Reserch, Sailing, With Pix

[JackLuis]

Ever had a Pirate story and need a ocean current to carry the bottle?

Here is a very cool graphic image from 1943.

You have to supply your own Lustful Sailors, unfortunately.

 

[squarejohn]

It would be nice to have that map in full-size. Framed and mounted on a wall, it would make a great conversation piece.

That brought an old memory to the surface. Back when I sailed aboard ships, we decided to try the old message-in-a-bottle trick. Instead of a bottle, we used a five gallon bucket. Painted it like a US mailbox, poured in a little concrete for ballast. Everybody in the crew was invited to write a letter and most did. The letters went into the bucket along with a few dollars and a carton of cigarettes to compensate who ever found it for taking the trouble to mail the letters.

When we got to Singapore, the captain had a letter from the people who found the bucket. It had washed up on the beach of one of the Hawaiian islands and was spotted by a routine military helicopter patrol. They even included a newspaper clipping with a photo of the bucket and the guys who found it. I had forgotten all about that until I saw the currents map. Thanks for posting the link.

 

[amicus]

Thanks, Jack Luis & Squarejohn...memories of the deep blue sea...indeed...

Squarejohn, what ship were you aboard? Mine was the LST 799 USS Greer County, and we headed for Hawaii, bound for the Suez, loaded for Bear, a very long time ago...

Also reminded me to add, "Message in a Bottle", to my list of memorable films...It also makes me think of Tom Hanks and "Castaway", and the heartfelt knowledge that there are some very BIG oceans indeed...places where a man can look into the face of his God whatever that may be.

I did a thread a while back on a 16 year old sailor girl, Abby 16, and I did so because I, too, have been out, alone, in a small boat, on a very big ocean and I felt her effort ought be acknowledged.

There are still men who go down to the sea...I would hope there will always be such men.

Amicus

 

[JackLuis]

I only spent two weeks on the wide Pacific. On a troop transport headed for foreign parts.

The ship was big, but compared to the ocean, insignificant. I was just glad I wasn't in the North Atlantic.