One of the greatest pleasures of going to the Halifax International Boat show is the chance to meet and talk to people who are passionate about the oceans we travel, live and work on. This boat show there were two men whose dreams we want to share with you.
Derek Hatfield, solo ocean racer:
Derek Hatfield is now getting ready to set out on his next great adventure, the VELUX 5 Oceans single-handed round-the-world Race. And he sees his entry into this race as important not just because he will represent the many Canadians who support him but because he will also be doing something he believes in - taking an ecologically friendly approach to ocean racing.
He talked with great enthusiasm about having the chance to enter the race in the Eco 60 class, a class which transforms older Open 60s and gives them a new life as wind, solar and electric powered ocean race boats. This gives the racers sailing them the pleasure of racing in a way that is both less expensive and more ecologically friendly. Note - less expensive. It still costs a lot, and once again Derek is offering those who support his challenge the opportunity to travel round the world in spirit with him, with their name on his hull. And more to those who are able to contribute more.
As those who have had the chance to talk to him know, Derek is both a fine sailor and a gentleman, someone who never hesitates to share both his enthusiasm and his knowledge. He represents the best of Canada both in the water and in person. I hope you’ll be able to help support him - you can find all the information you need to learn more Derek, the race and the adventure here.
Captain Art Gaetan, the Sharkman, of Blue Shark Charters:
A great story teller, and passionate about sharks, Art Gaetan has built a substantial body of knowledge about these creatures, and managed to develop businesses that respect and teach others about the oceans, sharks, and their role in the ocean environment. And to have fun doing it.
Yes, he fishes for sharks, but every shark caught is tagged and released and every detail entered into a scientific database; every experience adds to the store of knowledge about their lives; and as we found out any experience may become the fodder for a great story.
His presentation was a mixture of facts, explanation and just plain great stories. The last story had us laughing so hard there were tears in our eyes. We are not fishers of sharks, but if you ever want to catch one here's the man to help you do it.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Aid to Haiti - How Sailors Can Help
A quick note for all those who have not yet heard through other sources. OceansWatch North America and some of our cruising community are coming together to send help to Haiti as it tries to cope with the devastating earthquake and its aftermath.
OceansWatch is involved in helping put together a flotilla of vessels to carry needed aid to Haiti. All who can are invited to contribute, however they can. As news stories indicate, the need continues to be overwhelming, and every little bit anyone can contribute helps.
If you want to know more about their efforts, please go to their page describing what they are doing and how you can help.
You can find the information here.
OceansWatch is involved in helping put together a flotilla of vessels to carry needed aid to Haiti. All who can are invited to contribute, however they can. As news stories indicate, the need continues to be overwhelming, and every little bit anyone can contribute helps.
If you want to know more about their efforts, please go to their page describing what they are doing and how you can help.
You can find the information here.
Monday, November 30, 2009
What's Below the Water?
David Gallo’s talks and videos will make you want to take another look at the world underneath our oceans.
Many cruisers enjoy exploring the underwater world they move over. Some snorkel, some SCUBA dive. The most experienced probably see more of the creatures that dwell on the ocean floor and in the reefs, but this video makes me wonder how much of what is down there we really see. Watching it might change the way you look at things.
And then there is the part of the oceans we know very little about. We may sail over it, but we have no way of seeing the treasures underneath.
Much deeper than we can safely go there is a whole other world of creatures we are just beginning to learn about. The deep seas teem with life, a life that will survive and thrive whether or not we do. It is humbling to realize that even if we, as a species, find ourselves in a world which we does not have the water or food or climate that we need the planet will still be full of life. It’s just that we won’t be there to marvel at it, learn about it - or exploit it.
Many cruisers enjoy exploring the underwater world they move over. Some snorkel, some SCUBA dive. The most experienced probably see more of the creatures that dwell on the ocean floor and in the reefs, but this video makes me wonder how much of what is down there we really see. Watching it might change the way you look at things.
And then there is the part of the oceans we know very little about. We may sail over it, but we have no way of seeing the treasures underneath.
Much deeper than we can safely go there is a whole other world of creatures we are just beginning to learn about. The deep seas teem with life, a life that will survive and thrive whether or not we do. It is humbling to realize that even if we, as a species, find ourselves in a world which we does not have the water or food or climate that we need the planet will still be full of life. It’s just that we won’t be there to marvel at it, learn about it - or exploit it.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Why Water?
It’s inevitable that when you cruise on a sailboat you think about water. Sometimes, however, my thoughts about water go well beyond an aesthetic appreciation of the blue waters we have sailed on. This is particularly likely to happen when we are in a place where water is scarce, or where it is produced at great cost, sometimes to both environment and people. For something so necessary, it can be frighteningly scarce and expensive.
Now that I am sitting in an apartment in Canada I can get water simply by turning on the tap. And I am luck enough to be in a place where - at least as far as I know - the water is safe and clean. Not everyone - either here in Canada, or in many other places in the world - can do or expect the same.
So when I wrote this article on water as a basic human right it was not exactly an academic exercise. We need water, clean water, to live. Without it we die. The only question is how.
Now that I am sitting in an apartment in Canada I can get water simply by turning on the tap. And I am luck enough to be in a place where - at least as far as I know - the water is safe and clean. Not everyone - either here in Canada, or in many other places in the world - can do or expect the same.
So when I wrote this article on water as a basic human right it was not exactly an academic exercise. We need water, clean water, to live. Without it we die. The only question is how.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Seafood and Clean Water
Today I thought I would like to draw your attention a couple of topics which, while not directly related to Cruising With Care, do have to do with the idea that underlies it. The idea being that we need to treat all our water, sea or fresh, with care, since it is the source and support of all that sustains us.
All over the world people rely on food from the sea, both for nourishment and for income. In his article on the impact of seafood (and our eating of it) on the environment, Michael Bloch takes an important step. He talks about the difference our individual behavior can make, and why we should make any concerns we have about the health and state of the seafood we eat known. And he gives us information we can use to make our own decisions.
On a separate but related topic:
Much of Canada is blessed with water, in a world that is increasingly thirsty for it. But not all that water is clean or usable, and the more of it that is used or polluted by industry in one form or another the less there is available for drinking, for agriculture, or for the creatures we share the world with. Knowing how to maintain a balance between the different demands is crucial. As is recognizing that no body of living water is discrete; water flows in and out, above- and underground.
If you are comfortable relying on the Canadian government to protect Canada’s lakes (and with them our water supply and environment) you might want to take a few minutes to read this article on DigitalJournal about how lakes become containers for the byproducts of industry. Think about what can happen if such important decisions are made without full understanding of the effects they will have on the whole area. Then think about what could happen if a mine happens to open up close to your favorite lake, or by one that was connected to the groundwater that fills your well or your municipal water system...
Some food for thought.
All over the world people rely on food from the sea, both for nourishment and for income. In his article on the impact of seafood (and our eating of it) on the environment, Michael Bloch takes an important step. He talks about the difference our individual behavior can make, and why we should make any concerns we have about the health and state of the seafood we eat known. And he gives us information we can use to make our own decisions.
On a separate but related topic:
Much of Canada is blessed with water, in a world that is increasingly thirsty for it. But not all that water is clean or usable, and the more of it that is used or polluted by industry in one form or another the less there is available for drinking, for agriculture, or for the creatures we share the world with. Knowing how to maintain a balance between the different demands is crucial. As is recognizing that no body of living water is discrete; water flows in and out, above- and underground.
If you are comfortable relying on the Canadian government to protect Canada’s lakes (and with them our water supply and environment) you might want to take a few minutes to read this article on DigitalJournal about how lakes become containers for the byproducts of industry. Think about what can happen if such important decisions are made without full understanding of the effects they will have on the whole area. Then think about what could happen if a mine happens to open up close to your favorite lake, or by one that was connected to the groundwater that fills your well or your municipal water system...
Some food for thought.
Friday, September 11, 2009
International Coastal Cleanup
- Cleaning up coastlines and waterways all over the world.
On September 19th groups all over the world will take part in the International Coastal Cleanup. The clean-up is a purely voluntary effort - that last year almost 400,000 volunteers took part is a reason for hope. That they picked up almost 6.8 million pounds of trash is proof that the effort is needed. It would be wonderful to be able to look forward to a time when the cleanup is no longer needed, but only by reducing the amount of trash we produce and the amount of litter we create can we find a long term solution to an old and worsening problem.
If you are looking for a way that you can help, visit the Ocean Conservancy website or check local newspapers to find a group near you - or start your own group.
And if you can’t do any of those - at least try to keep plastics and other garbage out of the water!
National Geographic video, Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup:
On September 19th groups all over the world will take part in the International Coastal Cleanup. The clean-up is a purely voluntary effort - that last year almost 400,000 volunteers took part is a reason for hope. That they picked up almost 6.8 million pounds of trash is proof that the effort is needed. It would be wonderful to be able to look forward to a time when the cleanup is no longer needed, but only by reducing the amount of trash we produce and the amount of litter we create can we find a long term solution to an old and worsening problem.
If you are looking for a way that you can help, visit the Ocean Conservancy website or check local newspapers to find a group near you - or start your own group.
And if you can’t do any of those - at least try to keep plastics and other garbage out of the water!
National Geographic video, Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup:
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Oceans of Plastic
A few days ago, I heard a man complaining that one of our supermarkets, which now charges for plastic bags and sells and encourages the use of re-usable bags, was simply doing it to make more money. “A cash grab,” he called it. He bought the plastic bags. Then we went out on our boat, and among the things we saw were a couple of plastic bags and a drink can or two floating by. It made me remember the white-sand beach in the Bahamas - where the sand was covered with plastic debris, including bottles, buoys, ropes, nets, flip-flops, and bits and pieces of bags.
There is a disconnect between what some people think they know and what we see and have seen on the water and as we travel. I’ve mentioned before the many different kinds of debris and garbage we have seen floating in the water. Much of it is well away from land. It seems that there are still some people who believe that if it’s out of their sight, it doesn’t exist; and if something they do causes harm they can't see, they themselves have done no harm.
And yet everyone’s actions have consequences even if they themselves do not directly see them. Fortunately this includes the actions of those who work hard to reduce pollution. Which means that each action we take to reduce the harm we cause has an impact. Even if we can’t see it immediately.
And even if some people will not see the results of their littering, that does not mean that it has gone unnoticed or unrecorded. Here are some of the consequences of allowing plastic to float in our oceans:
And that's why we try to keep our planet clean.
There is a disconnect between what some people think they know and what we see and have seen on the water and as we travel. I’ve mentioned before the many different kinds of debris and garbage we have seen floating in the water. Much of it is well away from land. It seems that there are still some people who believe that if it’s out of their sight, it doesn’t exist; and if something they do causes harm they can't see, they themselves have done no harm.
And yet everyone’s actions have consequences even if they themselves do not directly see them. Fortunately this includes the actions of those who work hard to reduce pollution. Which means that each action we take to reduce the harm we cause has an impact. Even if we can’t see it immediately.
And even if some people will not see the results of their littering, that does not mean that it has gone unnoticed or unrecorded. Here are some of the consequences of allowing plastic to float in our oceans:
And that's why we try to keep our planet clean.
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