All The Boats On The Ocean

Introduction: political roles for fish populations -- The fishing empires of the Pacific: the Americans, the Japanese, and the Soviets -- Islands and war -- Manifest destiny and fishing -- Tariffs -- Industrialization -- Treaties -- Imperialism -- Enclosure -- Conclusions: updating the best available science

This historical account of overfishing “sees the future of fisheries hinging on holistic approaches involving fish, fisher and environment” (Nature). Most current fishing practices are neither economically nor biologically sustainable. Every year, the world spends $80 billion buying fish that cost $105 billion to catch, even as heavy fishing places growing pressure on stocks that are already struggling with warmer, more acidic oceans. How have we developed an industry that is so wasteful? Carmel Finley explores how government subsidies propelled the expansion of fishing from a coastal, in-shore activity into a global industry. Looking across politics, economics, and biology, All the Boats on the Ocean casts a wide net to reveal how the subsidy-driven expansion of fisheries in the Pacific during the Cold War led to the growth of fisheries science and the creation of international fisheries management. In a world where this technologically advanced industry has enabled nations to colonize the oceans, fish literally have no place left to hide, and the future of the seas and their fish stocks is uncertain. “Finley is an engaging writer, weaving together historical, economic, and societal threads in a narrative that anchors global developments in the accounts of local actors.” —Science “The most comprehensive and empirically grounded account yet of how the modern transnational fishery regime emerged.” —Oregon Historical Quarterly “Finley links the fisheries story to the ‘great transformation’ of global ecology in the postwar period by way of the technology, policy, and politics of food production . . . a significant, original book.” —Arthur McEvoy, Southwestern Law School, author of The Fisherman’s Problem: Ecology and Law in the California Fisheries, 1850-1980

Once upon a time there were no ships. Men did not know the meaning of the word; they did notwant them; and, for many, many centuries the sea-gulls had the ocean all to themselves. But boats areof very ancient date. Doubtless the first boats must have been constructed by the first men who dwelton the earth. They consisted, probably-for we are now in the land of conjecture-of stumps offallen trees, or bundles of rushes, seated astride of which the immediate descendants of our firstparents ferried themselves over small lakes and across rivers.Wet feet are not agreeable under any circumstances. We can conceive that prolonged voyagesperformed in this fashion-say several hundred yards or a mile-rendered those primitive marinersso uncomfortable, that they resolved to improve their condition; and, after much earnest thought, hit upon the plan of fastening several logs together by means of twigs, and thus they formed rafts.As time progressed, and men began to display wisdom in making tools of stone and in the mouldingof metal, we can imagine that they soon bethought themselves of flattening the surface of theirrafts; and then, finding them unwieldy and difficult to manage, no doubt, they hit upon the idea ofhollowing out the logs. Adzes were probably not invented at that time, so they betook themselves tothe element of fire-which is at the present day used by savage nations for the same purpose-andburned out the insides of their logs. Thus canoes sprang into being.But such canoes were clumsy and heavy, besides being liable to split; men therefore bethoughtthemselves of constructing a light framework of wood, which they covered with bark or skin. Thenartificers in iron invented saws; logs were ripped up; planks were formed; pitch oozed ready to handfrom the trees; with grass, perchance, they caulked the seams;-and soon the first boat floated on thewater-clumsy and tub-like, no doubt, but serviceable withal-and youths of a hundred years old, and full-grown men of two or three hundred, capered and shouted on the shore with delight at thegreat invention; while venerable patriarchs, of seven or eight hundred summers, gazed in wonder, with almost prophetic solemnity, and exclaimed that they had never before seen the like of that in allthe course of their long, long liv

Once upon a time there were no ships. Men did not know the meaning of the word; they did notwant them; and, for many, many centuries the sea-gulls had the ocean all to themselves. But boats areof very ancient date. Doubtless the first boats must have been constructed by the first men who dwelton the earth. They consisted, probably-for we are now in the land of conjecture-of stumps offallen trees, or bundles of rushes, seated astride of which the immediate descendants of our firstparents ferried themselves over small lakes and across rivers.Wet feet are not agreeable under any circumstances. We can conceive that prolonged voyagesperformed in this fashion-say several hundred yards or a mile-rendered those primitive marinersso uncomfortable, that they resolved to improve their condition; and, after much earnest thought, hit upon the plan of fastening several logs together by means of twigs, and thus they formed rafts.As time progressed, and men began to display wisdom in making tools of stone and in the mouldingof metal, we can imagine that they soon bethought themselves of flattening the surface of theirrafts; and then, finding them unwieldy and difficult to manage, no doubt, they hit upon the idea ofhollowing out the logs. Adzes were probably not invented at that time, so they betook themselves tothe element of fire-which is at the present day used by savage nations for the same purpose-andburned out the insides of their logs. Thus canoes sprang into being.But such canoes were clumsy and heavy, besides being liable to split; men therefore bethoughtthemselves of constructing a light framework of wood, which they covered with bark or skin. Thenartificers in iron invented saws; logs were ripped up; planks were formed; pitch oozed ready to handfrom the trees; with grass, perchance, they caulked the seams;-and soon the first boat floated on thewater-clumsy and tub-like, no doubt, but serviceable withal-and youths of a hundred years old, and full-grown men of two or three hundred, capered and shouted on the shore with delight at thegreat invention; while venerable patriarchs, of seven or eight hundred summers, gazed in wonder, with almost prophetic solemnity, and exclaimed that they had never before seen the like of that in allthe course of their long, long liv

John Vigor turns the spotlight on twenty seaworthy sailboats that are at home on the ocean in all weather. These are old fiberglass boats, mostly of traditional design and strong construction. All are small, from 20 feet to 32 feet overall, but all have crossed oceans, and all are cheap. Choosing the right boat to take you across an ocean or around the world can be confusing and exasperating, particularly with a tight budget. Vigor sets out to remedy that in this book. He compares the designs and handling characteristics of 20 different boats whose secondhand market prices start at about $3,000. Interviews with experienced owners (featuring valuable tips about handling each boat in heavy weather) are interspersed with line drawings of hulls, sail plans, and accommodations. Vigor has unearthed the known weaknesses of each boat and explains how to deal with them. He rates their comparative seaworthiness, their speed, and the number of people they can carry in comfort. If you have ever dreamed the dream this book can help you turn it into reality.

"I know you'll want to read more after you finish Sailing a Serious Ocean. And be warned, you'll very likely want to sail with John, perhaps across an ocean." -- DALLAS MURPHY, AUTHOR OF ROUNDING THE HORN After sailing 300,000 miles and weathering dozens of storms in all the world's oceans, John Kretschmer has plenty of stories and advice to share. John's offshore training passages sell out a year in advance and his entertaining presentations are popular at boat shows and yacht clubs all over the English speaking world. John's talent for storytelling enchants his audience as it soaks up the lessons he learned during his oftenchallenging voyages. Now you can take a seat next to John--at a lesser cost--and get the knowledge you need to fulfill your own dream of blue-water adventure. In Sailing a Serious Ocean, John tells you what to expect when sailing the oceans and shows how to sail safely across them. His tales of storm encounters and other examples of extreme seamanship will help you prepare for your journey and give you confidence to handle any situation—even heavy weather. Through his personal stories, John will guide you through the whole process of choosing the right boat, outfitting with the right gear, planning your route, navigating the ocean, and understanding the nuances of life at sea. Our oceans are beautiful yet unpredictable—water that is at one moment a natural mirror for the glowing sun can turn into a foamy, raging wall of fury. John knows our oceans, and he is one of the best teachers of taming and enjoying them. Before you set off across the big blue, turn to John for his inspirational stories and hard-learned advice and discover the serious sailor in you.

Paddy Macklin, a self-taught sailor, decided to sail around the world in the smallest boat possible, single-handed, and hopefully, without stopping. He survived, sailing the Southern Oceans in winter and rounding both southernmost capes in the world, but by the skin of his teeth. His extraordinary little craft, "Tessa" was knocked down several times in the Southern Ocean and completely rolled twice. "In the space of about 40 seconds I was thrown out of my bunk onto the ceiling (deckhead) then back to my bunk again...throughout the time I spent upside down, the most noticeable thing was the complete silence". It was the damage done by these two 360 degree knockdowns that forced Paddy and Tessa to break their journey in New Zealand, pulling into Timaru where sailing friends towed them into port, and helped piece together the shattered sailor and his little craft. As Paddy noted, "It's not the huge seas that damage a strong, well-found yacht; it's the breaking tops of the seas - several tons of very fast-moving water - that present the greatest danger. Throughout his sojourn, Paddy was able to communicate twice a week with family back in England and this has been diarised and interspersed with the Captain's log thus giving a more personal insight into the character of Tessa's captain, how terrorised he was by the gigantic seas, how pleased he was to make friends with dolphins, birds, and whales, how wonderful it was to sight land, and how he managed to remain sane during an odyssey that few of us would ever dream of undertaking. It's a brave - or perhaps mad - person who would pit his strength against the might of nature. Paddy is one of the few.

Once upon a time there were no ships. Men did not know the meaning of the word; they did not want them; and, for many, many centuries the sea-gulls had the ocean all to themselves. But boats are of very ancient date. Doubtless the first boats must have been constructed by the first men who dwelt on the earth. They consisted, probably-for we are now in the land of conjecture-of stumps of fallen trees, or bundles of rushes, seated astride of which the immediate descendants of our first parents ferried themselves over small lakes and across rivers.Wet feet are not agreeable under any circumstances. We can conceive that prolonged voyages performed in this fashion-say several hundred yards or a mile-rendered those primitive mariners so uncomfortable, that they resolved to improve their condition; and, after much earnest thought, hit upon the plan of fastening several logs together by means of twigs, and thus they formed rafts.As time progressed, and men began to display wisdom in making tools of stone and in the moulding of metal, we can imagine that they soon bethought themselves of flattening the surface of their rafts; and then, finding them unwieldy and difficult to manage, no doubt, they hit upon the idea of hollowing out the logs. Adzes were probably not invented at that time, so they betook themselves to the element of fire-which is at the present day used by savage nations for the same purpose-and burned out the insides of their logs. Thus canoes sprang into being.