L
eaving for a four-week journey across an ocean requires diligent preparation and planning and the acquisition of the necessary resources. Easily done when leaving from a major port with all of
its infrastructure, resources and facilities. We are leaving from Angra Dos Reis, two hours southwest of Rio de Janeiro, a thriving coastal town with a large fi shing fl eet and a growing tourist industry. Across the water lies the beautiful un-spoilt Isla Grande, a lush tropical island with golden sandy beaches and a welcome diversion from preparations prior to leaving. Life on the big island is laid back, with everything being imported the people are resourceful and effi cient. Onboard whilst at sea we make our own water, but need to provision for our food, fuel and gas, the latter proving the most challenging. Locally our own gas bottles cannot be fi lled and the only ones that we can buy are too big to fi t into our stowage locker. On the island of resourcefulness and effi ciency Jermino has the solution; by connecting the bottles one above the other the laws of gravity, expansion and common sense fi ll our bottles. We have gas, we also have brand new fully recyclable wet-weather gear courtesy of Henri Lloyd. The old ones are surplus to requirements; they fi nd a home here. What we would discard gets naturally recycled, fi nding a new life on a local charter boat. Courtesy of one of our sponsors, we also have new shoes old ones are discarded, nobody wants old shoes these days especially when new ones are readily available. Where do all the old shoes go?
Skimmimg Trawling the ocean using a surface skimming Manta trawl we fi nd what we have always found – plastic particles in the ocean and recognizable plastic debris passing the boat daily, a dustbin lid, container, fi shing net. As we continue heading directly towards the accumulation zone mid-way between Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town, we can see fi rst-hand broken down synthetic waste polluting our most remote wildernesses. Two hundred miles off the coast of Brazil and into the swing of things, green crew are getting their sea legs when the mainsail rips in two. Awakened by a
Quote
Trawling the ocean using a surface skimming Manta trawl we fi nd what we have always found – plastic particles in the ocean and recognisable plastic debris passing the boat daily, a dustbin lid, container, fi shing net
Far left top: Us Eriksen, co-founder of 5 Gyres institute, with hard hat and other debris found in South Atlantic Gyre. Photo:
Stiv Wilson
Far left Bottom: Gyre sample under a mi- croscope, with pieces of plastic and zooplank- ton, can you tell which is which?
Left:
The outlined plastic pieces, plastic. The
others, plankton Can we expect fi sh to spot the difference?
cywinter 2011 67
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