MULTIHULL PERSONALITY
Words by Lia Ditton
Mark Featherstone
and PlaystationPart Two
In last month's online magazine, Lia Ditton reflected on
Project Manager Mark Featherstone's incredible journey
with 'Cheyenne,' the 125 ft maxi-catamaran owned by the
late American billionaire, Steve Fossett.
his month we bring you up to date with an account of life after
T
the mast fell; the boat's onward passage from Argentina; refit
in San Diego; role in the Transpac; the search for Steve Fossett
and the status now of the late Fossett's project to be the first person to
travel by mini submarine to the lowest point of the ocean.
Repairs begin in Puerto Belgrano
In April 2005 'Cheyenne' was put up for sale and the 125 ft maxi-catamaran vehicle) around the world. The new
began its laborious passage up the coast of South America. With a top project he had in mind was manned,
recorded speed of 43 knots under sail, being pulled 450 miles at 6 knots came but neither sailing nor flying.
as a sudden change of pace.
The plan now was for the boat to return
The Argentinean Navy who had so kindly towed the boat as a humanitarian to the States: destination San Diego
gesture, into the curious new oil-money town of Comodoro Rivadavia in via the Panama Canal, yet passage
Northern Ushuaia, were now gainfully employed to tow the boat north to the distances were limited by the boat's
Naval Base, Puerto Belgrano in Bahía Blanca in order to install engines that fuel carrying capacity; while checking in
were now en route from Qatar. and out of port consumed whole days.
To boot, the engines gave endless
Curiously, in July 2005, the boat came off the market. Steve had always said problems- the voyage from Argentina to
that when he was too old to sail or fly, he would pilot a drone (unmanned Rio de Janeiro being particularly difficult
32 MULTIHULL REVIEW : OCTOBER 2009
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