A challenge born of tragedy
Ann Davison's maritime adventure is rooted in a personal tragedy. In May 1949, at the age of 34, she left England with her husband Franck, aboard the Reliance a 21-meter ketch that they've painstakingly refitted for life in the Caribbean. The boat was far from being ready for such a voyage, but to escape seizure, Anne and Franck were pursued by creditors and took to the sea before they had finished preparing it. Bad luck catches up with them and Le Reliance, stuck in a storm off the English Channel, runs aground near Portland Bill. The lifeboat is thrown over rocks by the heavy swell, Frank falls into the water and drowns, while Ann manages to survive.
This tragedy turned her life upside down, tearing her away from the man she loved so passionately, leaving her to face a sea she feared as much as it fascinated her. To rebuild her life, she decides to tell her story in a first book, "Last Voyage", which will enable her to quench her sorrow while wiping away her debts. And to fully recover from her ordeal, she set herself a monumental challenge: to resume her unfinished voyage and cross the Atlantic alone. The sea will be her therapy, and this adventure a path to her rebirth.
Felicity Ann, says FA' 7 mètres' favorite
With the money she had earned from the sale of her book, Ann bought a small 7-meter sloop, designed by Sid Mashford and built at the Cremyll shipyard in Cornwall. Although she initially found the boat too cramped for an ocean crossing, she quickly became attached to it: " The price was right, and I immediately connected with the boat, which is the kind of sailboat that slips on like a sweater "she later wrote in an article for Life Magazine. The sloop seems small for such an undertaking, but Ann is sure of herself and her choice: " I never imagined that I could fail "she says, betraying an almost naive optimism. She christens her yacht Felicity Ann , " Anne Heureuse "And here again, his fierce appetite for happiness is displayed in capital letters on his bow.
The ship was extensively modified before departure. Engineer and sailor Humphrey Barton recommended several crucial adjustments: the mast height was reduced by 2 meters, a self-draining cockpit was installed, the structure was reinforced with steel straps and a 95-liter water tank was added. These preparations transform Felicity Ann into a boat suited to the Atlantic, albeit at the limits of its capabilities.
The sailboat's equipment includes a set of reduced sails, navigation lights and a portable compass. Her provisions are limited to cookies, water and tea, and seem inadequate for the amount of energy she will need to expend on board.
Rudimentary preparation for a journey through hell
Before setting sail, Ann undergoes navigation training. Under the guidance of Commander Lund, a former Royal Navy instructor, she learned the rudiments of astronomical navigation and tidal calculations. However, she admits to having taken to the sea with some shortcomings: " I understood the basics, but adding up the numbers remained a challenge ". This lack of practice would be her biggest problem: the Félicty Ann is ready, but Ann doesn't know how to handle it, and embarks on an interminable galley where she will have to push back the limits of suffering.
Top departure from England
On May 18, 1952, at the age of 39, she left Plymouth, driven by a mixture of fear and determination. To prevent herself from doubting and indefinitely postponing this departure, she had already signed the contract for her next book, which would tell the story of this transatlantic voyage: she left herself no choice but to cast off.
From the very first days, damage slowed her progress. She was forced to make a stopover in Douarnenez, France, then modified her initial itinerary to sail along the Iberian and North African coasts, where she often stopped to repair her boat and reinforce her weak knowledge. At each stop, she suffered the wear and tear of the elements: strong winds, brittle waves and a hull often invaded by seaweed and barnacles, which, despite the copper paint applied to the living works, slowed her progress.
A 65-day crossing
It wasn't until November 1952, 5 months after her departure, that she undertook the final crossing between the Canaries and the West Indies, lasting sixty-five days. Conditions intensified during this transatlantic journey and Felicity Ann was hit by force 8 winds and capsized several times. The difficult weather caused her to veer off course and drift towards Dominica instead of Antigua, her original destination.
On board, Ann battles dysentery, suffers from lumbago, a head injury after hitting the boom, abscesses from seasickness, sunburns to the eyes and sleep deprivation. To stay awake, she resorts to stimulants like Benzedrine, which, with her perseverance, becomes her only weapon against the worries that descend upon her.
On January 26, 1953, she finally reached Portsmouth, Dominica, becoming the first woman to cross the Atlantic solo. She then continued on to New York, where she arrived in November of the same year, welcomed like a heroine by the Americans. She was their guest of honor at the New York Boat Show the following year.
A new life in the United States
She remained in the United States, remarried and settled in Florida, where she continued sailing and writing. The story of her exploits, "My Ship is so small", was published in 1956. Her husband Bert Billheimer, a former Miami Herald photographer, shared her passion for boats until his death on May 12, 1992 at the age of 78.
A record by chance, forgotten
Perhaps because it makes no sporting or societal claims, Ann Davison's feat has been forgotten, and her story is still little known today, in the UK and the USA. After her death, her boat remained for years in the shadow of a few private owners, until recently, when 2 American associations bought it and decided to restore it and use it to promote women's emancipation through sailing.
