And On This Day We Sailed On

Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

INTRO:

I have never been sailing, neither do I have the urge to go sailing. My wife on the other hand, that’s on her bucket list. Might happen after I kick the bucket, but who knows. Guess she never watched Gilligan’s Island. We went to Florida years ago on vacation, took the kids, always wanted to go deep sea fishing, chartered us a boat, 30 minutes into the trip until we returned 5 hours later, and all that night and into the next day, I was sick.

Seasickness is in the same family as the stomach virus. Same feelings, and same results.

Went swimming with the dolphins once. Put my little goggles and snorkeling outfit thing a ma-jig on, jumped off the boat with about 25 other idiots into the ocean. Some where between me jumping and hitting the water, my mind started working and I realized that there were sharks bigger than me in that water and once I hit the water, I became a top water jig. I’m out. Got a cramp, ate before I got there have to let my food settle at least 30 minutes, Rachel; what are you doing, why are you getting out, we paid money to swim with the dolphins, someone forgot to tell me that the dolphins that we were supposed to swim with was wild dolphins, and I am sure no one told the dolphins that they were wild and to be nice to humans, especially the ones that looked plump and juicy and like a spinner bait.

Last time I saw that many people bobbing up and down in the ocean, was Titanic. We see how that turned out.

Christopher Columbus was a navigator who explored the Americas under the flag of Spain. Some people think of him as the "discoverer" of America, but this is not strictly true. His voyages across the Atlantic paved the way for European colonization and exploitation of the Americas.

For just a few minutes I want to read some of the “Diary of Christopher Columbus’ First Voyage to America”, written by Bartolome de las Casas.

It is an interesting account of the journey of the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria from Spain to what he thought to be the Indies.

The first entry in his journal was made on the day of his departure,

Friday, August 3, 1492:

We departed Friday the third day of August of the year 1492 from the bar of Saltes at the eighth hour. We went south with a strong sea breeze 60 miles, which is 15 leagues, until sunset; afterward to the southwest and south by west, which was the route for the Canaries. and, on this day we sailed on!

Saturday, August 4: They went southwest by south. and, on this day we sailed on!

Sunday, August 5: They went on their way and between day and night made more than 40 leagues. and, on this day we sailed on!

Monday, August 6: The rudder of the Pinta broke and the men began to quarrel and argue. Finally, they made between day and night 29 leagues! And, on this day we sailed on!

Tuesday, August 7: The rudder again jumped its fastenings, but this day we traveled 25 leagues. And, on this day we sailed on!

Wednesday, August 8: We would have liked to go to Gran Canarias to leave the badly damaged Pinta, because she leaked badly and had a damaged rudder. We were not able to reach it that day! And, on this day we sailed on!

Thursday, August 9: We reached Gran Canarias and fixed the ship! And on this day we sailed on!

In spite of adverse circumstances and repeated problems, they sailed on!

On September 7, the diary states “All of Friday and on Saturday until the third hour of night we were in very light winds.” Not much happening! And, on this day we sailed on!

Saturday, September 8: At the third hour of night on Saturday it commenced to blow from the northeast, and he took his course and his route to the west. He took much water over the bow, which hindered his way, and he made that day and night only nine leagues. And, on this day we sailed on!