Ray Mid-Pacific 1990
by Ray Jason
Sailing alone through the night, on the deep ocean, under a big moon, is almost inconceivably sublime. A properly prepared boat, with well-trimmed sails, in a moderate breeze, is a quiet, purposeful being. The only noticeable sound is the song of the waves sliding along the hull. This serenity, this enormity, this solitude, provides the ideal haven for a wandering soul with a philosopher’s curiosity.
Although I rarely feel lonely on long passages, when I do need to conjure up a companion, my favorite shipmate is Henry David Thoreau. He is one of my life-long heroes; and my belief is that if he was alive today he too would choose the sea gypsy life as the best path to freedom and contemplation. This intuition was reinforced when I discovered a few years ago that his final words on his deathbed were, “Now comes good sailing!”