Defining Success

Success can only be measured by comparing results to original goals. Within our project we had two major components: the Vendée Globe 2016; and our sitesALIVE! education program based on our participation in that race. Our objectives for the race were to finish, and...

What I’ll Miss

At the end of this big effort to sail around the world singlehanded, it will be time to reflect on what I’ll miss from these offshore days when I am back on land. I’ll miss the very clean air of the ocean and how my lungs love it. I’ll miss seeing...

Teamwork & Perseverance

The Vendée Globe is a singlehanded sailing race, yet each solo skipper could not succeed without a skilled and dedicated team on land. This team has prepared the boat, and while the skipper is at sea, are on call 24/7 to advise the skipper by satellite phone on...

Fisheries Depletion

Living in New England, with the major fishing ports of Gloucester and New Bedford, one is exposed to the state of the fisheries. Over the course of the last half century, the major stocks have depleted significantly. For the Grand Banks off Canada, the cod stock, one...

Forces of Nature

At sea on a clear starry night, one likely feels exceptionally small when confronted by the enormity of the universe laid out in front of one’s eyes. It is impossible to describe the relative sizes, except to say that we are tiny. Similarly, in a storm at sea,...

Decison Making

Decision-making in my immediate context of a Southern Ocean gale is about risk and return. My goal is to get safely to Cape Horn. We have another 36-48 hours of this storm to go. That is a long time for the boat and skipper to be at risk. And we have an immediately...