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Page 16 text:
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14 THE GREEN AND WHITE SMALL BOAT CRUISING Probably there is in the world no sport more thrillingly adventurous, and, at the same time, lucrative as small boat cruising. By small boats, of course, 1 mean boats under forty, and in most cases, under thirty-five feet in length, and by cruising I mean voyaging to little known parts of the world. During the past few years small boat cruising has become an important sport, and many round-the-world cruises have been made by men who have afterward written thrilling books about them. For the present let us ignore the financial gain of such a voyage, and consider the adventurous. romantic side of it. There is no doubt in my mind but that every person, at some time or another, feels a powerful urge to dissolve the bonds of more or less monotonous surroundings and associates, and wander away to some far distant land where he can see new faces, be thrilled by new experiences, and enjoy a life far removed from that which he has hitherto known. Such a cruise as that of which I have spoken is often the result of such an urge, and generally serves to whet one’s thirst for adventure rather than to quench it Imagine yourself, for a moment, slipping easily along before a gentle, tropical breeze in a thirty-five foot, ketch-rigged yacht. It is night, and as you lie back in the cockpit, drinking deeply of the sensuously languorous beauty of a tropic night, you arc indescribably thrilled by surroundings. The blue-black vault pf heaven blazes with millions of diamonds, twinkling and Hashing as though in the light of dickering candles, while every now and then the white flame of a meteor sears its lingering scar across space. The gentle breeze, laden with that exotic perfume peculiar to the tropics. shakes the white sails softly as the boat slips through the little waves with a rustle at the bow, a murmur alongside, and a sharp tinkle of salt bubbles in the wake. You are somewhere in the South Pacific. You don’t know exactly where. All you know is that you are alone in the majestic silence of the night, that you are living at last, living a life of which you have often dreamed, but hardly dared to hope for. Of course, such scenes as this are tempered by wild storms at sea. when you pit your strength and knowledge against the fury of the elements in a great battle for existence. In the face of such a prospect even the coldest and most practical of people revolt against their comparative!v drab existence, and yearn, with all the intensity of their beings, to live through adventures like these. Among the many Americans who have circumnavigated the globe in small vachts, three men, in particular, stand out. The first of these three men is Captain Joshua Slocum, who sailed around the world in the thirty-seven foot sloop “Spray” in the latter part of the eighteen hundreds. The hook in which he recorded the events of this voyagle is entitled “Sailing Around the World.” The second of these three men to succumb to the irresistible “call of the running tide” was Harrv Pidgeon. who also sailed around the world alone in a thirtv-four foot yawl, “Islander.” and who told of his trip in Around the World Single Handed.” William Albert Robinson, the third man, made what was perhaps the most fascinating trip of the three. For three and one half years he sailed his tiny, thirty-two ketch “Svoap” ( Svoap” meaning Dream” in Norwegian among the least known islands of the South Seas, and the thrilling saga of his accomplishment, Ten Thousand Leagues Over the Sea, has become a classic in yachting circles. Of course, many of them have writen successful books about their experiences, but these three men stand out because of their daring, and because of their well nigh unbeliable experiences. The financial gain of such a voyage is almost wholly from writings of various natures. Many magazines and neswpapers are willing, even eager, to print these stories that attract and hold the public interest. The Rudder” and Yachting” magazines, in particular, are always anxious to run articles written by men who arc cruising, or have cruised, in far distant. romantic parts of the world. Writing a successful book may seem impossibility to the average man. but one must realize that, while it takes an extraordinarily clever author to write interestingly about nothing, practically anyone with ordinary intelligence can write interestingly when he has experienced thrilling adventures which to write about. You may protest that such a trip would be far too expensive, but one can live more cheaply in this manner than under ordinary circumstances. For example, William Robinson bought a sea-going ketch, outfitted it. and cruised in distant parts of the world for three and one half years, buying fod and equipment for himself and his crew of one. a Tahitian native, on a total of five thousand dollars ($5000). He financed the trip largely by submitting articles to various newspapers and nautical magazines. and he has received a fortune from the sale of his book. In addition to the expense, many people believe that a long cruise necessitates a fund of knowledge far beyond the ken of the average man. However, these people are under a fa’se impression. While seamanship, the ability to handle a boat under any conditions, is acquired only by practice, this practice need not be extended over too long a period, and sufficient navigation to take a yacht to any part of the world mav be acquired in two or three months of studying during one’s spare time. From these facts one mav readily see that a long, deep-sea cruise is within the reach of every man. that every man can make his dream ot adventure and romance come true, so let it be our purpose to “sail beyond the stars” in quest of—adventure ! GEORGE H. WILSON. U -------- ------- Mr. Burke—Celone. how far were you from the answer to the third question? S. Celone—Three seats, Mr. Burke. -------- ------- Mr- Burke—How old would a person be who was born in 1894? E. Bense—Man or woman?
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