Australian sailor Jon Sanders completed an unprecedented tenth solo circumnavigation on December 21, 2017, arriving in Carnarvon, Western Australia, aboard his 39-foot Sparkman & Stephens yacht Perie Banou II. At 78 years old, Sanders finished the voyage 14 months after departing Fremantle, extending a lifetime of ocean achievements that have made him one of the most celebrated long-distance solo sailors in modern maritime history.
Sanders first sailed around the globe solo in 1970, making an east-to-west passage that largely followed tropical routes. He later completed a nonstop double solo circumnavigation from 1981 to 1982, this time traveling west to east through the Southern Ocean. In 1988, he pushed the limits of solo seamanship even further by spending 358 days, 21 hours and 18 minutes continuously at sea, completing three back-to-back solo circumnavigations. Guinness World Records recognized that voyage as the longest continuous distance sailed by any vessel, recording a total of 71,023 nautical miles. An honorary member of the Ocean Cruising Club, Sanders’ record voyages remain reference points for endurance sailing and solo ocean navigation.
Lighthouse On The Half Shell
Perched on an oyster bar off the southeastern tip of its namesake islet in Georgia, Cockspur Island Lighthouse has guided mariners since it was first lit in 1855. The 46-foot tower features a distinctive masonry base shaped like the prow of a ship, specifically designed to withstand the powerful tidal currents of the Savannah River. The lighthouse endured a dramatic 20-foot storm surge in August 1881 that submerged much of the structure, and it was later abandoned by the Coast Guard in 1949. Ownership passed to the National Park Service in 1958, and the lighthouse’s middle and upper portions were carefully restored between 1995 and 2000. In 2007 the light was reactivated, and today visitors can get a better view by hiking the trail down from Fort Pulaski National Monument. Cockspur Island Lighthouse remains a striking example of coastal engineering and historic preservation.
“Loss of oxygen in many ways is the destruction of an ecosystem. If we were creating vast areas on land that were uninhabitable by most animals, we’d notice. But we don’t always see things like this when they are happening in the water.” — Denise Breitburg, author of a new study published in Science that examined the major research on ocean oxygen loss
Desk-Based Dead Reckoning
For sailors and navigators who still work with paper charts and the tactile experience of plotting courses by hand, Weems & Plath offers a refined brass chart weight that doubles as a functional desktop compass. Housed in a solid brass enclosure—and also available in a nickel finish—the unit contains a liquid-filled compass with a clear three-inch black-and-white card. The piece adds both style and utility to a navigation station or office desk, helping to keep curled chart corners in place while offering a working heading reference. The manufacturer will engrave the compass upon request for a personalized touch. Price: $55. weems-plath.com
247,000
Since 2007, Hands Across the Sea has distributed 247,000 books to classrooms across the Eastern Caribbean, an effort aimed at improving child literacy in some of the region’s poorest island nations. The organization focuses on getting age-appropriate reading material into schools, supporting teachers, and helping communities build literacy resources that last. Their ongoing mission addresses educational inequalities by ensuring that children in small island nations have access to books that support learning and imagination. handsacrossthesea.net
We Love New York
Masquerade is a striking modern interpretation of the classic New York 32, originally drawn by the design firm Sparkman & Stephens in 1936. Historically, twenty of these elegant sloops were built at the Nevins yard on City Island, New York. Masquerade, recorded as hull No. 21 and completed in 2010, was constructed using cold-molded wood and epoxy, preserving traditional lines while incorporating contemporary methods and materials. She measures 32 feet on the waterline and 45 feet, 4 inches overall, and is powered by a reliable 39-hp Yanmar 3JH4 auxiliary diesel. Ready to race or cruise, Masquerade blends classic aesthetics with capable performance and is offered for sale through Brooklin Boat Yard’s brokerage for $295,000. brooklinboatyard.com
This article originally appeared in the March 2018 issue.