Greetings,

I have just completed a little project and would welcome some feedback/suggestions for improvement.

I have created a textually enabled map of the voyage of Joshua Slocum the first man to circumnavigate the world single-handed.

This interactive adventure is divided into 8 segments or "legs". This is not just a path to follow, rather, it is an opportunity for the "adventurer" to explore the world through modern eyes from the perspective of Capt. Slocum.

There are over 100 waypoints. Each waypoint has excerpts from Capt. Slocum's book Sailing Alone Around the World.

Follow the voyage of Captain Joshua Slocum on his historic quest to become the first man to circumnavigate the globe alone.

And let me know what you think!

Thanks,

Osp

NOTE: this really was designed for Google Earth... Google maps works ok, but you do not maximize advantage of the details and the oblique views.

Very nice first post osprey_lightning..... It has all it needs to entice folk to read the book.



I liked his little episode with the Pirates...

Quote:

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.....But here I was, after all, evidently in the midst of pirates and thieves! I changed my course; the felucca did the same, both vessels sailing very fast, but the distance growing less and less between us. The _Spray_ was doing nobly; she was even more than at her best; but, in spite of all I could do, she would broach now and then. She was carrying too much sail for safety. I must reef or be dismasted and lose all, pirate or no pirate. I must reef, even if I had to grapple with him for my life.

I was not long in reefing the mainsail and sweating it up--probably not more than fifteen minutes; but the felucca had in the meantime so shortened the distance between us that I now saw the tuft of hair on the heads of the crew,--by which, it is said, Mohammed will pull the villains up into heaven,--and they were coming on like the wind. From what I could clearly make out now, I felt them to be the sons of generations of pirates, and I saw by their movements that they were now preparing to strike a blow. The exultation on their faces, however, was changed in an instant to a look of fear and rage. Their craft, with too much sail on, broached to on the crest of a great wave.

---

Nicely done. This is exactly the sort of information that is presented very well with Google Earth.

I have been reading this book and using google earth to find where he was at. Then I found your post. Perfect! Thanks for putting it out there for others to use!

Thanks for your comments. I am glad you like the application. I do the same thing... read books and follow along with Google Earth or Maps.

Great post--its inspired me to download the Talking Book of Sailing Alone Around the World to listen in the car--so far ( Chp4 ) its excellent.


Also Podcast available here ( iTunes only)

Excellent... I have downloaded the Audio book as well and have beening listening....... thanks for the links!

Nice work! This is great stuff.

I'm working on an annotated version of "Sailing Alone..." for Sheridan House, a NY publisher. Assuming it's OK with the publisher, would you mind if I reference this thread? It's a perfect use of GoogleEarth, and a real boon to lovers of Slocum and his works.

Regards,

Rod Scher

Sure.. reference away... I posted this for the enjoyment and education of all.

Glad you like it... and I hope others will enjoy it... and learn about Joshua Slocum.

OSP

.... Annotated edition? Interesting.. there are some great historical and geo-political references throughout the book. I could see some very interesting explainations... Would love to know more..

Hi, OSP.

Oh, yeah, tons of stuff -- politics, wars, literary references, etc. Not to mention sailing and nautical terms, etc. In fact, there's no way I can do it justice, really; the publisher's format (annotations-as-marginalia) happens to be very easy to read but makes space a bit tight.

It's been an interesting exercise in providing a historical context, explaining some of the more obsolete/archaic terms and references, nautical and otherwise. (And although I've sailed, I'm really more of a writer than a nautical expert, so I've learned a lot, myself!)

Anyway, we're hoping for a holiday-season release. I think it'd be nice to be able to direct folks to your work on Captain Slocum's voyage. (After all, I quote and refer folks to other works: Chapman's comes to mind.)

Best,

Rod Scher