By G. Nick Lundskow -- The CapitalCosmos owner Joe Dorr, right, stands aboard the 45-foot catamaran with first mate George Hotz.

Growing up in Herald Harbor, Joe Dorr's sailing experience was limited to racing dinghies on Little Round Bay.

Always fascinated by the great explorers, Dorr dreamed of one day spanning the oceans and seeing the far-flung lands he found in geography books.

Dorr, an Arundel High graduate, achieved his lifelong desire by circumnavigating the globe aboard a 45-foot catamaran. Dorr and first mate George Hotz completed a two-year voyage last Saturday when they sailed into Annapolis, from which they departed in January, 2001.

"It was the adventure of a lifetime. A lot of people long to sail around the world. I was fortunate to be in a position to actually go do it," said Dorr, a telecommunications executive.

Dorr, now 55, was past middle age when he really caught the bug for distance sailing. He and fellow employees from Ace.Comm Corporation, chartered an Irwin 47 and sailed it from Annapolis to St. Michael's.

"Some guys at work decided to do a weekend sailing trip and they appointed me captain because they knew I had some experience," Dorr said. "The truth is that, up to that point, the largest boat I'd sailed was a 14-foot catamaran."

Yet that outing hooked Dorr and he soon began chartering sailboats regularly for trips to Maine and Florida. He cruised around the Delmarva Peninsula then purchased a Prout 45 for more serious ocean cruising.

Upon deciding to go forward with the global voyage, Dorr immediately sought out Hotz to serve as full-time crew. The two were neighbors for many years in Middletown, Md., and Dorr knew Hotz had extensive sailing experience along with a mechanical mind.

"I called George one night and told him I was doing a survey: 'If someone asked you out of the blue to sail around the world, would you do it?' It only took him about three seconds to say, 'of course,' " Dorr recalled.

"George was the perfect partner for this trip because he's very reliable, very committed and is better at fixing things than anyone I know."

Hotz had just retired after 31 years as maintenance supervisor for EastAlco Aluminum Company in Frederick. He had owned numerous sailboats, some of which he took offshore.

"I didn't hesitate to take Joe up on the opportunity because I knew it would never come around again," said Hotz, 61.

Dorr and Hotz departed Fort Lauderdale in May, 2001 and began a west-to-east circumnavigation that was divided into three legs lasting about six months each. Leg 1 took them through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean and onto New Zealand. Leg 2 saw the duo hop-scotch Australia before sailing onto South Africa by way of the Indian Ocean. Leg 3 was the trans-Atlantic crossing from Cape Town back to Annapolis.

Of course, there were dozens of other stops along the way as Dorr and Hotz made port at many of the islands that dot the three oceans and three seas - Caribbean, Tasman and Coral - they passed through.

Leg 1 brought the Galagapos, Marquesas, Society and Cook islands. Much of Leg 2 was spent on the Great Barrier Reef and included visits to Cocos-Keeling, Rodriguez and Reunion. Leg 3 featured stops at St. Helena, Fernando de Noronha and Virgin Islands.

A total of 14 people spent time sailing Cosmos - some of whom were friends of Dorr and Hotz, others who were recruited through Crewseekers.com.

There normally were no more than four people aboard at one time, which provided plenty of privacy and personal space aboard a luxury catamaran that featured three large cabins and comfortable salon.

Dorr and Hotz had a pair of laptop computers for writing e-mails, keeping journals and watching DVDs. A satellite telephone enabled crew members to stay in contact with family.

Cosmos had three major stints at seas, all of which lasted about three weeks, and once covered 212 miles during a 24-hour span. Surprisingly, there weren't too many hairy moments as a result of high winds and rough seas.

Dorr said the worst situation came 100 miles south of Bermuda when a sudden squall brought winds that reached 70 knots, but the 12,000-pound cat proved quite sturdy sailing under full genoa and main. Hotz recalled screaming downwind in 50 knot breezes after rounding the Cape of Good Hope.

While every aspect of the journey was remarkable, there were highlights that stood out. Both men were enthralled by Australia, which explains why Cosmos spent two months touring that country. Diving on the Great Barrier Reef and seeing rare marine life was amazing.

Dorr called passing through the massive Panama Canal an "awesome experience." Cosmos went into the locks along with a gigantic car carrier that dwarfed the catamaran. It seemed all the inhabitants of Cocos-Keeling attended a Fourth of July fireworks display and beach party the Cosmos crew organized.

Hotz said the islands of French Polynesia, such as Tahiti and Bora Bora, were "as beautiful as you could ever imagine." He will never forget raising the American flag on the Atoll of Ahi the day after the 9-11 terrorist attack and having local fisherman applaud as they passed by.

"Everywhere we went, the native folks were always very nice and welcoming," Hotz said. "To actually spend time in so many different places and meet so many interesting people was the greatest thrill."

Dorr and Hotz documented their adventure aboard Cosmos through photos and journals posted on a home page located at www.shamrockmall.com. Nobody visits the page more often than the sailors themselves.

"Whenever I see the pictures or read the entries, memories come rushing back," Dorr said.

Published May 15, 2003, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2003 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.