Outside Reading Blog #4

Part One:

"Surely oak and threefold brass surrounded his heart who first trusted a frail vessel to the merciless ocean" (103). :Horace <Alone Across the Atlantic by Gerry Spiess>



This quote was meaningful to me because the hardest concept for me to grasp about Gerry's whole journey is how small his boat is! Only 10 feet long by 6 across; isn't that big for one man and almost a tons worth of supplies. But Gerry finds a way to make it work. I guess that's why this quote comes across to me as startling.



Part Two:
Gerry now has finalized his provison packing and drives all the way from White Bear Lake, Minnesota to Chesapeake Bay so he can set sail. He arrives and feels very nervous about the whole adventure to the point where he actually won't eat breakfeast the morning of his departure. So at seven thirty Yankee Girl takes to the wind and slowly makes her way out of the bay, with alomost no wind in her sails. Gerry now comes in contact with horrible flies that naw at his legs for nearly twelve hours! And, his first sleep aboard his tiny boat wasn't pleasent either, due to his floor that was covered with grapefruit and eating utensils. Hopefully, his whole journey won't follow the pattern of his first few days...