It’s a common phrase we’ve known for hundreds of years, ‘Sailing, Sailing the Seven Seas’. The wonderful seven seas. Back in the times of the Romans and Greeks, the seven seas consisted of the Persian Gulf, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Arabian Sea. All of these were located in their ‘known world’. Many stories told of the great voyages heroes and villains made sailing these bodies of water. In modern times, the location of the seven seas has changed. Now we consider the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico to define that term.
Since time began people have dreamt of sailing on the water, whether or not boats had been invented at the time or not. There are some very real attractions to the big open blue that pull so many people into fascination with it — some even in love with it. Young and old alike have found their love of the open seas and vast oceans in their own ways. Some can travel across the world by large boats, while others are happy enough with their local water channels.
For the more adventurous, sailing around the world may be a lifetime goal. This is often done in races and is a huge thrill, no matter which types of vessels are being used. While in most cases, not everyone who joins in these competitions finishes the race, the real joy lies in the time they have spent on the open water.
Testing a person’s physical ability as well as dealing with the metal aspect of being alone on a boat for so long, this type of race is not for the faint of heart. Most world circumnavigation races last close to a year, as they are traversing over 40,000 miles of water and dealing with everything that Mother Nature sends their way. The racers face obstacles like hurricanes and typhoons, rouge waves, torrential rains, savage winds and sometimes no wind at all.
This type of race isn’t for everybody, and some people prefer a more relaxed way to traverse the water. For these people there are luxury cruise lines that will take them from one side of the world from the other. These last anywhere from 80 to 157 nights, but there are some being offered up soon that will last up to 335 nights — that is almost a whole year! These ones will be taking the guests to 242 ports in a total of 59 different countries. These obviously are not cheap, and the prices for these are set to start at over $230,000.
Humans have always had a fascination with the seas and that is something that is not about to stop anytime soon. These days it is possible just to enjoy the local waterways, literally sail across the world, or simply spend some time on the open water in relaxation. There are no limits as to how much you can enjoy your time on the water.
People have been sailing ships long before other methods of transportation were even thought of yet. It requires a solid body, along with a strong mind and a stone resolve.


July 23rd, 2010
Lewis Laughery