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Log of S/V High Drama No.7-The Galapagos March 2001
They
hearty crew of High Drama welcomes you back to another log!
This chapter finds the boat in the land made famous by Darwin,
the Galapagos Islands. Not only are these islands fantastic
places to observe flora and fauna, but also they rival Venice
Beach for the diverse assortment of people who are either
indigenous or itinerant. We hope that you will enjoy our descriptions
of meeting some of each species.
The Trip from
the Mainland
Late in the afternoon of
the Ides of March we slipped our mooring lines once again.
We started this leg very tired from dealing with last minute
repairs, but better that than leaving on a Friday, which would
be contrary to all naval tradition. For the first time, we
sailed straight into the setting sun. For those of you who
have been following these logs, our path to date has been
southeast along the coast of Mexico and Central America. Indeed,
when we were in the former Panama Canal Zone we were due south
of Miami. We have been preparing to head West since last summer.
Our course from Ecuador to the Galapagos was 277 degrees magnetic.
After nightfall we had the Big Dipper on our starboard beam
and the Southern Cross on our port beam. It seems like it
has taken us a long time to finally head straight out into
the South Pacific.
We motored for two days. We
were not concerned about diesel because we were aware that
fuel was available in the Galapagos. Fortunately, the breeze
came up and we traveled along under the power of the wind
for two days. What a treat!
The Pacific
Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest
geographic feature in the world. It occupies 35% of the earth's
surface, more than all of the land area in the world combined.
Its average depth is 13,000 feet; the deepest point is 36,163
feet deep. The pressure at that depth is 16,000 pounds per
square inch. Of all volcanic activity, 90% occurs in the oceans.
In 1993, scientists located known concentration of active
volcanoes on the sea floor-in an area the size of New York
State-which hosts more than 1100 active volcanic cones and
sea mounts. (See The Ocean Our Future, The Report of the Independent
World Commission on the Oceans, 1998, Annex A.) We undertake
crossing the South Pacific with the utmost respect.
Continued
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