Sea-Fever
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
John Masefield
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
John Masefield
Charlie & Marion: Crossing the Atlantic in Wind Spirit & Wind Surf
The siren song of the sea is a mesmerizing melody, drawing me to it since I was a boy.
In 1951, I sailed across the Atlantic for the first time, (courtesy USN), and have repeated the journey many times since. Of the fabled seven seas and five oceans, I have crossed all but two of each. I have never sailed the Arctic Ocean or the vast Southern Ocean, nor have I been on the Baltic or Caspian Sea. I would’ve liked to have done them all but I’m running out of time and will have to be satisfied with what is.
In 1988, I took a two-week cruise onboard MSY ‘Wind Star’, a magnificent 4 masted sailing yacht, 130 meters in length (+/-416 ft, not a small sail boat). At that time, she was the only vessel in the Wind Star line. Eventually, there were three sister ships, Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Song, identical in every respect. Wind Song burned and sank in Tahiti. The Wind Star line bought the sailing vessel Club Med and converted it, renaming it Wind Surf. That ship is 613 feet in length and is much larger overall than the other two. I fell in love with the smaller ships and prefer them to Wind Surf. They cross the Atlantic twice a year, repositioning, to and from the Mediterranean and Caribbean; I do everything possible to make the trip one way or the other.
I have made 22 crossings since 1988, 17 in Wind Spirit or Wind Surf and 5 in QE2.
On November 18, '06, Marion joined me in Wind Spirit for her
first crossing. After two weeks at sea, with wind in the sails and
fresh salt air to breathe, she loved it and became a avid sailor.
We have made several more crossings together and look forward to as many more as the future holds for us.
The siren song of the sea is a mesmerizing melody, drawing me to it since I was a boy.
In 1951, I sailed across the Atlantic for the first time, (courtesy USN), and have repeated the journey many times since. Of the fabled seven seas and five oceans, I have crossed all but two of each. I have never sailed the Arctic Ocean or the vast Southern Ocean, nor have I been on the Baltic or Caspian Sea. I would’ve liked to have done them all but I’m running out of time and will have to be satisfied with what is.
In 1988, I took a two-week cruise onboard MSY ‘Wind Star’, a magnificent 4 masted sailing yacht, 130 meters in length (+/-416 ft, not a small sail boat). At that time, she was the only vessel in the Wind Star line. Eventually, there were three sister ships, Wind Star, Wind Spirit and Wind Song, identical in every respect. Wind Song burned and sank in Tahiti. The Wind Star line bought the sailing vessel Club Med and converted it, renaming it Wind Surf. That ship is 613 feet in length and is much larger overall than the other two. I fell in love with the smaller ships and prefer them to Wind Surf. They cross the Atlantic twice a year, repositioning, to and from the Mediterranean and Caribbean; I do everything possible to make the trip one way or the other.
I have made 22 crossings since 1988, 17 in Wind Spirit or Wind Surf and 5 in QE2.
On November 18, '06, Marion joined me in Wind Spirit for her
first crossing. After two weeks at sea, with wind in the sails and
fresh salt air to breathe, she loved it and became a avid sailor.
We have made several more crossings together and look forward to as many more as the future holds for us.
