17 Schooner Pato

Meet the first man to sail around the world alone

In 1874 Joshua Slocum was given the ninety-ton schooner, Pato (Spanish for “Duck”) as partial payment for his part in building a 150-ton steamer in the shipyard at Subic Bay, The Philippines

The Pato was a small, fast schooner built to the lines of the famous yacht Sappho. In it, with his family, Slocum made one of his most interesting voyages… from The Philippines to Honolulu via the Bearing Sea Victoria. Thereafter, the family used the Pato as a general freight carrier along the west coast of North America. The Slocums sold the Pato in Honolulu in the spring of 1878.

Joshua Slocum

Joshua Slocum (February 20, 1844 – on or shortly after November 14, 1909) was the first man to sail single-handed around the world. He did so aboard Spray, a 36-foot-9-inch oyster sloop which he rebuilt in Fairhaven Massachusetts. Slocum was Nova Scotian born, naturalized American seaman and adventurer, and a noted writer. In 1900 he wrote a book about his historic journey; Sailing Alone Around the World, which became an international best-seller. He disappeared in November 1909 while aboard the Spray.