tiny cabin. That charge was never resolved. “He had lost to shipwreck two clippers, had been charged with cruel imprisonment of one crew member and the murder of another,” writes Wolff. “ His second wife, Hettie, in sympathy with that seasick sailor of the Odyssey, wished to flee so far inland that local citizens wouldn’t recognize the purpose of an oar. He was broke. The Age of Sail had ended. The captain was, that is, entirely at sea.” And it was at sea that he died, somewhere off the U.S. East Coast, on a solo voyage from Martha’s Vineyard to South America. He was last seen alive on Nov. 14, 1908. Whatever happened to him is a matter of broad and pointless speculation.
Wolff allows the great sailing writer Thomas Fleming Day to pass the last word on Slocum, restoring the heroic stature of this great sailor: “Peace to Captain Slocum wherever he may sleep, for he deserves at least one whispered tribute of prayer from every sailorman for what he did to rob the sea of its bad name; and for such a man, who loved every cranny of her dear old blue heart, who for years made her windswept stretches his home and highway, what is more fitting than an ocean burial?” Sandy Marsters, co-founder, along with Bernie Wideman, of Points East, was the magazine’s first editor.
Snuggle up with your laptop at Seven Seas University Are you tired of all the depressing news stories? Has the cold weather gotten under your skin? Have you been dreaming of sailing off to the Caribbean? Are you yearning for a dose of armchair escapism? Let Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) fuel your dreams with education and inspiration, all in the comfort of your own home through a new series of information-packed “webinars.” SSCA has launched Seven Seas University, an online learning resource covering many topics discussed by some of the more experienced people in the business. Now you can invite these savvy seadogs right into your home, where they can share their knowledge directly with you. Maybe you’re planning a trip offshore but don’t know where to start. Let Pam Wall talk you across the Atlantic to the Azores. Catch up with the Blackwells onboard Aleria for a dose of adventure in the Caribbean. Negotiate the challenges of cruising Cuba and the western Caribbean with Peter Swanson. Or, if you’re staying local this year, there will soon be a series of webinars on cruising the northeast U.S. coast based on the Blackwell’s popular website www.coastalboating.net. They’ll take you on exciting journeys and arm you with the information and inspiration to sail off yourselves. You can learn sail trim from Beth Leonard or dis50 Points East Midwinter 2011
cuss liveaboard logistics with Laurelyn Coleman. Thinking about buying a new anchor? Let the Blackwells take you through all the new gear and proven
techniques. Bone up on weather prediction with Lee Chesneau, former senior marine meteorologist at the NOAA/NWS Ocean Prediction Center. Dozens of topics are already under way and more are being added every week. Free sessions have included everything you need to know about boat insurance and making full use of DSC capabilities on editor@pointseast.com