J. Slocum의 "Sailing Alone Around the World" 중

I watched light after light sink astern as I sailed into the unbounded sea, till Sambro, the last of them all, was below the horizon. The Spray was then alone, and sailing on, she held her course. July 4, at 6 a.m., I put in double reefs, and at 8:30 a.m. turned out all reefs. At 9:40 p.m. I raised the sheen only of the light on the west end of Sable Island, which may also be called the Island of Tragedies. The fog, which till this moment had held off, now lowered over the sea like a pall. I was in a world of fog, shut off from the universe. I did not see any more of the light. By the lead, which I cast often, I found that a little after midnight I was passing the east point of the island, and should soon be clear of dangers of land and shoals.

Let one be without a friend, and see what will happen!

Whatever the danger may have been, much or little, I can truly say that the moment was the most serene of my life.

The Spray now reached away for Coffee Island, whihc I sighted on my birthday, February 20, 1896.

One wave, in the evening, larger than others that had threatened all day, - one such as sailors call "fine-weather seas," - broke over the sloop fore and aft. It washed over me at the helm, the last that sept over the Spray off Cape Horn. It seemed to wash away old regrets. All my troubles were now astern; summer was ahead; all the world was again before me. The wind was even literally fair. My "trick" at the wheel was now up, and it was 5 p.m. I had stood at the helm since eleven o'clock the morning before, or thirty hours.
Then the time to uncover my head, for I sailed alone with God. The vast ocean was again around me, and the horizon was unbroken by land.

four mintues, we all know, representing one degree. This, briefly, is the principle on which longitude is found independent of chronometers. The work of the lunarian, though seldom prctised in these days of chronometers, is beautifully edifying,m and there is nothing in the realm of navigation that lifes one's heart up more in adoration.

To be alone forty-three days would seem a long time, but in reality, even here, winged moments flew lightly by,

The first name on the Spray's visitors' book in the home port was written by the one who always said, "The Spray will come back."


- 이 책은 Joshua Slocum 이라는 사람이 1895년 돛대 하나 달린 소형 범선으로 3년동안 46,000마일의 세계를 항해한 기록이다. Sail boat의 선장이었던 Slocum은 steam boat의 등장으로 자신이 가지고 있는 항해 기술이 점점 쓸모없어지는 것을 느끼며, 재정적으로도 힘든 상황에서 37풋트의 굴잡이 범선을 스스로 개조해 (거의 새로 만들어) 항해를 시작한다. 미동부 Rhode Island에서 시작한 항해는 유럽, 호주, 아프리카 등을 거쳐 다시 미동부로 돌아오는 과정에서 많은 일들을 겪게 되지만, 혼자 그것도 바람으로만 갈 수 있는 작은 범선으로 항해를 한 것은 전례가 없는 일이었다.

Source: http://www.municipalities.com/islandscap/index.htm

내게 와 닿은 것은 두가지, 하나는 "Alone"이라는 것, 다른 하나는 "Courage".
어디론가 혼자 여행을 떠나는 것과 망망대해로 혼자 작은 범선을 가지고 나아가는 것은 다른 일이다. 생명을 내걸은 고독, 그것을 추진할 수 있었던 원동력은 무엇이었을까? 며칠을 방향타를 떠나지 못하는 거친 바다에서 그는 완전한 바다를 느꼈다고, 혼자서 신과의 항해를 했다고 말한다. 그 항해에서 어떤 신대륙이나 새로운 섬을 발견한 것은 아니었지만, 그에게는 그 항해 자체가 그의 목적이나 의미였다고 결론에서 말하고 있다.
내게는 알 수 없는 일, 그와 같이 막막한 거친 바다로 혼자 나가지 않고서는 느끼지 못할 그 마음을, 그의 회고를 통해 조금의 엿보고 조금은 이해하고, 인생의 항해에서 혼자 떨어져도 그리 두렵지 않을 것과 같은 위로를 받은 듯.