Stemming the source

We were all barefoot and salty.

It’s a comforting combination that is usually only available when near the ocean. The wind was relentless but after a few days at sea on board the S.V. TravelEdge with eXXpedition, the sun crept out from behind the ribbons of cloud that formed over the Azores. I squinted, brushed at the salt crystals that had formed on my jacket and boots and felt warmth on my face for the first time since leaving land. I closed my eyes to embrace the sense of calm that had eluded us for so long.

I’ve found sailing to be one of the best ways to experience nature, and it is a pursuit that I have devoted my life to. The ever-changing nature of the ocean environment has provided me with constant entertainment. Chartering the shallows was never enough and my horizons exploded when I first left the shore to explore the open ocean. Here was when the seed was planted. The ocean tested me and pushed me out of my comfort zone. There have been many nights at sea when I’ve questioned my decisions while trying to get some rest. But it was here that I learnt to respect the ocean. The intensity of the love/hate relationship I have formed has influenced almost all of my decisions to date. My perspective changed as I witnessed first-hand the damage our ocean suffers. My playground had become diseased – plastic has spread on a global scale causing suffering for millions of people and animals around the world.