As I child, the "message in a bottle" was a wonderful idea, and I recall my brother and I sending one off during a trip to, as I recall, Rehoboth Beach. I don't remember what we wrote. I was probably 10, my brother 7. Until I read your delightful article this morning, I had forgotten about it. Thanks for the reminder of a brief magical time in my youth. My travels are all by car. I know, I'm creating pollution. The guilt-monster is always alive and well in me. But I love the vastness of the midwest and west, the deserts, mesas, mountains, valleys, cactii, juniper trees, etc. I love the road zipping by underneath me as I have new adventures in the USA. Your travels sounds exotic to me. My little bit of experience as a passenger in a sailboat was enjoyable, but the shore was always visible. I appreciate your bravery.
This is such a great memory, isn't it? I wonder where you got the idea back then? Some story or other, I imagine. Glad I could assist in that joy!
I simply love exploration and travel no matter the propulsion. Cannot wait to see what's around the next corner. I was landlocked in CO for 26 years, NY before that, and just happened to meet a Sailor so here I am fixing a big boat. I owned a BMW z3 convertible, vintage, and zipped EVERYWHERE!! I absolutely get that. From Western CO I would cruise through Moab, Castle Valley and far beyond. Everyone who has the passion to see different things is brave, and let me advise that sometimes those sailboats are scary. I will always remember the first time we sailed out of the site of land (which is only around 10 miles, miniscule in comparison with the oceans. It gives you a completely different feeling than being in sight of it. Lovely to hear from you Lindsay, and see you, too! ~J
A historical use of a 'message in a bottle' (of sorts), was sent off by John F. Kennedy when his PT 109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer in the Solomon Islands. The survivors were stranded on an island and JFK carved an 'SOS' message on a coconut and tossed it into the ocean. There was a big risk that it could have been found by Japanese military, and they would have been captured, but it was found by local natives, who passed it on to the U.S. military. (or it was found directly by U.S. forces) and a rescue mission went out and picked them up! Don't know how long it took from sinking to rescue.
Whoa! I have never heard any part or version of this tale. Pretty efficient that they could figure out where it came from! I love happy endings. Especially in wartime. I often wonder what cool things he would have/could have accomplished. Thanks BOB! Always educating this new sailor girl. ~J
"a message in a bottle"! Now that's a subject very pertinent to me. In my decades of crewing on sailing vessels (1975-2018) I have tossed overboard 25-30 'message in a bottle'. I usually choose a location where there is a steady oceanic current: the Gulf Stream, Pacific Equatorial Current, Agulhas Current, steady tradewind currents, etc. I've gotten about a dozen replies in all that time. I have used my parents address in the past to respond to (my boyhood home outside D.C.), but after they sold the house it's quite possible that responses have been sent to that address, that I never received. I always write a long letter describing the boat and the journey that I'm on. I put a postcard or brochure of the boat, and 1 or 2 U.S. dollars in the bottle. and I always finish with "any single women are welcome to write"! But all the responses I got have been written by men! One was a very nice 2 page letter from the north coast of Dominican Republic, all in Spanish (I could read about 80% of it), describing his village and his house by the beach, and that he would send me a photo of his niece if I'd like! One bottle I had sent off from the 'Pride of Baltimore' as we passed under the Bay Bridge, southbound. I was curious which way it was going to drift. 2-3 weeks later we were heading back northbound, and a guy on his waterfront lawn watching us sail under the Bridge found that bottle at his feet! So, it didn't drift very far! I tossed one off, out in the Gulf Stream between Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach, and I got a response from Portugal a couple years later. It made a half circuit of the Atlantic Ocean, but possibly, because of the time line, it could have made a complete circuit of the Atlantic (north of the Equator) back to Florida waters, and continued a half circuit over to Portugal! I have looked on beaches for a bottle with a message, but I have never found one.
Another fabulous stream of adventures and information. I think a dozen replies is pretty fantastic, several folks I heard from sent one off to no avail...I like the cash idea, too. Email would make those responses much more efficient, now, wouldn't it?? Best part of the story is the man from DR, offering up the niece. I'm sure she was lovely! You have lived a daring, delightful and interesting life to the fullest. I'd say the Portugal bottle got into the Gulf Stream and had a full circuit and a half? I wonder! Did you always do wine bottles with corks? Things and people in the Bay tend to stay in the Bay, from what I've seen here on the Eastern Shore, at least!
It was quite a day to score two, wasn't it? I wish I could read all that the German woman wrote; I really do think she was in some sort of trouble. And no way to tell how long ago. A mystery for certain. It makes our beloved blue waters even more vast. One of the things I've missed most this winter on the hard was just wandering the shore, every part of it, and especially the sounds. THANK YOU Bob! I'm definitely doing it. ~J
I always have used heavy glass bottles such as Champagne or Prosecco. and always real corks from wine bottles. (it's impossible to put a champagne cork back into the bottle). Seems I usually had 1 or 2 empties stashed under my bunk for future 'messages'. Oh, I forgot to mention: When you write a 'message in a bottle', wrap the message in paper (newspaper or magazine (or even tear out a page from Playboy!), adds a note of interest for the finder) to protect the message from fading because of the days-weeks-months of strong sunlight on the bottle as it bobs along. and it goes without saying to put the date and lat/long of where you tossed the bottle off. I have always asked the finder to tell me where/when I had tossed the bottle off, so I know how far it drifted, but they have always told me only where they found it.
If my damsel in distress had a Playboy to wrap around her words perhaps the messages wouldn't be faded, Bob;) that's some solid advice. Saving those future treasures as I sip on Sundays....
How fun! You do seem to call in the travelers and drifters: the pigeon, the folks helping you with Steadfast, the distant friend, and now these two finds. Fits perfectly with your journey, or so it appears from where I sit. The champagne bottle is beautifully worn, and what a wonder if never cracked in the midst of all its rolling and dancing. Hmmm....another metaphor?
Nice to find the audio option, Janice. You have a good voice for it.
I thank you for your wisdom and guidance, Miss Elizabeth! Truly enjoyed creating the audio!
Messages---right? it really was an eyebrow-raiser when we found the first one and then the champagne...and not on a trash-strewn main thoroughfare, on the Bahama Banks where it's 14' deep for miles! Was she in danger? I wonder now that I know what it says.
I think fit is a lovely word for our eclectic life, I'm going with it. So pleased I fit in here, spewing my selective history... ~J
Yes! I'm glad you utilized it Nancy...I think it will be a great addition. I find myself utilizing those while I'm on mundane (but rewarding lol tasks...) interesting note in that jar! J
I love the romanticism of this quest, Janice Anne. And finding a message in a bottle-- a sailor's dream come true! Keep us posted!! Though we may have to wait years ): Or not.
Always nice to have a bit of intrigue. A friend of mine reached out; she floated part of her brother's ashes and has yet to hear how far he traveled... I'd guess that jar has been ashore for a while as the glass is unmarked. Smuckers, no less. Worldwide distribution has a new meaning! Thanks for your note and as always your support! J
I wrote a comment on my computer but it keeps dropping them! So on my phone for a re-do. With the oceans so vast it’s amazing any get found imho. I think it’s so neat one found you!
If you have time take a look at the long comment from Bob Wallace, sailor extraordinaire! Wow.
So, my Mac drops those, too, and then I get an email that says my message didn't go through, is that what happens? I wonder why that is. It does always seem like my best comments get ditched! ~J
I have gotten a few and a few sent with no reply....YET!.... oh, if you think STEADFAST is soulful now, just wait for a future edition of SPARRING with a new POView. So happy to have you aboard. I am thinking of you very often these days! ~J
It certainly is Leeann! And when you get rewarded with something so intriguing doing what you love it's even better. I've never been able to resist wandering a shoreline, wherever it may be....thanks for chiming in so early this Sunday morning! ~J
My gosh! What a challenge! I'd start at the university language department to get a full translation, then some nautical charts to reverse track the currents that flow near where you found it. Maybe then a museum or art gallery to try and find detail on the paper - type, grade, perhaps even maker. Did the duck have any brands of any sort?
Excellent ideas, I had not thought of the current flow. Sherlock would come in handy. No markings on the Lil ducky. Long eyelashes! The words are only legible where it was folded all the way in four quarters. I hope the young lady was not truly in trouble. Quite a keepsake.
Beautifully written story. Made me reflect on our special spots of tranquility but adventurous areas throughout the Bahamas. It was a surprise to see your use of a word to describe a a specific scene...."cattywampus".
I thought only we deep southern boys knew it even existed 😉
Winston I love that word! Actually was called out by a member of Choptank Writer's group as he thought his father, from PA, had created that particular member of our vocabulary. It's just perfect here. And visual! The Bahamas has many hidden treasures and surprises. Did you click the link about all the bases in the northern Abacos? I had no idea. Always nice to see you Winston, praying for Larry. I did hear from him this week. ~J
As I child, the "message in a bottle" was a wonderful idea, and I recall my brother and I sending one off during a trip to, as I recall, Rehoboth Beach. I don't remember what we wrote. I was probably 10, my brother 7. Until I read your delightful article this morning, I had forgotten about it. Thanks for the reminder of a brief magical time in my youth. My travels are all by car. I know, I'm creating pollution. The guilt-monster is always alive and well in me. But I love the vastness of the midwest and west, the deserts, mesas, mountains, valleys, cactii, juniper trees, etc. I love the road zipping by underneath me as I have new adventures in the USA. Your travels sounds exotic to me. My little bit of experience as a passenger in a sailboat was enjoyable, but the shore was always visible. I appreciate your bravery.
This is such a great memory, isn't it? I wonder where you got the idea back then? Some story or other, I imagine. Glad I could assist in that joy!
I simply love exploration and travel no matter the propulsion. Cannot wait to see what's around the next corner. I was landlocked in CO for 26 years, NY before that, and just happened to meet a Sailor so here I am fixing a big boat. I owned a BMW z3 convertible, vintage, and zipped EVERYWHERE!! I absolutely get that. From Western CO I would cruise through Moab, Castle Valley and far beyond. Everyone who has the passion to see different things is brave, and let me advise that sometimes those sailboats are scary. I will always remember the first time we sailed out of the site of land (which is only around 10 miles, miniscule in comparison with the oceans. It gives you a completely different feeling than being in sight of it. Lovely to hear from you Lindsay, and see you, too! ~J
A historical use of a 'message in a bottle' (of sorts), was sent off by John F. Kennedy when his PT 109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer in the Solomon Islands. The survivors were stranded on an island and JFK carved an 'SOS' message on a coconut and tossed it into the ocean. There was a big risk that it could have been found by Japanese military, and they would have been captured, but it was found by local natives, who passed it on to the U.S. military. (or it was found directly by U.S. forces) and a rescue mission went out and picked them up! Don't know how long it took from sinking to rescue.
Whoa! I have never heard any part or version of this tale. Pretty efficient that they could figure out where it came from! I love happy endings. Especially in wartime. I often wonder what cool things he would have/could have accomplished. Thanks BOB! Always educating this new sailor girl. ~J
"a message in a bottle"! Now that's a subject very pertinent to me. In my decades of crewing on sailing vessels (1975-2018) I have tossed overboard 25-30 'message in a bottle'. I usually choose a location where there is a steady oceanic current: the Gulf Stream, Pacific Equatorial Current, Agulhas Current, steady tradewind currents, etc. I've gotten about a dozen replies in all that time. I have used my parents address in the past to respond to (my boyhood home outside D.C.), but after they sold the house it's quite possible that responses have been sent to that address, that I never received. I always write a long letter describing the boat and the journey that I'm on. I put a postcard or brochure of the boat, and 1 or 2 U.S. dollars in the bottle. and I always finish with "any single women are welcome to write"! But all the responses I got have been written by men! One was a very nice 2 page letter from the north coast of Dominican Republic, all in Spanish (I could read about 80% of it), describing his village and his house by the beach, and that he would send me a photo of his niece if I'd like! One bottle I had sent off from the 'Pride of Baltimore' as we passed under the Bay Bridge, southbound. I was curious which way it was going to drift. 2-3 weeks later we were heading back northbound, and a guy on his waterfront lawn watching us sail under the Bridge found that bottle at his feet! So, it didn't drift very far! I tossed one off, out in the Gulf Stream between Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach, and I got a response from Portugal a couple years later. It made a half circuit of the Atlantic Ocean, but possibly, because of the time line, it could have made a complete circuit of the Atlantic (north of the Equator) back to Florida waters, and continued a half circuit over to Portugal! I have looked on beaches for a bottle with a message, but I have never found one.
Another fabulous stream of adventures and information. I think a dozen replies is pretty fantastic, several folks I heard from sent one off to no avail...I like the cash idea, too. Email would make those responses much more efficient, now, wouldn't it?? Best part of the story is the man from DR, offering up the niece. I'm sure she was lovely! You have lived a daring, delightful and interesting life to the fullest. I'd say the Portugal bottle got into the Gulf Stream and had a full circuit and a half? I wonder! Did you always do wine bottles with corks? Things and people in the Bay tend to stay in the Bay, from what I've seen here on the Eastern Shore, at least!
It was quite a day to score two, wasn't it? I wish I could read all that the German woman wrote; I really do think she was in some sort of trouble. And no way to tell how long ago. A mystery for certain. It makes our beloved blue waters even more vast. One of the things I've missed most this winter on the hard was just wandering the shore, every part of it, and especially the sounds. THANK YOU Bob! I'm definitely doing it. ~J
I always have used heavy glass bottles such as Champagne or Prosecco. and always real corks from wine bottles. (it's impossible to put a champagne cork back into the bottle). Seems I usually had 1 or 2 empties stashed under my bunk for future 'messages'. Oh, I forgot to mention: When you write a 'message in a bottle', wrap the message in paper (newspaper or magazine (or even tear out a page from Playboy!), adds a note of interest for the finder) to protect the message from fading because of the days-weeks-months of strong sunlight on the bottle as it bobs along. and it goes without saying to put the date and lat/long of where you tossed the bottle off. I have always asked the finder to tell me where/when I had tossed the bottle off, so I know how far it drifted, but they have always told me only where they found it.
If my damsel in distress had a Playboy to wrap around her words perhaps the messages wouldn't be faded, Bob;) that's some solid advice. Saving those future treasures as I sip on Sundays....
Enjoy your week. Love your stories! J
Awwww! A message in a bottle. I used to dream about finding one every time I visited the ocean as a kid.
Great post, Janice! We’ll need updates, of course, if you uncover more. :)
How fun! You do seem to call in the travelers and drifters: the pigeon, the folks helping you with Steadfast, the distant friend, and now these two finds. Fits perfectly with your journey, or so it appears from where I sit. The champagne bottle is beautifully worn, and what a wonder if never cracked in the midst of all its rolling and dancing. Hmmm....another metaphor?
Nice to find the audio option, Janice. You have a good voice for it.
I thank you for your wisdom and guidance, Miss Elizabeth! Truly enjoyed creating the audio!
Messages---right? it really was an eyebrow-raiser when we found the first one and then the champagne...and not on a trash-strewn main thoroughfare, on the Bahama Banks where it's 14' deep for miles! Was she in danger? I wonder now that I know what it says.
I think fit is a lovely word for our eclectic life, I'm going with it. So pleased I fit in here, spewing my selective history... ~J
It was so nice to hear your story. Is the audio a new feature?
Yes! I'm glad you utilized it Nancy...I think it will be a great addition. I find myself utilizing those while I'm on mundane (but rewarding lol tasks...) interesting note in that jar! J
I love the romanticism of this quest, Janice Anne. And finding a message in a bottle-- a sailor's dream come true! Keep us posted!! Though we may have to wait years ): Or not.
Always nice to have a bit of intrigue. A friend of mine reached out; she floated part of her brother's ashes and has yet to hear how far he traveled... I'd guess that jar has been ashore for a while as the glass is unmarked. Smuckers, no less. Worldwide distribution has a new meaning! Thanks for your note and as always your support! J
I wrote a comment on my computer but it keeps dropping them! So on my phone for a re-do. With the oceans so vast it’s amazing any get found imho. I think it’s so neat one found you!
If you have time take a look at the long comment from Bob Wallace, sailor extraordinaire! Wow.
So, my Mac drops those, too, and then I get an email that says my message didn't go through, is that what happens? I wonder why that is. It does always seem like my best comments get ditched! ~J
I’ll look for it Janice Anne.
Yes basically. It often will say, failed to send. Only on my MAC though. Phone works ok.
What a creative opportunity! May you receive many juicy tales from all over. The STEADFAST is indeed a soulful vessel ❤️
I have gotten a few and a few sent with no reply....YET!.... oh, if you think STEADFAST is soulful now, just wait for a future edition of SPARRING with a new POView. So happy to have you aboard. I am thinking of you very often these days! ~J
Gorgeous inspi !
The risk is always worth the reward.
It certainly is Leeann! And when you get rewarded with something so intriguing doing what you love it's even better. I've never been able to resist wandering a shoreline, wherever it may be....thanks for chiming in so early this Sunday morning! ~J
My gosh! What a challenge! I'd start at the university language department to get a full translation, then some nautical charts to reverse track the currents that flow near where you found it. Maybe then a museum or art gallery to try and find detail on the paper - type, grade, perhaps even maker. Did the duck have any brands of any sort?
Alternatively find Sherlock Holmes.
Offered like history researcher that you are! :)
Excellent ideas, I had not thought of the current flow. Sherlock would come in handy. No markings on the Lil ducky. Long eyelashes! The words are only legible where it was folded all the way in four quarters. I hope the young lady was not truly in trouble. Quite a keepsake.
J
Beautifully written story. Made me reflect on our special spots of tranquility but adventurous areas throughout the Bahamas. It was a surprise to see your use of a word to describe a a specific scene...."cattywampus".
I thought only we deep southern boys knew it even existed 😉
Winston I love that word! Actually was called out by a member of Choptank Writer's group as he thought his father, from PA, had created that particular member of our vocabulary. It's just perfect here. And visual! The Bahamas has many hidden treasures and surprises. Did you click the link about all the bases in the northern Abacos? I had no idea. Always nice to see you Winston, praying for Larry. I did hear from him this week. ~J