The crew, the ship

So who would decide to head for the world's only shoreless sea?

                                                           

Well here's the youngest, Looli, (and a spiny friend).

And the sharp-eyed Zephyr.

                                                     

Proper shipmates they are.

Then there's Adele, dauntless seafaring Frenchwoman who when not riding the waves is penning dispatches for Le Figaro newspaper.

And me, a reporter for AFP news wire in a lot of places far from the sea (Russia, the Caucasus), but lately in New York City, whose grand harbor and pale green Lady Liberty we'll leave astern when we set sail for the Sargasso.

Lastly, let me introduce "Moon River." At sea, as in life, everything depends on your ship, and your ship depends on you. 

"Moon River" was designed by Bob Perry in Washington state and built by the venerable Valiant yard in Texas in 1988. We've rebuilt her from stem to stern over the last three years in preparation for this voyage. 

There used to be a lot of cool gadgets, like TV, air conditioning, a cabin heater, a machine that turned seawater into fresh water, and lots of other things. They're all gone. Things have got simpler.

We have enough water in two tanks for about a month of rations and two solar panels to keep electricity going, although once at sea we hardly use any. We have a dinghy with oars instead of a motor to get ashore; three decent anchors; an alarmingly large pump in case of flooding; a box of distress flares; numerous knives, tools, sail repair kits and fishing gear; and a deep bilge where we keep the booze -- in perfect dark, cool, cellar conditions.

All in all, "Moon River's" a simple, strong craft to take us into the wilderness. Learn to live simply and the really complicated things might open up.