JOSHUA SLOCUM (1844 - 1909)

Photo of Slocum taken in 1898

Born in Nova Scotia, Slocum began his career as ship's cook, then became master and eventually captain on American merchant ships. This portion of his career took him to destinations such as California, Australia, Alaska, and the jungle coast of Manila where he built a 150 ton steamer. See Slocum's voyage

Slocum with his wife on the Spray

The sloop Spray at Hyannis Port Massachusetts 1907

Following this, he became master and part owner of a full-rigged ship named Northern Light, considered the finest American sailing vessel at that time. He then purchased the small barque Aquidneck and made several voyages before she was lost in 1886 on a sand bank off the coast of Brazil. Slocum then pulled from the wreckage the remains of a 35' canoe, the Liberdade, which he had begun to build on board the Aquidneck. Completing its construction, he brought himself and three family members safely back to New York after a voyage of over 5,000 miles.

In 1894 Slocum's first book, 'Voyage of the Liberdade' was published. During the writing of this book he purchased the 35' sloop Spray, rebuilt her, and in 1895 sailed from Boston on a voyage that circumnavigated the world.

It is believed that Slocum is the first person to
have sailed single handed around the world.
His second book, 'Sailing Around the World' (1900) describes his experiences on this adventurous voyage. In 1909, at the age of 65, he set out on another lone voyage from Bristol, Rhode Island, but was never heard from again.

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