Sailor's Journal

What's it like to sail around the world and explore exotic lands? You can find out by reading from the ship's log of the Makulu 11, which is posted online. As the entries reveal, sometimes sailing the seas can be dreamlike:

"We grabbed our masks and fins and jumped in [to the Atlantic Ocean, between Morocco and Senegal]. I looked down and saw a mother and baby porpoise swimming along not 10 feet from me! A group of other porpoises and two pilot whales joined them, and we spent an hour in the water, playing and swimming together. Set in the context of 2,000 feet of Atlantic blue, this encounter was one of our most magical experiences at sea." (September 18-27, 1999)

Sometimes the journey got ugly: "Makulu II pulled into Chaguaramas Bay, Trinidad—or rather, got pulled in by a kind fishing boat crew—after 29 days of crossing in fickle weather, dealing daily with gear failures and plan changes of all sorts. To see colors again, to smell strong smells, and to watch the hustle and bustle of land after a long absence is beyond description." (November 9,1999)

You can find the log by clicking on www.reachtheworld.org.