by Capt. Yann Cariou | Nov 30, 2016 | Essays-YannCariou
The sea and man. Thousands of years ago, the first sailor that saw land disappear must have been struck by a feeling of immense solitude and a profound anxiety. The land is the natural habitat of man, the place where he is born and grows, the place where he can live...
by Rich Wilson | Nov 30, 2016 | Essays-RichWilson
At sea, we see great swaths of ocean, and thereby of the planet. Sometimes on a long ocean voyage, we may be close to land, but more often we are hundreds of miles off any land. In either circumstance, I like to think about the people, the places, the cultures – just...
by Dr. Kara Lavender Law | Nov 23, 2016 | Essays-DrKaraLavenderLaw
Do you ever wonder what happens to a plastic drinking straw after you are finished using it and throw it away? Where is “away”? Where does it end up? The answer depends on where in the world you live. In some places, the straw is probably buried in a landfill, or...
by Rich Wilson | Nov 23, 2016 | Essays-RichWilson
Today is a beautiful day at sea. We are 300 miles east of Recife, Brazil, the blue sky has fluffy clouds, and the sea, cresting with an occasional whitecap, is a deep blue glittering with sunlight. Does the ocean look polluted? No, it looks beautiful. But just because...
by Dava Sobel | Nov 16, 2016 | Essays-DavaSobel
People often speak of drawing “a line in the sand,” meaning a boundary that cannot be crossed without serious consequences. Next week Skipper Rich Wilson will cross a line in the water. Although no one can see that line threading through the ocean waves, still the...
by Rich Wilson | Nov 16, 2016 | Essays-RichWilson
For a mariner, Crossing the Line is a special event, no matter how many times he or she may have done it before. North turns to South (or the reverse) on the GPS. The Line is not marked by buoys, only by signs (+ or -) in the spherical trigonometry of the planet. New...
