title: Gerry Spiess
text: # Gerry Spiess
  
  Gerald F. Spiess (January 24, 1940 – June 18, 2019) was an American school teacher best known for having sailed his 10-foot (3.0 m) home-built sailboat Yankee Girl solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1979 and across the Pacific in 1981.
  
  ## Sailboat construction
  
  Spiess designed and built the boat in his garage in suburban White Bear Lake, Minnesota, from plywood. After a test launch in the local lake, Spiess transported the boat to the East Coast for launch. He sailed from Norfolk, Virginia, on June 1, 1979, arriving in Falmouth, England, after a 54-day Atlantic crossing.
  
  ## Legacy
  
  In 1991, a tribute song was written about Mr. Spiess journey with Yankee Girl.
  
  