Yesterday I sent photographs to a publisher and a publication.
For the firm that is bringing out a Norwegian edition of STORM PASSAGE, I copied the photos that appeared on the original dust jacket, including the one above. It was taken on November 2, 1974, nine days before my thirty-third birthday, just as I was about to leave for my first attempt at Cape Horn.
To CRUISING WORLD I sent the photographs that Steve Earley took aboard GANNET last month.
I notice a few slight forty year changes.
Both sets of images were sent via Dropbox.
You’ve seen some of Steve’s photos here before, and he has kindly agreed that I share the Dropbox folder link with you, with the understanding that his photographs are copyrighted and can only be reproduced with his permission. If you should want to do so, email me and I’ll forward the request to Steve.
The folder link is: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bjg4x00n61y9lh9/73LxDy0V2l.
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Now that I’ve bought the stuff I need, I’ve started buying stuff I don’t need.
As I have noted before, CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE was a self-simplifying boat. Much of the stuff aboard when I sailed from San Diego did not long survive, including a Canon SLR and lenses in a waterproof case that wasn’t. Only Nikon’s Nikonos diving camera endured.
Recently Nikon came out with something of a successor, the AW1, the world’s first, and presently only, waterproof, interchangeable lens camera. Good to a depth of 49’/15 meters; and able to withstand being dropped 6’6”/2 meters. If ever there was a boat for a waterproof, rugged camera, it is GANNET—or CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE. So I bought one.
They come in black, silver and white. Inexplicably the white appeals to me.
The camera is bigger than the Sony RX-100 I’ve been using, but still much smaller than a DSLR. Even with lens in place it will fit in some jacket pockets.
The build is reassuringly robust. The photo images good. The auto-focus and burst modes phenomenal.
I hope to put it to good use.
While slithering back and forth on the quarter berths installing the backing plates for the Jordan Drogue hull attachments, I misplaced my small LED flashlight. I knew it had to be somewhere in the boat, but couldn’t find it for several days.
Before it eventually turned up, hiding in my tool bag, I researched online and discovered the ZebraLight H502 and ordered one to be delivered to Evanston. That is it next to the AW1 with an AA battery for size comparison.
The ZebraLight is as waterproof and rugged as the AW1. It comes with a headband and can be used as a headlamp. Powered by a single AA battery, there are three light levels. The highest is searchlight bright. So bright it does not seem possible from such a tiny source.
Although they are relatively expensive, ZebraLight H502s are hard to come by, on back order at both Amazon and the manufacturer. I found mine on eBay, and as I write some are still available there.
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From THE DEVIL’S DICTIONARY:
Newtonian: pertaining to a philosophy of the universe invented by Newton, who discovered that an apple will fall to the ground, but was unable to say why. His successors and disciples have advanced so far as to be able to say when.
nihilist: a Russian who denies the existence of anything but Tolstoy. The leader of the school is Tolstoy.
non-combatant: a dead Quaker.
nonsense: the objections that are urged against this excellent dictionary.
nose: the extreme outpost of the face. It has been observed that one's nose is never so happy as when thrust into the affairs of others, from which some physiologists have drawn the inference that the nose is devoid of the sense of smell.
novel: a short story padded.
november: the eleventh twelfth of a weariness.
