AN OKEHAMPTON Grammar School old boy has just sailed across the Atlantic single handed — at the age of 71. Michael Hedden recently retired as an anaesthetist in Fort Myers, Florida. He was born in Okehampton and attended the grammar school there. On April 6 he left Fort Myers in his British built catamaran, Cats Meow, and arrived at Mylor Yacht Marina, Falmouth on June 5, after making rest stops at Fort Lauderdale, British Bermuda and Portugese Azores. There were three occasions when he said he felt his end was near. He stayed awake all night during a terrific storm of lightning and thunder near the Florida Everglades and could not use the sail or engine. The boat was driven by the wind and currents. He also experienced four continuous days and nights in a storm, when he was convinced his boat would break up any minute. The third occasion was when he was woken by the radar alarm with only four minutes to avoid a large tanker heading straight for him. He was able to steer using a hand-held electronic steering device from the cabin of the boat during the voyage.
