Safe arrival in Melbourne for Pete Goss

One might be forgiven in thinking that most of the really adventurous journeys in the world had already been made. Well Cornish sailor Pete Goss and his crew have just completed a truly epic journey retracing the route taken by seven fishermen from west Cornwall over 150 years ago as they searched for a better life in Australia. I'm guessing that many readers will be aware of the replica of the original Mounts Bay lugger 'Mystery' that Pete had built for him but for a little background see my blog here. Much more information can be found on this website. The great news is that 'Spirit of Mystery' has safely arrived in Melbourne but unfortunately the craft was hit by a freak wave shortly before the voyage was completed. As a result one of Pete's crew members , brother-in-law Mark Maidment, sustained a broken leg and had to be put ashore a little further back on the coast. Really tough luck for Mark but evidently no permanent damage done.

I don't always agree with the editorial preferences in the 'Western Morning News' but today, in the Cornish edition at least, they were spot on by devoting the whole of the front page and pages 2 and 3 to the success of the Goss expedition. Plus plenty of warm congratulations in a leader column which I would echo. Pete took advantage of modern communication to keep a weblog going but when it came to other aspects of the trip such as navigation for instance he replicated what the earlier sailors did - he used a sextant and the stars to guide his way!

On arrival in Australia Pete and his crew have actually met up with some of the descendants of those original emigrants from Cornwall. What an incredible feeling that must have been! At the moment the future of 'Spirit of Mystery' seems uncertain other than the fact that Pete would clearly like to see her back in Cornwall. Whether that means he will sail her back is an unknown but it would be quite possible. The capacity for Pete Goss to amaze us all is still evident.

Pete Goss rounds Cape of Good Hope

Last October I wrote about the departure of Pete Goss and members of his family on Pete's latest sailing adventure. I won't go into the background again of why he decided to do this, better to just click back on to my piece here. Anyway 'Spirit of Mystery' has now rounded the Cape of Good Hope, a really significant moment in the voyage no doubt. If you wish to keep up to date with how the journey is going Pete has a blog you can access here.

Pete Goss off in his latest adventure

Following a very pleasant weekend yesterday was thoroughly miserable in the Tamar Valley but the wet weather proved to be no deterrent to yachtsman and adventurer Pete Goss as he set off from Newlyn on his latest voyage. The boat he and his companions are sailing in 'Spirit of Mystery' is a replica of the 37 ft 'Mystery', an open Mounts Bay lugger built in Newlyn.

It was in the late autumn of 1854 that seven Cornishmen set sail from the same port for Australia in search of a better life than the harsh one they were enduring at home. Peter is attempting to recreate the same journey using a similar boat and like them navigating by sextant and the stars. One small difference though is that 'Mystery' has a crew of just four: in addition to Pete there are brother Andy, son Eliot and brother in law Mark.

As in the case of the epic 1854 journey there will be a stopover in Cape Town. Goss is hoping his timing is right so that other members of his family can meet up with them in South Africa at Christmas.

One crucial difference between the two voyages 154 years apart is that today we have an incredible communications system. This will allow those captivated by Pete Goss's dream to follow his progress. Much more information can be found on his website by clicking here. It just remains for me to wish him the very best of luck on this really exciting project.