I hope this week's artwork will offer you a few moments of relief during this difficult time, with our wishes to be well and stay safe...
Fulfilling a Dream...
Part III
We continue to travel the globe using Artist Brechin Morgan's artwork as our guide to some of the most beloved and exotic harbors in the world. In 1998, at the age of 50, Brechin Morgan left New England aboard his 27' Pacific Seacraft Cutter "Otter" to sail alone around the world. During his voyage, he sailed 32,000 miles and visited 32 countries. He returned in 2003, becoming only the 232nd person to solo circumnavigate the globe, receiving  The Joshua Slocum Society Golden Circle Award  in recognition.

We hope you'll enjoy sharing this journey in sketches and paintings, brought to you by Artist Brechin Morgan...
Using Brec's paintings and sketchbooks and his own words, we'll follow his route from East to West - This week from Thursday Island (15) to the Sri Lanka (21) as shown on his charted map above.
(15.) Children of Discovery, Thursday Island - Darwin

"On the passage from Thursday Island to Darwin I passed west across the top of the Gulf of Carpentaria, following the Arafura Sea into the Dieman Gulf where under Melville Island was a hot windless expanse of sea-glass green water. Saltwater crocodiles slithered out of the low mangrove shores that passed to port. Motoring in the blinding midday, Discovery, a 60' Sundeer with a family I had first met in the Marquesas motored out of the haze and overtook me. Two of their three children came to the bow to chat as they passed. We had short gam in the middle of that blister bright sea and the girl's backlit figure reminded me of Botticelli's Venus. "
(17.) Sangsit, Bali
(17.) Ubud, Bali
(17.) Ubud Rooftops, Bali
(18.) Yellow Skiff, Christmas Island
"I slipped the dock-lines at the Bali Marina Christmas morning headed for Christmas Island. I arrived in Flying Fish Cove after a five day passage and having cleared in, went provisioning. I bought a fistful of postcards to send home that year, belated “Christmas cards” postmarked from Christmas Island. On long morning walks I passed a yellow outrigger skiff pulled up above the beach with a puthuukawa trees flowering their sprays of red on the rock outcrop behind it."
(18.) Sunda Strait - Krakatoa
"I had sailed late in the season from Christmas Island headed northwest for Sri Lanka. A few days out the wind shifted to the northwest and increased to a steady 30 knots. Beating is not Otter's best point of sail and with the wind on the nose, I took long wet 12 hour tacks across the rhumb line. Each noon after roughly 40 miles per tack I would only gain 30 toward Sri Lanka. There were days with over 40 knots and I would heave-to. Two weeks of bashing into steep seas and watching the rigging shudder on each fall off a wave, I decided to turn downwind for the Sunda Strait. The new plan was to get to Sri Lanka via the Sunda Strait, up the coast of Kalimantan (Borneo), Singapore and the Malacca Strait to the top of Malaysia, where, above the equator, I would have favorable northeast winds. At least for a short while. A wrinkle was that since I had not planned to be in that area, I had no charts. Only a small scale general one of the Indian Ocean. At the wide entrance to the Strait which separates Java from Sumatra, I hailed a passing freighter and asked about hazards. He indicated there were none except a few rocks near shore. I followed fishing boats running along the coast of Java to starboard. The voyage often held odd coincidences. I was rereading Moby Dick that day. As I ghosted in the strait the Pequod entered the same strait chasing a sperm whale. When I read the Pequod was also being chased by pirates, I had to turn from my reading perch atop a coil of storm anchor rode and look back over the transom. Just in case. Ishmael would have seen the smoking Krakatoa, father of the Son of Krakatoa I saw."
(19.) Otter in Marine Anya, Sunda Strait - Jakarta
"Following the fishing boats along the coast I found the small Marina Anyar. The marina had never seen a foreign flagged yacht before. They didn’t know what to do with me. They notified the police, who did nothing and charged me $10 a night. That was it. Across the strait was (the new) Krakatoa island. The old Island blew up in 1883 and its dust in the atmosphere created extremely cold winters and incredibly colorful sunsets. The Hudson River School guys painted a lot of those spectacular red sunsets. Jakarta itself was an incredibly busy stop getting new charts and preparing to head up through the Karimata Strait to Singapore. "
(20.) Kendi Island, Malacca Strait , Malaysia
"Working North in the Malacca Strait following the Malaysian coast, I dropped anchor at small Kendi Island after a long day's sail. Kendi Island lies a few miles into the Strait below the larger Penang Island. I wrote in my journal, " Looks like Treasure Island. No other boats. Water is flat in the anchorage with only a small ruffle of breeze. The sky at sunset behind island like an F. Church painting. Moon is three quarter full bathing everything in a misty milky soft silver. So peaceful here I forget my loneliness.- 5am. Moon is down - Stars are brilliant. Southern cross at my feet. Milky Way low to east. Soft dreams of home."
(20.) Long Tail Fishing Boat Near Langasuka
Langkawi Island, Malaysia
" A long tail fishing boat rocks gently just off the beach in the hazy silver heat with a blue canvas cover over its Kobota diesel engine and its long prop-shaft extended directly from the pivoting motor shipped forward. The beach was near the ferry to Rebak Island (seen in the background) which was Otter's home for nine months. Coming up the coast these local fishing boats would often turn to run straight at me veering across my bow at the last minute. Always frightening. I found later that the fisherman believed my bow clipped a tail of bad luck trailing them. None of those mischievous spirits thought enough of my strange vessel to follow me. At least that's what I told myself. "
(21.) Dondra Head, Southernmost Point of Sri Lanka
" A moon lit landfall after a long passage is always magical. I left Malaysia at the end of December at the beginning of the northeast monsoon season. The downwind passage went west across the Andaman Sea, under the Nicobar Islands, and across the Bay of Bengal to the teardrop under India. The moon edged the clouds and shed broken light on the water. I spent the long night rounding Dondra Head, the southern point, staying between the heavily trafficked freighter lanes just off shore and the coast. It was a narrow strip filled with small wooden fishing boats too small to be seen on radar, too dark to be seen on a black sea. White lanterns winked on as I approached and dodged and then winked off as I passed. It reminded me of dodging lobster pots in Maine ."
(21.) Lion Rock
Sun Residence of Ancient Kings and their Courts, Sri Lanka
" Needing shore time I left Otter in Galle harbor and rented a small van to go exploring and sketching. In the center of the island is Sigiriya where a massive singular column of rock lifts to almost 700 feet above the surrounding plain. A set of steep stairs and ladders accessed the summit where about 475 CE, King Kashyapa built his palace and established a new capital. From the top among remaining terraces and cisterns was a spectacular sweep of landscape receding into the far distance. A view fit for a king. "
(21.) Sketchbook Map of Galle Harbor, Sri Lanka
Next Week....On to the Maldives and Barbados!
We Will Be Opening Our Doors to You Again Soon!

As of May 20, 2020, I’m happy to be opening my art gallery to the public again, but to protect your family’s health, and mine...

Our New Gallery Visiting Hours will be  
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