Rescued Ohio sailor, 84, unsure of another trip

February 4, 2012 at 9:00p.m.

PORT CLINTON (AP)

Stranded on a sailboat with broken rigging and a swaying mast in the Pacific Ocean, 84-year-old Tom Corogin realized his dream of completing a solo voyage around the tip of South America was over, again.

It was his sixth attempt and one of the toughest trips yet.

Corogin suffered an infected puncture wound to his leg and required hospital treatment in Ecuador. He sailed through a terrible storm south of Mexico and was forced to activate his emergency beacon for the first time, in remote waters about 500 miles south of Easter Island.

In the end, Corogin was rescued Jan. 3 by a Japanese cargo ship and the Chilean navy but was forced to leave his boat behind.

Corogin, a lawyer who still practices part-time, arrived back at his home along Lake Erie nearly three weeks ago. He had set sail Dec. 27 from Easter Island on the last leg of his Cape Horn adventure when his rigging snapped, leaving him stranded in desolate waters.

Although he was exhausted after the rescue, he came home emotionally drained but fine physically.

Corogin said in a recent interview he has no idea if he’ll try a seventh time to complete the trip around Cape Horn that he’s dreamed about for decades. But he realized he found something he’d been searching for anyway — the reason why he’s sailed for so many years.

“It’s not so much the sailing itself,” Corogin said. “It’s what happens when I arrive in a port or when I arrive back home. It’s because of the love I receive from strangers, from wonderful people.”

It was during the early part of his trip that he began meeting people he’ll never forget.

There was a boy in Mexico who happily helped him carry groceries to his boat. And there was a woman in Ecuador who saw the cut on his leg and took him to a hospital. She visited every day, bringing a nutrition drink with her.

The good will continued with his rescue. There was the Japanese merchant ship that rerouted its course to pick him up. And the admiral in the Chilean navy who sent his own plane to help with the search.

After all that, Corogin came to understand that sailing was about more than seeing sunsets and glaciers.

“Much deeper,” he said. “I realized it’s all about love, helping other people. I received a lot of it on this trip. More than ever before. I consider myself very lucky. And I thought to myself, maybe that’s why I go sailing.”

For now, the disappointment of the aborted mission is still fresh. He’s had nightmares about making repairs to the sailboat he owned for 15 years.

“It’s been an emotional experience to lose a boat, I guess,” he said.

The chances of buying a new boat and making another attempt are slim, but he’s still optimistic.

“I’ve got to maintain my health,” Corogin said. “I’ve been very lucky so far. God’s given me these years and I’m trying my best to use them.”