The Reality of Exploration and King Tut

The part we remember about exploration stories is the sudden glory of discovery- typically beyond what the determined travelers even imagined. Howard Carter finding the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 is a great example. Today the Sea Dragon crew filed a brief note on the Sat Phone more typical of real life exploration. "Went out, found something, not what we hoped for..."


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Sea Mountain
From: "S/V Seadragon"
Date: Tue, March 30, 2010 6:16 am
To: Ron Ritter

After 2 hours of searching we did not find the sea mountain, although we did search around the plateau around 50-122m deep. The current was running at about 2 knots so we were sliding sideways in the water doing box searches. As we came in on a course of 235 degrees,as we went over the 1000m contour line the depth suddenly went to 67 metres.



You can read into this note the emotion that is so common. You're tired, you are let down from the anticipation, and the objective observer in you says you have to tell the unvarnished truth...but, you know the door is never closed and you leave open the question. It may still be there, our results are only as good as the time and technology employed...we may still find "it". This is as real as it gets

Now, what exactly were they looking for today? Sea Dragon is passing right over an 800nm chain of ancient undersea volcanoes that today terminate out in the deep Atlantic off Brazil. Two islands, Trindade and Vaz, mark the last eruption points of a hotspot (like Hawaii). to their west are now submerged "seamounts". Rising out of over 10,000' of deep clear water, most of these come to within 6-700' of the surface. Intersting but too deep to dive or sustain coral reefs. One however, the Jaseur Bank, was reported to come much closer.

Jaseur reports and the nautical charts suggest that the mountain does reach within 36' (10m) of the surface. This is really important as it is therefore easily diveable on SCUBA and would get plenty of sunlight to sustain a rich marine community. We imagine plunging coral reefs like the above picture from Palau (King Tut's tomb of coral reefs). It is also particularly interesting in that it is in International waters...just outside the economic zone of Brazil (EEZ). This means it would be un-protected by any fisheries regulation and therefore....likely hit hard by fishing vessels. Getting a look at its underwater surface would give us a strong visual indication of these impacts.

Fising outside the EEZ of any country is a virtually unregulated frontierland. Depsite the good efforts of countries like Brazil inside their EEZ, there is very little they can do to protect such waters. International treaties do cover some aspects of offshore fishing...e.g. the ICAAT for Giant Bluefin tuna- but that, among others is famously ineffective.

The important thing about exploration is to move beyond what looks like a missed target and see what you have learned. Sometimes the absence of something, in this case, shallow water, tells us much as its presence. We now know its not a typical large shallow bank. If it exists, it more likely a very specific spike of rock rising in a small area- easy to miss. This happens- Clipperton Island in the Pacific is a large flat island barely above sea level except for a few last tops to the old volcano. So it is with the St. Peter and Paul's rocks (also Brazilian) near the Equator.

To continue this exploration, we need to think about how to search the area, information from fishermen and others that would give us more clues...and then technology that would allow us to observe the bottom at "50 meters". This is right on the edge of air diving but we could do it - potentially observing the bottom from just above. Also we could team up with mixed gas certified divers...or use an underwater robot...

The true story behind Carter's Egyptian discovery is also more realistic. His truly exceptional find came after searching from 1914 to 1922. After eight years his patron Lord Carnarvon was frustrated with the lack of results. Carter got one more year. On 4 November 1922 one of his camp staff found the stairs leading to the now famous tomb.

Real life exploration

Ron Ritter

Dale on the Equator

00Degrees00Minutes00Seconds

8Knots

See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil.

Elton, Tommy, Stephen.

Three scared little monkeys sitting in their swimming shorts waiting to be redeemed of their sins.

Capt. Bushy reads the deed;

Neptune appears; the sins are revealed (what happens on the boat stays on the boat),
This morning we had a rotten egg and decide to toss them all away, so what better opportunity than over the lads, throw in a bit of chocolate pudding mix, flour, the slops bucket ; mix; then spread over heads, faces, bodies, everywhere ,hey after all it’s an initiation.

Traditions are traditions and we followed it to the letter. Well done Lad’s, stiff upper lip and all that.

After a quick cleanup, ( lucky we have a monster of a water maker), its back to business. A Change around of watches; Capt. Bushy takes the Silicon Valley Sisters and I have Elton, the Bahamian Brother from another Mother.

Crossing the equator @ 8 knots was a bit unusual. We were expecting squally, wild, rainy weather, but instead we smoked our way across with smooth seas. Sea Dragon kicked her heels up as she moved into familiar southern-hemisphere waters .For myself as well it was good to see the Southern Cross and other familiar constellations again, a bit nostalgic thinking of friends and family back in New Zealand enjoying the end of summer.

Elton is a good man to have on watch; always eager to help out and learn. Elton is running the Hach Meters and CO2 Sensors, collecting data, processing and sending it off. He’s the scientific part of the boat, up at all hours in the lab but always with an eye out with what’s going on in the galley.

Elton, Do you want some toast? Yes

Elton; Do you want some pasta? Yes

Elton; Are you hungry? Always. And keep him away from the chocolate.

I think he’s grown since we left the Azores. This Caribbean Cousin is a big lad.
Our days consist of boat maintenance on my part; keeping Sea Dragon charged, watered, fresh fruit rationed out, helping the boy’s refine their culinary skills in the galley (we have been feasting like kings) and exercising with Elton. We have a training circuit on the boat, push-ups, chin-ups, sit-ups, stretching, supplemented by a simple piece of rubber that sports physios use for recuperation. Got to get these boys into shape, too many computers nowadays, apart from the body being healthy, the mind needs to exercise. It’s too easy to just google everything, and have knowledge without really having done anything. You have to get out there and give it some .Nothing beats hands on experience.

Conditions have been up and down, changing sails around, pole out, pole in, engine on, engine off. We are now down into the ITCZ (International Tropical Convergence Zone)also known as the Doldrums and are experiencing the squalls, rain and shifty conditions we were expecting earlier on.

Amazing sunsets, sunrises ,moonsets, moonrises, and an almost nightly show of sheet lightning finish off natures free show, not dangerous , but spectacular ;with the best front row seats you could imagine.

It’s hot, real hot. So one afternoon we decide to block off the cockpit drains, fill it with beautiful refreshing sea-water and we have ourselves an afternoon by the pool .The only thing missing was a couple of cold beers and a B-B-Q. Actually we were testing the hatches to see if they are waterproof. (Ron; yes they are).

In the night we slide smoothly past the island of Fernando de Noronha, an area of stunning natural beauty, that was declared a Marine National Park in 1988.It has a mixed history; discovered by Amerigo Vespucci in 1503 ; used by pirates ,the Portuguese built a fort there that was later used as a prison and in 1832 Charles Darwin visited. Nowadays it lives off eco-tourism, dolphin watching, diving, surfing and sailing. A virtual paradise.

Fernando de Noronha, Ascension Island, St Helena Island, Tristan de Cunha and Trindade Island are all amazing , exotic sounding places that Sea-Dragon will be returning to this year with a fresh new crew of scientists and adventurers. There are also various sea-mounts over the South Atlantic ;one that we are heading to at this very moment to do a recon for a future expedition. Exciting stuff that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, just thinking about it.

Meanwhile ; Sea Dragon just keeps clocking up the miles ; 3659 nautical miles at this exact moment on this voyage .Capt. Bushy in the galley, smelling good (the food ,not Bushy).Watch change; I’m off to get a few zzzzzz’s to dream about our next port of call; Ilha Grande.Then up for the sunset spectacle. What’s it going to be today, pinks, purples, green flash, hmmmmm…………………………………………………………………..

Squalls and the Swimming Pool

We’ve reached the last week of this long leg, and we are still having a great time. The weather gets more exciting as we drop south, with daily squalls and nightly lightening storms. The squalls either blow hard, giving us reason to have a play with the sails, or roll through unassuming, rinsing off the heat of the day. One squall poured so much that I stood outside collecting runoff from the sail. Pure hydro! Good vibes are flowing amongst the crew. Despite being anxious to reach Ilha Grande, we are enjoying this journey. I am certainly making the most of this one, as it will be my last leg on the Sea Dragon after seven months at sea. This is a time for me to enjoy the company of the crew at sea, to reflect upon the adventures had, and to dream up those that are ahead.

Today we beat the heat by opening the Sea Dragon Community Swimming Pool. The drain holes in the cockpit were stopped up and hatches shut tight, making a big bathtub, which we filled with seawater. It was a novel way for us to take a dip, allowing us to cool down and make miles simultaneously. We had fun wading in the cool water as we zipped along at 7knots, and it has been decided by the captain that this will be a daily activity. I never thought I’d be relaxing in a seawater tub as I sailed across the Atlantic.

Along with the challenges and the adventures, it’s been this kind of spontaneity and fun amongst new friends that has made this journey the best months of my young life. These are the kinds of moments I’ll laugh about as I’m telling the stories years from now. Maybe it’s just me, but the little things like drinking rainwater, bathing on deck, and improvising ice cream recipes at a 30degree slant really stick to the memory, adding up to define an overall experience.

Stephen Amato

Wandering in the Realm of Dreams…………

Magical Mystical Moments...

0127 hrs Dale, Steve and Tom on watch; we amble around in the half asleep doze/alert night-watch mode; 12-15 knots of North East Trades just hanging in there, 5 Degrees North of the equator, wind dropping ,fluking around, it’s time to pull in the staysail, roll away the no 1 Yankee , pull the mainsail across and whack on Mr. Perkins our faithful motor and gain some miles towards more favorable winds. Then, Steve moving forwards towards the bow screams;

Turn off the light! Turn off the light!

Tommy; What?

Steve; Turn off the light!He turned off the light.

Steve; Do you see that?

Tommy; What?

Steve; You honestly don’t see that?

Tommy; I’m clipping in. Ooooh faaaar out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But hang on a second; I’m getting away on myself, we’ll get back to that. We’ve just left Mindelo,Sao Vicente 4 days out of the Cape Verdes heading down to the Island Paradise of Ilha Grande. The biggest of 365 Islands just south of Rio de Janeiro. Our scheduled 3-5 days in Mindelo stretched out to 9 days due to Saturday arrival; Customs & Immigration don’t work weekends (Island Time).Steve headed off to Praia, Santiago; the main Island in the Cape Verde Islands to sort out his Brazilian visa with Tommy in tow. Things always take longer in these small island nations. They didn’t get back until Friday evening so another wait till Monday morning for departure.
Meanwhile Captain “Bushy”, Elton the Bahamian Brother and myself nutted down to some hot ,hard work on the Sea Dragon; The galley completely pulled apart, cleaned, re-organized, labeled, any excess bits and pieces of food, binned or gifted to the local boys waiting at the gates of the Marina. Cape Verde has a high level of living compared to other African nations but there is poverty. Primary schooling is available free to all, but some of these kids don’t have even have food on their plates , so seeing them go through the rubbish bins at the expensive marina is a bit of an eye opener for people more fortunate in their place of birth who have never felt hunger, ever.

We checked everything on the Sea Dragon; a good few hours was spent hanging off the rigging, looking at everything with a fine tooth comb. Chafe leathers off the shrouds, every nut, screw and bolt checked for tightness and wear. These tedious jobs have to be done to ensure safe running of the vessel. The advantage of being aloft a 100 ft above the deck is the amazing views. Mindelo has a rich history from all the whaling and trading vessels passing through for centuries into its natural harbor. There is many a shadow of wrecks sunk into the bottom of the harbor. Probably breaking from their moorings from the wind which accelerates through the anchorage, doubling in speed from the wind out to sea, which also makes it interesting hanging in the rigging; getting whipped about like a twig.

We re-stocked the boat with all the essential stores, ready for the long 2600 mile voyage ahead. The advantage of speaking Spanish/ Portuguese is being able to converse with the local people which generally makes life easier at the time of shopping, getting better prices in the various food and vegetable markets. Some of the best deals being done on the side of road with beautiful ,colorfully dressed women selling products from their own gardens; herbs, sweet potatoes, lettuce, beetroot, papaya, lemons, tomatoes, watermelon, peppers, fresh home- made goats cheese and different types of fish. This all being the staple diet along with beans and rice. The people of Mindelo, Sao Vicente are incredibly attractive. Dark skinned, many with amazing green eyes, traces of past conquerors, traders perhaps. They pride themselves on their physical prowess, everyday at all hours there was someone running, young ripped men glimmering in the sun. At sunset and at evening; women, mothers and the older guys all using the simple chin up bars and exercise equipment provided in the streets and on the beaches. There is a strong police presence at all hours. These guys are seriously fit, no coffee and donuts for them. All this good food, sun and healthy activity make for very happy, friendly and helpful people.

Elton did some beach transects and found traces of plastics as is the norm now on all islands that we have visited in the Atlantic Ocean. There IS plastic out there floating around, without a doubt. The short time I’ve been aboard, seeing the results of the trawls and beach work you just don’t realize until you actually start looking. The beaches in Sao Vicente are clean. Rubbish bins are provided and emptied regularly, no one throws litter in the street, although we did see plastic shopping bags flying through the air and rubbish in the water at the marina. All this due to the strong wind I would imagine. Every-time you buy anything from any little shop they always want to give you a one use bag. Just on this little island there must be a phenomenal number of plastic bags and plastic water bottles thrown into landfills every day. What can be done about it? We do what we can by going shopping with our re-usable bags and use stainless steel water-bottles, every little bit counts. Monday came around quick, up early, all hands on deck. Clean everything inside and out.
Clean boat; Healthy boat.

Elton, Tom and I form the fresh veg hit squad. We know where we are going and for exactly how much. Re-usable bags at the ready we buy as much locally grown produce as possible and as fast as possible, fresh lasts longer.

Any imported fruit and veg such as oranges that have been refrigerated tend to go off very quickly in the tropics. On a long trip we need to ration out the fruit so we eat healthy the whole way. It’s my job to educate these young fella’s that life does not revolve around peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and other comfort food. Everyone has a turn at cooking and once a day we all sit together and eat. A joint time as a family much like people still do in Europe but has been forgotten in other modern cultures; which is eat as fast as possible, take-out food, or in front of the T.V or idiot box. If you’ve got any gripes, nows also the time to spit it out. Sea Dragon has a good vibe so all’s good aboard with a bit of healthy banter being thrown around. The young fellas are waiting for the equator to see what Neptune will be asking of them. The traditional offering to the Sea God must be performed. Let’s wait and see what will happen with that one…..

Shopping done. The Mighty Sea Dragon gets to slip her mooring lines for a short moment to move to the fuel dock. Almost a thousand litres of fuel goes in. I race off to spend the last of our Cape Verde Escudos; the lads all want more chocolate. Little do they know, I’ll be rationing chocolate on this one, otherwise it will disappear real fast and the guilty ones will soon be known with pimples popping out all over the place.

Sea Dragon is itching at the blocks, ready to get back out on the ocean which is where she likes to be, running wild.

We leave the Cape Verdes and can still see the Islands at Sunset. The next morning we have the island of Fogo in our sights. Fogo has the only active volcano in the Cape Verdes; a very fertile island that grows coffee , citrus fruit, vegetables, grapes and makes very good white wine .As Fogo(the island of fire ) fades into the distance ,with her cone slowly smoking away, we get into our watch routine; sleep, clean, cook, sail changes ;keep the boat moving at a good clip.7 Knots minimum, the wind has been constant around 15 knots. We get a visit from a pod of roughly 100 dolphins. It doesn’t matter how many times you see dolphins their joyful frolicking makes you happy. It’s as simple as that.

The wind is starting to back a bit ,we are just hanging on to the North East trade-winds, it’s like riding a continuous wave but instead of water; wind. We mold our sails to fit the moment. We change the No. 2 Yankee for the No.1, like changing gears in a car, gives us another knot. Every knot is a mile, that’s 24 miles in a day, that’s a quicker passage. That’s Ice-Cream and Pina Coladas in Brazil, sounds good to me.

We are getting as much west in as possible to be able to gibe back further down the line and put ourselves on a broad reach, our fastest point of sail and fly down the Brazilian Coast. We still have an ace up our sleeve when the wind dies down. We’ve got a huge Gennaker sitting in the sail locker ready to go.

The miles tick over. The big ships are starting to appear coming up from Brazil, loaded with their wares; The African Hawk churns past 2 miles ahead of us, not a soul in sight, and then slowly fades into the distance. The Growth Ring on its way to Rotterdam probably loaded with timber. Makes me wonder of traders from years gone by. We still follow the trade-wind routes of mariners long gone; the currents & winds were all discovered for their consistency at certain times of year. We have books & Movies aboard about Discoverers, Pioneers & Swashbucklers and I think we all like to dream a bit about the romantic side of our voyage, the arrival in a new country like Brazil after crossing an ocean, makes you stand tall, feel good. You’ve sailed to get there, fished, braved waves and rain squalls, watched dolphins play, whales pop by to say hello, and sea-birds come & go. You feel strong, tanned and a bit salty around the gills, you see things and experience moments you can only see out here on the ocean…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Then, Steve moving forwards towards the bow screams; Turn off the light! Turn off the light!

Tommy; What?

Steve; Turn off the light! He turned off the light.

Steve; Do you see that?

Tommy; What?

Steve; You honestly don’t see that?

Tommy; I’m clipping in. Ooooh faaaar out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I move forward to see what’s going on, then realize what’s happening; I’d told Steve about one of the most beautiful moments he would ever experience, but you don’t believe it until you see it for yourself. I watched as Tom on his first voyage and Steve now well salted; marveled, Ooohed & Aaahd at the sight of Dolphins swimming in the bow wake of the boat at night, the luminescence streaming off the perfection of their sleek bodies, lovingly kissing each other as they danced for us, painting star-dusted trails through the liquid medium of the ocean; mere words can’t describe the pure fantasy of what we were seeing. A unique memory to keep locked away forever………..

They say the first ocean voyagers, in the day when the oceans were still full of wildlife, abundant wildlife, used to see the marvel we were experiencing and throw themselves into the ocean thinking they were the most beautiful women, mermaids, calling to them……fantasy, pure fantasy, but real……… A magical , mystical moment, wandering in the realm of dreams……………………………………….

Neptune's Right of Passage

In accordance with ancient maritime tradition, the first time equator crossers aboard Sea Dragon paid penance to the sea god Neptune today. The ceremony has been a part of Naval tradition for centuries as a passage for "pollywogs" to mark their arduous crossing. Neptune, the god of all sea, brother of Jupiter and Pluto, demands penance at this critical moment. As new hemisphere crossers, we took part in a rite of passage conducted by our beloved skipper and first mate. As the minutes of latitude ticked away, the anticipation (and concern for personal safety) built. The ceremony was shrouded in mystery, and we could only guess as to what trials we would be put through. We crossed into the southern hemisphere while the setting sun set the clouds ablaze against the deep blue sky. The ceremony began in the fading twilight. First, we were sworn to silence. Ian and Dale, who were acting on behalf of Neptune, put us each on the spot. We were made to confess our sins at sea, and pelted with rotten eggs when there was any digression from the questions at hand. Once we all confessed and repented, we were cleansed by baptism in the mysterious elixir of the sea, which may have contained chocolate pudding, old rice, and cabbage, amongst other ingredients. Finally, the three of us cast material items into the ocean (all biodegradable, of course) as an offering and a sign of respect to the god of the sea. After a quick hose down and deck scrub, Elton, Tommy, and myself were welcomed into the Cult of Neptune as equator crossing sailors.

I wonder if they do this on cruise ships?

Stephen Amato

Heat

This heat is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. As we drive further and further south towards Brazil, the temperature swells to an oppressively sticky level, sapping energy from us as if some kind of all encompassing parasite. We’ve begun the transition to a nocturnal way of life, as the sun casts a sweltering light over the Sea Dragon. During hours of daylight, we search for shade under the sails that flap in the light wind. We drink seemingly copious amounts of water to replace the constant stream of sweat pouring out of our pores. Nobody ever wears more than swim trunks, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Because our watch schedule keeps us awake and asleep at all hours, we are much more lively during the cool and calm nights. Still wearing only swim trunks, we don our life jackets and bask in the refreshing night air. Last night we took advantage of the good weather to have a play with the sails. The frustrations and irritability we were feeling from the heat and exhaustion were washed away with one breath taking moment of natural perfection.

Looking at the sea from space gives you a feel for our heat. NOAA issues this global sea surface temperature map. We are right in the middle of the red-hot band along the Equator. Ironically, or perhaps appropriately, our mission is to help understand how changes in climate will affect life on earth. Today, we feel it!

On the Sea Dragon we commonly encounter dolphins. They appear out of the blue and surf at the bow, jumping and weaving through the water. Another common occurrence is the bio-luminescence illuminating the waves rushing off the hull at night. Green sparks appear in the water, mimicking a distorted reflection of the stars above. Both the dolphins and the luminescence are amazing sights on their own. Last night, the two combined to create what must be one of the more magical occurrences in the world. As I stood at the bow in the black night, moving forward to release the staysail, I was stopped by the sound of a dolphin exhaling below me. I looked towards the sound to see trails of green shimmering water fluidly zigzagging across the bow. The dolphins agitated the phosphorescent algae to create a magical effect in the water. I called out to Tom and Dale, who promptly appeared next to me. We stood in astonishment at the natural wonder playing out before our eyes. The glowing dolphins will forever remain in my mind as one of the truly magical wonders of the world.

We continue on towards Brazil, ever enthusiastic about the prospect of paradise at Ilha Grande. Today we’ve found ourselves in squall territory, where refreshing bouts of rain fall on the boat and wash away the ungodly heat of the day. We hope to arrive in less than two weeks, which means we move with the constant chugging of the diesel engine to compensate for the lack of wind. It’s hard to keep a 40-ton boat moving with only small puffs of air. Spirits are staying high and we are all excited. Lots of laughs and plenty of good food keep us satisfied, despite the heat. The days roll by like the gentle waves, giving me time to reflect upon the my last seven months aboard the Sea Dragon before I head for home.

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Approaching to the ITCZ

Sea Dragon is now really heading south, towards the Equator and tropical weather. There is more to sailing a boat in the tropics than warmer air and fair skies. The increased heat energy drives greater evaporation, and in most cases, humidity. Felt solar energy increases significantly and will soon become more important than actual air temperature for the crew. Perhaps more significant for travelers in this region than the static Equator is the ITCZ. This "Inter Tropical Convergence Zone" is often referred to as the solar Equator. As the sun progresses north (or south) of the Equator on its annual cycle, the area of greatest solar energy moves along with it. Lagging a bit (about one month) this area of ocean surface water is the hottest, most energized area of sea surface. As such, it generates a powerful band of rising air, or convection. This creates very low surface winds...the doldrums...and lots of weather. Rising air fuels squalls and often towering thunderheads. While the winds are localized and short lived, they can be powerful. Such venting drives lightning storms, and squally winds. While not as powerful as big thunderheads on land, these compact storms generate often the only wind in the region.

If you look at the attached satellite image taken from today, you can actually see the ITCZ. It's that band of east-west clouds just north of the Equator. That is the area Sea Dragon will have to punch through.

The ITCZ is the dominant feature that the crew must now navigate through. The trick is to pick a slot through the band that avoids major convection (squalls) but at the same time takes advantage of any wind they do generate. Sailing here is tricky and unpredictable. Winds can come from virtually any direction, accelerate with little advanced warning, and drop off to zero in just a few moments. Sail changes and a lot of active steering are in order. Like some giant chessboard, the crew will watch these cells moving and do their best to set a course through the maze of rising air cells. Seeing the building clouds, feeling the wind, and watching on radar for rain bands will help them do this. We also pull down satellite imagery that give us the big-picture view of the ITCZ band.

Right now this ribbon of unstable air runs SW from about 7N off the coast of west Africa, to just north of the Equator as it approaches the Brazilian coast.

Once through to the other side, the crew will truly have passed from winter...to summer. The SE trade winds will then gradually pick up increasing the boat speed to Brazil.

Ron Ritter

In Africa

The cry of "Land ahead!" marked our arrival in Cape Verde. First ahead of us was the large mountainous island of Santo Antao, which we passed just before dawn. We were arriving in Porto Grande marina of Sao Vicente another hilly island. Unlike the Azores this island seems barren of plants. As we pulled into the marina I notice the slightly high turbidity of the green water with some areas of disturbed bottom with brown water. We entered again, the familiar routine of getting customs done...waiting. The harbor was filled with small sailing vessels on mooring buoys, and some big motor yachts.

The first person we encounter was the dock worker a nice guy named Elton, imagine that! Immediately after leaving the gates of the marina we were bombarded with some guys in tattered clothes that wanted some work and a few that just wanted money. Good guys all of them, but tough to see so many.The buildings of town were an odd mix of squarish shapes, some run-down, and others just brightly painted. In exploring the island we found a high police presence. Unfortunately we also saw while sitting on our boat 2 plastic bag kites heading out to sea to join the already polluted ocean.

On the 8th I traveled to the main public beach to do three informal beach counts. I found very few pieces of plastic; 3 straws, 4 bottle caps, and about 3 small pieces. The composition of the white and black sand was mainly made up of small black pebbles and a lot of shell fragments. This was the public beach for this city so it was kept pretty clean. There were a lot of exercising equipment on the beach, with lots of Baywatch guys using them playing soccer and jogging. On the street walking back with Dale and Ian we noticed a lot of murals saying to recycle, keep the island clean, plant trees and poverty versus education.

The Cape Verde are rougher, grittier islands than the Azores or Canaries. But they have a rich sense of life, happy people, colors and the energy of youth. Markets rich in fruits, people scrambling and, yes...the WARM air make us all feel good.

Elton Joseph

Expedition Leader at home on the Sea

What a great feeling, climbing aboard Sea Dragon again after just over 2 months of revitalizing time back home in Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Surfing, Sailing, Running, Mountain biking and kicking my 6ft bag to bits. Yachtmaster Offshore exams passed, First Aid, VHF and Medical all under my belt, I am charged and ready to take over my new position on Sea Dragon as First Mate/Engineer/Diver/Expedition Leader/Chef/Multi-use tool really. This is what I enjoy, a new challenge, and the responsibility to help make this mission/expedition that is Pangaea Explorations function. Each piece is and will be integral for success, Ron, Portia & Atlas Ritter have given us all an opportunity to participate with the mighty Sea Dragon as an awesome safe, secure operations base to raise awareness in the world about plastic residues in the oceans as well as participate in some awesome kickass maritime and terrestrial adventures, our imagination and drive are the only limits, you choose.

At Lisbon airport waiting for my flight to the Azores Islands I saw a young man with a familiar face off the Pan Explore website, new crewmember Tommy Duncan. Pangaea Explorations is about combining experience and knowledge with youth, so introducing myself to Tommy he was surprised some strange guy with a weird accent knew his name, but quickly we were chatting about what we were up for on this latest voyage from the Azores to Brazil via Cape Verde; What a trip!!!!!. Tommy not having ever sailed before was a bit nervous which is normal for a 19 yr old straight out of San Jose, California, especially after I told him about the huge swell, storm condition weather report. After a quick flight through a cornucopia of violent cloud formations, waiting for us at Horta Airport/Faial was Stephen Amato another 19 yr old Californian, Tommy’s friend and a familiar face for me as well as we had crossed the Atlantic aboard Sea Dragon in November together. Since then Steve had crossed the Atlantic again in Mid winter from Bermuda with the 5 Gyres Expedition led by Dr Markus Ericksen, shared a cabin with Dutch Artists and an awesome group of positive adventurers, braved 60+ knot winds, massive seas, filled the deckhand role with experienced Challenge Skipper Clive Cosby safely at the helm, grown a beard and transformed into a more mature salty dog type of character, only some strong experiences in the sea can do this so quickly. I was amazed at the transformation from the boy with dreams of saving the planet that I had met last October in Lanzarote/Canary Islands where I worked on the Sea Dragon, to the hairy young man with a clearer view of reality in Horta in temporary charge of the vessel that I saw now.

Waiting aboard were Elton Joseph: an affable young man from the Bahamas in charge of running the science lab and Mike Atallah/Film maker who had been aboard since Bermuda documenting the 5 Gyres voyage .

Actually stepping on Sea Dragon was a mixed feeling of being back in New Zealand going to my Mums house and having a home cooked meal or catching up with an exotic lover from the past. I have been on Sea Dragon in various ports now and it never ceases to amaze me the reactions of people to the vessel, what is she? What a seriously cooool fast looking boat! What are you doing? Wow! What’s she like to sail? It blows people away. I did the same when I first came aboard, then here I am. Thanks.

From her 100 ft raked back mast, the long sleek lines to the perfectly tuned deck and layout, oversize everything, no fuss, no fluffy extras, no hair dryers, Sea Dragon means business and is ready to go, ready to go anywhere in the world at any time with full Category 0 British Coast Guard Rating, that’s my job, keep her well oiled and ready for action.

Horta more than lived up to the weather report stormy, wet, huge waves and hurricane force winds. Captain Ian “Bushy” Buchele, our new Captain with an arms length of race experience on these same boats had delayed his arrival by five days, he knew something was up. Just enough time for me to whip the boat and crew into shape. First job; take the boys for a run in the rain to see what we had. Everyone was keen which is what counts, the boys had already been too long in port and it was time to leave, so we just got on with it. While the boys cleaned, preened, shined, sorted out the galley and stores I got on with the workings of Sea Dragon, fixing bits and pieces, changing oil, filters, basic maintenance, prevention is the best form of cure and in port it is a lot easier than in a bucking sea to do anything.

We found solace from the rain and wind in Club Naval de Horta (Jorge’s Bar): fast internet, good cheap food, friendly service and Peters Bar the famous watering hole of 100s of transatlantic boats.

Bushy was next to arrive and as fulfilled our expectations, he was all business, no bullshit, straight to work, another reshuffle of the whole boat, rig check, steering check, safety gear and briefs, no doubts in anyone’s minds that what we were going into from here on in was going to be serious and above all safety is number 1. A safe boat is a good boat. Bushy had us all on our toes, 3 days later a bit of a gap in the weather, decision made, take fuel on, last stores and next minute, drop the mooring lines, see ya later Mike (he was off to Rotterdam to film the next part of his work with Dutch artist Maarten Van de Eynde as Mike filmed us raising the mainsail inside the harbor walls anticipation was high, we were itching to get out there amongst it, the weather report was good but with strong winds and swell expected we knew we were going to get a kicking once we got out into the open ocean.
The watches were sorted as such:

A; Bushy, Steve
B; Dale, Elton & Tommy

3hours on, 3 hours off during night shift and 4 hours during the day.
We started off with lumpy seas 25 knots or so of wind, nice sailing, nothing Sea Dragon can’t handle, first night watch for Tom, first sailing, a bit of a spew and off to his bunk, best way to learn. Elton up on his feet yelling “This is what I’m talking about “The big Bahamian all of a sudden transformed into a man possessed .The Island boy enjoys being out on the ocean even if he does have an amazing capacity to fall asleep with waves breaking on his head.

Our boat speed was a constant 8-10 knots touching 15.7 knots with gusts of 48 knots, we pass a couple of days with rain, big swell, changing winds and with a weather report of heavy weather coming we put in 3 reefs and put the storm jib up, prepare for the worst, sailing a bit underpowered we put the engine on, we needed to charge the batteries anyway. Tom is wondering why he came, definitely a bit green around the gills on a diet of water and saltines but hey it’s character building and that’s what he’s here for anyway. Best way to put a few hairs on your chest. The expected weather slams us; Bushy had it all under control, good man to call the shots. Tom, Elton and I brave out a watch with constant 30+ knots of wind with gusts accelerating the boat with every blast. Totally exhilarating! Elton’s screaming with joy again, I love to play my harmonica to the wild wind and Tom’s hanging on like a sea-bot (he likes to draw robots). Then the rain hits and hits, 2hours of torrential rain & wind.
To finish off the tail end of the storm the rain suddenly stops, I’m on deck by myself and witness the most amazing lightning show I’ve ever seen: massive w’s slashing across one side of the boat and a separate bank of lightning spewing into the sea directly in front of us lighting up the whole sky with violently angry clouds. We charged forward and both banks of lightning and thunder passed on either side of us and in the space of half an hour the clouds lifted, the stars came out, the full moon poked it’s head out and there was only a slight charge still left in the clouds barreling off into the distance for Steve and Bushy to enjoy on their change of watch.
And then………………….


What never ceases to amaze me about ocean voyaging is that conditions change constantly. One minute you’re being thrown around and next the winds gone motors on and it’s time to do on -the- road maintenance. Everyone gets into the routine of watches and chores, we all share duties of cooking, cleaning and catching up on the sleep missed during heavy weather. Fishing lines go out, a constant lookout is maintained and expectation is high for the wind to come, after all this is a sailing vessel and everybody’s hungry for more.

Our Bahamian brother Elton is self designated fisherman; he seems to have a bit of a bloodlust in his eyes, a man of many surprises who would eat a whole cow if we had one on board, man the guy can eat, should be a linebacker. First fish is caught which The Boys manage to butcher instead of fillet, blood & guts everywhere, we have a bit of a learning curve here, nothing like youthful exuberance. The fish is to eat but not to forget to take liver samples to later send to Miami to analyze, every bit of information is important, the water analyzing meters are constantly running and data being sent back to the States. If more boats had this simple equipment on board we could understand our oceans so much better, knowledge is awareness.

We take advantage of motoring and have great day fishing. We finish off with an amazing fight with a striped tuna, in Spanish: UN lisado. An ocean warrior. The freezers full so the lines go away.

This is a day of calma chica (dead calm) love that saying ,so we stop the boat put the spinnaker pole up, rig a swing and go for a swim with 5000 metres of water under us, beautiful. Next act enter stage left a good size pair of whales come up to Sea Dragon for a look, one and all were amazed, who needs discovery channel or you tube when you’ve got it all on the doorstep so to speak.

Let’s get back to Tommy our new ex green crewmember.

In the last days since leaving the good ol’ US of A he has:

Been able to drink beer in a bar being the legal age limit in the Azores Islands in the middle of the Atlantic.

Vomited in the Atlantic Ocean

Helmed a 72ft open ocean racing yacht in 30 knot winds and 12 ft seas

Seen Dolphins in the wild

Witnessed thunder & Lightning

Seen the Green Flash at sunset (yes it does exist)

Seen florescence flowing down the side of the boat at night (magical)

Swam in the middle of the ocean with 5000metres of water below

Seen Whales lazily swimming by

Cleaned the heads (toilet)

Caught fish

Get woken up at 3 am and made to sit outside to look at the stars and full moon (and for boats)

Tidy his bunk (I’d like to see his bedroom at home)

Witnessed plastic floating by in the middle of nowhere.

What, plastic in the middle of nowhere: true, bloody amazing, but true. Bushy and myself, the most experienced aboard are amazed at the plastic in the ocean after doing our first plastic trawl. When we were swimming plastic is constantly floating past, you just don’t realize until you stop and look. Cruising at 7 knots you just don’t see it.

We are now 28 hours out from Mindelo, Sao Vicente in the Cape Verde, the wind is picking up and soon the Donkey will be put to bed (engine off) and we can sail into our new port of call which just happened to be where Jacques Cousteau did most of his initial diving and testing with Calypso and his groundbreaking bathyscaphe immersions. We will be conducting interviews with local divers, authorities, conservation groups, conduct beach transects, dive, prep the Sea Dragon for the next long leg of 2800 miles to Ilha Grande; a utopian paradise, free of cars, 80 miles or so south of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the land of sun, health and samba.

Expectations are high for a cold beer (dry boat when sailing) in Mindelo. Just as I’m writing the wind has picked up, it’s 5 am, time for action.

It’s now an hour and a half later Steve, Tommy and myself have poled out the jib, the main is right out with a preventer on and we are running wing and wing @ 8 knots, Mindelo is now an E.T.A of 25 hours. Tommy has proved a quick learner and gets the idea of what to pull when. The boys have got their heads down, change of watch. Capn’ Bushy and Elton are in charge now, so it’s time to turn in.

To be continued………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

We are Sailors Now

After 3 days of fierce storms with gale force winds, bone chilling temperatures, ferocious rain and frightening lightening storms we finally made it to calmer seas. We are riding a high pressure system straight down to Cape Verde with 1-8 kt random winds all day. This must be the most amazing sight you have ever seen! The full moon reflected on the glassy ocean water, creating day like conditions and extraordinary colors you only see in dreams. I think I may be losing weight, exercising under the moonlit skies is almost magical.

Everyone seem to be having a good time, so we stopped for a day of fun and swimming as the days and water have been heating up. I was finally refreshed as I returned to my natural element. It was surprising to see some small chub swimming below our boat, as well as the many tiny specs of life floating by. Of course our old friend plastic was already waiting for us, even 300 miles off shore. The thermo cline in the water was very obvious as it went from hot to cold and back even just floating on the surface. Boat swings, snorkeling, fresh fish and chips, what more can you ask for! Except watching the majestic beauties of the deep, surface and wave us hello on our journey south. It all ends with sailor songs on deck with Dale and Tom…as it should.

Elton Joseph

Whales and rubbish

For the past few days the sea has been an ever-shifting mirror, reflecting a distortion of the cloud streaked azure sky. Long rolling swells gently raise and lower Sea Dragon as we cut through a seemingly endless expanse of blue. The weather has improved day by day as we glide south towards Cape Verde; the only complaint being a lack of wind. Despite being mere days ago, I have trouble placing myself in the mode of foul weather gear and 40knot winds that set the tone for the start of this leg. Shorts, sunglasses, and a generous helping of sun lotion have replaced layers of clothing and a constant clamminess that comes with sailing in the N. Atlantic in winter.

Today we decided to take advantage of our good graces. The morning started off with an amazing sunrise, casting liquid gold across the deep purple ripples of this great sea. The sky was alight with a gradient of colors ranging from dark orange to pink to gold to the bluest blue you could ever hope to see whilst dry. Good weather has led to good spirits for the crew, as our third tuna has led us to another supper of fresh fish. In anticipation of a swim in the afternoon, Tommy, Elton and I rigged up a rope swing using one of the spinnaker poles. To everyone’s delight, we parked the boat this afternoon and made use of our new toy. The swing was good fun, and the water was such an ideal temperature that plunging in offered no shock, only cool refreshment. The tranquil sea and clear sky made for the strangest playground I’ve encountered; seeming more like a dream or state of mind than a physical place in the world. As if it were the icing on the surreal cake of our afternoon swim, a great baleen whale emerged from the depths within spitting distance of the boat (not that we condone spitting on whales, or any sea creatures, only conveying that it was very very close). It circled the boat a few times; emerging as a glistening grey mountain, and then plunging into the depths to show its white belly and leave a trail of whirling water.
It might seem impossible, even contrived, to find fault with such an idyllic few days, but I must confess to doing just that. Despite having near perfect weather, visits from marine mammals, and the bounty of fresh fish, I cannot help but dwell on the reality of this place and time. So far we’ve conducted two trawls, and despite seeming flawless from the deck of the boat, the sea surface produced plastic both times. Upon closer inspection the surface was dotted with synthetic fragments floating in from all over the world. Standing on deck for a minute and focusing on the water immediately below reveals permanent confetti of debris, and we’re only seeing our tiny line across this vast ocean. The fish we’ve caught and consumed carried similar fragments inside of them. My first leap on the rope swing landed me on what I mistook to be a jellyfish, and then found to be a slimy plastic film. During our 30 minute stop, I couldn’t keep plastics out of my field of view.

Seeing the marine mammals only deepened my lamentation over the ruin of the oceans. Unlike us foolish humans, who knowingly choose to eat fish poisoned by our own waste, dolphins have no choice. They must eat fish, and the fish are filled with our contaminants. The great baleen whale, largest of all creatures on this planet, sifts through the seas to feast on plankton, and undoubtedly the plastic particles the plankton are suspended with. Being thousands of miles from land, one expects to be free of the pollution that plagues land. This is not the case. Our recklessness and demand for quick convenience are leading to the ruin of the planet as a whole, both above and below the surface.

Stephen Amato

Heavy weather and boats

While there is a lot of history behind sailing crews spinning yarns about the great seas they encounter, recent news suggest the Sea Dragon may have been straight with us :)

This just in on the news wires. A 680ft (207m) cruise ship was just slammed by 10m+ waves in the Med. "The ship's owner and operator, Louis Cruise Lines, said the vessel was struck Wednesday by three "abnormally high" waves more than 33 feet (10 meters) high that broke glass windshields in the forward section. Two people died and 14 were slightly hurt, the company said." (Yahoo News source)

Ironically, despite their size and bulk, many "cruise ships" are not that capable in heavy weather. Unlike past "ocean liners" these ships have alot of freeboard (high sides) that make them vulnerable to rolling and present large areas that take such large waves broadside. Their design can also be more vulnerable - with walls of glass windows and exposed decks. In comparison, Sea Dragon may be tiny, but she is more like a heavily armor-plated piece of driftwood that moves with the sea rather than against it.

We don't like to see any accidents at sea, particularly fatal ones like this. However, in every one there is learning for the rest of us.

Ron Ritter

Thinking about the North Atlantic

The first part of this passage has been more like a re-run of the Bermuda leg. Catching the bottom edge of the same storms that are pounding Europe,the crew has hit 15kts of boat speed, seen 50kts of wind, and had its first real lightning storm. Dale was on watch after midnight when what seems to have been a classic frontal line came through. Like a ribbon of swirling ink, these dark fronts roll across the sky with major vertical turbulence. Rising air accelerates to spool up powerful, sudden winds. Dale describes a fantastic light show with one bolt clearly hitting the water. These are times you appreciate being in a steel boat- they do much better at defusing and harmlessly transmitting any electrical energy.

However, now things are changing dramatically. The weather is good, we are motoring across flat seas with only 4-8kts of wind. Out of the foulies and into the shorts. We've done two trawls, each producing plastic and strange blue jellies. The trawling we do south of the Azores - and all the way in to Brazil - will be an important addition. We have a much better idea about conditions inside the Gyre as an expected accumulation zone. However, the team's finding of an almost uniform soup of smaller plastic bits suggest conditions may be different in the Atlantic. What may be occuring here is an equally large, serious infusion of plastic debris, but one that is much more dispersed. The specific currents in the Atlantic, or perhaps the higher frequency of heavy weather may be behind this. Could it be that the Atlantic has a broad, swirling mass of plastic that is more "stirred up" than the North Pacific? This also makes sense with what we saw earlier in the Canaries. There not only did we see the piles of beach plastic, but the water flowing past the islands was full of passing debris. Trawling all the way, 5000nm, to Brazil will give us some insight.

For now the team sails, trawls and looks for warmer, calmer weather south. Less than 3 days to CV!