Reflections Upon a Passage
There may be something inherently “off” with those of us that choose this lifestyle, this path, but then if that is the case it is an “offness” we have shared through history. As the author Jack London penned over a century ago:
““I would rather be ashes than dust. I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze then it should be stifled by a dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in a magnificent glow, then a sleepy and permanent planet. For the proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
Jack London - 1916
Read More
Did You Hear the Ocean Singing
A magical thing about sailing far from shore is the space one has to live in a moment. Tonight Gargoyle is sailing lightly downwind. Arcturus lights our wake as the moon makes a sky full of high clouds glow. A playlist of favorites make a perfect accompaniment to the soft background of the wind, wave and sail. If one could dream a perfect night at sea, this is it.
Read More
Star Light, Star Bright...
As dusk settles softly over the seas between Cuba and Jamaica I wait for the first star and I remember other nights from another time. As is often the case on Night Watch the veil between now and the past is thin. I can practical smell those magical evenings as the sun slowly set and the air was filled with anticipation. We would gather in the yards and play endless games of kick the can. Slowly night would fall until someone would notice that first star and we would pause and whisper those magical words to make that wish. What did I wish for back then? Did I wish to be a sailor, exploring distant shores? It was all so very long ago.
Read More
A Beastie Boys Kinda Night
Think about sailing and visions of wine and crackers served to a soundtrack of Southern Cross or Margaritaville come to mind. Well, this isn’t that kind of a sail. The past 24 hours has brought us 20+knots of sustained winds and 5’ to 9’ seas. All on the nose as the Caymans are a tight angle to starboard. These conditions turn a relaxing sail into a bit of a heavy metal concert. First of all, it’s loud. Loud as in “can’t talk to the person next to you on watch” loud. It’s wet. ..
Read More
One Lives in the Hope...
As many of you know, we recently added a Watt and Sea hydrogenator to Gargoyle in the hopes of allowing us to power our hungry beast across oceans while leaving as small an ecological footprint as possible. What you may not know is that this Watt and Sea comes with more than just a few miles on it. It also comes with a memory.
Read More
On the Midnight Watch...
Night watches are a wonderful time to reflect on life. Yes, you are on watch, which entails approximately 5 minutes each hour of real focus with 55 minutes to realize truths in your life. For me it's about a spectrum of thoughts that appear. The odd, such as I have always preferred a port side tack on night watch. Why? That's something that still aludes me.
Read More
