A rare second post on the same day.
9:30 PM. Carol has gone to bed.
I am sitting before the fireplace. The small Christmas tree is alight. An angled glass of Calvados is at hand, my left where I can see it. I like glasses and have more than I need. At my request Carol even gave me two more, heavy crystal, for Christmas.
I am sitting before the fireplace. The small Christmas tree is alight. An angled glass of Calvados is at hand, my left where I can see it. I like glasses and have more than I need. At my request Carol even gave me two more, heavy crystal, for Christmas.
I reference a foolish article from five years ago, ‘Membership is Booming in the Old Men’s Circumnavigator Society.’
One of the problems facing our species is that there are too few with intelligence to perform work that requires it, including journalism.
The article writes about three men. One rich, one Scandinavian, and me.
Let us consider what has happened since.
The rich man started a couple of times and quit.
The Scandinavian, who first claimed he was going to circumnavigate in the Southern Ocean on what would be a 30,000 mile delusory voyage that was then reported in the WALL STREET JOURNAL, among others, proving again how unintelligent journalists are, has only now set sail from Europe perhaps for New Zealand. How long does it take to build a 9' boat? As I noted in the past, a circumnavigation of Antartica from an Australian port could not be longer than 15,000 miles. Most journalist and people are fools.
And I have sailed 25,000 miles.
I will next year complete this voyage, unless time and chance destroy me, or humans present obstacles that prevent me crossing Panama.
To compare me to the other two is a failure of intelligence and an insult.
I expect that some of you are aware that through the Internet you are having an experience previously unknown in history: You are seeing in almost real time an original working his way into the unknown.
‘An Old Men’s Circumnavigator Society’? Nonsense. The 'society' actually has a membership of one. The other two are posers playing to the mob. I do not respect or care for the opinion of the mob.
I have thought about people’s response to the wolves of Yellowstone.
I am as real as the wolves. You sense that. That is why you are here.
I have peers. Not many. Particularly among sailors. The voyages. The words. The women. And to use a word with which I am not entirely comfortable and will write more in the future, the soul.
I don't know who the last Webb Chiles was. Certainly the two mentioned in the article are not.
I don't know who the last Webb Chiles was. Certainly the two mentioned in the article are not.
I finish my Calvados. I turn off the fireplace. I go to bed.
And in a few weeks I sail.
