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NEWINGTON, CT, Nov 16, 2001--Ham radio's senior sailor David Clark, KB6TAM, this week officially completed his around-the-world sail--becoming the oldest person to do so. But Clark does not plan to celebrate his accomplishment until he returns to his starting point in December.
Clark, who's 77, arrived in Great Inagua, the Bahamas, earlier this week, technically completing the circumnavigation that began in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in December 1999. He had spent much of the Atlantic hurricane season in Trinidad. Clark is due back in Fort Lauderdale on December 7 for a gala celebration. Clark was scheduled to depart Great Inagua November 15 on his way to Nassau. Earlier in the month, he managed to avoid a confrontation with Hurricane Michelle, which raked Cuba and parts of the Bahamas.
Clark has been using ham radio while he's under way. He's kept in touch with Eric Mackie, 9Z4CP, whom he got to know in Trinidad. Clark's wife, Lynda, reports that Fred Moore, W3ZU, has been able to patch calls via ham radio to her a couple of times.
Among those greeting Clark when he arrived in St Croix last week was ARRL Virgin Islands Section Manager John Ellis, NP2B. "His first request was for some ham and eggs!" Ellis reported to Lynda Clark. "He looks great, looking forward to his arrival in Ft. Lauderdale on the 7th." Ellis, who says Clark "gets around like someone who is 37," had dinner with the ham-sailor during his St Croix stopover and introduced him to the amateur community there.
 David Clark, KB6TAM, playing clarinet in Nassau's Poop Deck restaurant, while owner and friend Eloy Roldan looks on. |
Once in Nassau, Clark plans to again play clarinet for his friend Eloy Roldan at the Poop Deck restaurant until it's time for him to leave for Gun Key or Bimini--a scant 12 hours from Fort Lauderdale.
"It's getting really exciting!!" Lynda Clark enthused in an e-mail dispatch this week.
 David Clark with first mate Mickey aboard his original vessel, the Mollie Milar. Mickey was lost during the rescue attempt after Clark's boat sank off South Africa last winter. |
Accompanied by his dog, Mickey, Clark departed South Florida in 1999 in the 44-foot steel-hulled sloop, the Mollie Milar--named for his mother. Mickey was lost and Clark himself nearly died after the vessel sank last February off the coast of South Africa. Clark bought another sailboat--a smaller one that he named Mickey--and resumed his quest in April.
Clark has been checking into the Seafarer's Net on 14.313 MHz and the Intercontinental Net on 14.300 MHz.
For more
information on Clark's journey, visit these Web sites http://www.dclark.com and http://www.captainclark.com.
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