The Voyage of American Promise

Day 92: ``I find these days moving by like the legs of a spent runner.'' Three days later Dodge Morgan sailed into a tropical cyclone in the Southern Pacific Ocean and in the next 24 hours made 175 nautical miles under bare poles. Morgan's nonstop solo circumnavigation of the globe, east to west, was a series of chills and thrills, ups and downs, and the fulfillment of a dream. At age 53, retired and financially secure, he commissioned the design and construction of a boat that, with back-up systems and state-of-the art mechanical and electrical equipment, could withstand six months of continuous sailing under any condition. American Promise, a 60-foot cutter, was completed in less than nine months, and in October 1985, Morgan set out from Portland, Maine, only to limp in to Bermuda when the self-steering gear failed. After repairs, he set out again, and returned triumphant to Bermuda a record-breaking 150 days later. This is first-class adventure for salts and landlubbers alike. Photos. (July)