Circumspect Couch Potato

If I had a good deal of time to spare I might consider an epic journey to circumnavigate the globe. 

I would be following in the footsteps, wheel ruts, wake, slipstream, vapour trials, oil stains, blood and sweat streaks, elation and heartbreak of many others whose exploits have been preserved for perpetuity in legend and the record books. 

Of course there will have been many others who have endured hardships and privations anonymously and without accolade in their travels because they have just got on with their journeys and quests. 

What is generally regarded as the accepted succession of the best known circumnavigations starts with something of a tragedy in 1522. 

It involved the 18 surviving crew members of an expedition by the great maritime explorer Ferdinand Magellan who, after the murder of their inspirational leader in the Philippines made it back, just, to their home port in just over 3 years. 

As sail made way for powered vessels in successive centuries, together with advances in navigational aids and equipment such a trek would become commonplace on the world’s oceans. 

In 1766 the disguise adopted by Ms Jeanne Baret enabled her to join the 329 male crew members on the two ships which saw the Comte de Bougainville as the first Frenchman to circle the globe and establish her as the first woman to achieve this. 

Thomas Stevens was the first person to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle between 1884 and 1886. 

In the infancy of bike reliability and some political upheavals it appears that a good portion of the trip was by steamer. The male record is currently 123 days 43 minutes by Andrew Nicholson of New Zealand. Paola Gianotti of Italy holds the current female record, completing her attempt in November 2014 in a total of 144 days, though these were not ridden consecutively. 

Advances in powered flight saw the members of the American military circumnavigate by plane in 1924 taking 175 days although this record involved four different pilots and aircraft , five engine and two wing replacements. 

In 1929 the huge Graf Zeppelin airship took only 21 days hopping across the globe but a major contributing factor was the epic non-stop crossing of the Pacific Ocean from Tokyo to Los Angeles. 

The first solo flight followed four years later by the intrepid Wiley Post. He had a  previous role as a navigator in 1930 which had seen the bettering of the Zeppelin record. His lone effort took 7 days, 18 hours and 49 minutes. 

The great Depression, world war and austerity meant that there was a distinct lack of motivation and impetus to make further attempts until 1958 when Ben Carlin took to the water in an amphibious car. The manufacturer Ford declined to sponsor or endorse Carlin as they evidently had little faith in their vehicle. The trip took 2855 days. 

As far detached from a single vulnerable motor car on the high seas was the first underwater traverse by the USS Triton, a nuclear submarine in 1960 in 60 days and 21 hours. In homage in a roundabout way to the setting of circumnavigational history the Triton followed the same route, albeit submerged of the unfortunate Ferdinand Magellan in the 16^th Century. 

The focus on the ultimate world travel quest changed dramatically in 1961 although purists may feel that the 108 minutes it took Yuri Gagarin to orbit the earth in Vostok 1 was not in the true spirit of the thing. 

There was a return to relatively low tech global crossings in the mid to late 1960’s with Jerrie Mock being the first woman solo flyer in The Spirit of Columbus in 29 days and Robin Knox Johnston sailing non stop for the first time in 343 days as the only finisher in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race of 1969. 

Purely human powered circumnavigation is something to be wondered at but has not been without tragedy. In 1974 David Kunst was the first person to do it on foot taking 1569 days although along the way his brother was killed by Afghan bandits and he himself was shot and wounded. His determination was clear and 4 months after this trauma he continued the journey in the company of his other brother. 

Brave or foolish could describe the 62 day duration of Donald Taylor’s first circumnavigation in a his home made plane which at the time in 1976 cost the modern day equivalent of £17600. 

It took until 1978 for the first female solo sail by Krystyna Liskiewicz taking 401 days. 

Another crazy pioneer, this time by helicopter, took 352 days in 1982 to add to his record for the traverse over the Poles. 

There was a return to basics in 1984 when Marvin Creamer ,in his boat, relied solely on navigation using the stars and readings of the passage of the sun, therefore without any technical instruments and took 514 days. 

Big money was required for expeditions post 1990 calling for commercial sponsorship or the use of personal wealth by bored multi-millionaires and this helped to send a conventional balloon non-stop in marginally over 19 days, a solar powered boat in 584 days and the most recent, the highly publicised first circumnavigation by Solar Impulse 2, the 72 metre wingspan aircraft relying on 17,248 solar cells to power it the 42,438km journey in 506 days. 

The efforts of individuals should not however be overlooked and one, Robert Garside is credited as the first person to run around the world between 1997 and 2003, taking 2,062 days to cover 30,000 miles (48,000 km) across 29 countries and 6 continents

As for my aspirations to becoming a global traveller- well, I will for the meantime just take up my usual position on the sofa and get some essential intel by watching the National Geographic TV Channel. The key is in the planning and the detail- isn't it?