix, J/22 Midwinters, SP80's speed record attempt While 2025 hasn't been kind to the City of Angels, sailing fans turned out to celebrate the Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix event this past weekend, which saw 12 SailGP teams engaging in racecourse fisticuffs on the waters off the Port of Los Angeles. Posted on 18 Mar
Is it the science of silence?
A sensibility and inner peace that only real Zen can deliver. Yes. This is Silent Yachts. Distinctly more than just moments in love? You'd have to think so. A serene theme for life. A futuristic take on it all. New Romantic collides with Renaissance. Abstract meets impressionism. A sensibility and inner peace that only real Zen can deliver. Posted on 17 Mar
No more excuses
2025 is all about the club sailors, the weekend warriors, the open meeting stalwarts I was wondering if things were going to slow down in sailing after the huge events of 2024, namely the Olympics, America's Cup and Vendée Globe but, if anything, they've speeded up. Posted on 17 Mar
The oldest video footage of sailing in Ireland
A look back into our video archive, from 1926 to 1980 As we prepare for St Patrick's Day tomorrow, let us direct our exploration of the video archive towards anything Irish. We have discovered several videos from Ireland, starting as early as the 1920s! Posted on 16 Mar
A windy Possession Point Race
Some thoughts on the 2025 Possession Point Race Mea Culpa: I didn't take any pictures on Saturday's Possession Point Race. That's because both of my hands were either busy either dealing with foredeck duties or holding on tight to the lifelines of Jonathan and Libby McKee's Riptide 44, Dark Star. Posted on 11 Mar
Two boats. Same Direction.
You know the deal… It means there's a race on. You know the deal… It means there's a race on. So, the second South Pacific Superyacht Rendezvous is set for August 26 to 29, 2025. If it is even half as much fun and interesting as the first one, then it will bolster its burgeoning reputation. Posted on 9 Mar
The 600 Sweet Spot
The world of offshore racing is booming around the world The world of offshore racing is booming around the world. Record entries, some of the world's fastest yachts and highest profile campaigns, and a plethora of Corinthian teams have the 'classics' on their bucket list. Posted on 4 Mar
Foggy sailing on Puget Sound
East Coast fog and West Coast whales The biennial Marblehead to Halifax Race, which celebrates its 40th edition this summer, is a 361 nautical mile race that's often characterized by light upwind sailing in fog. Last Saturday on Puget Sound felt like a return to these storied waters. Posted on 4 Mar
Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignSelden 2020 - FOOTERCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTER