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Perhaps
a victim of its own success, Voyager Ocean Passages and the offshore teaching program has come to a close. Beginning
with two passages each year, the enterprise rapidly expanded to include six offshore adventures yearly. The scores of
sailors taking the courses were able to experience the unique and challenging nature of the offshore environment, and to judge
for themselves whether they were best served to pursue their own voyages. The months spent at sea however, away from wife Kim and son Eddie, proved to be a major disruption in the
Mapes family. In the end, the captain chose to swallow the anchor for now and give up his time on the water to
stay closer to home. He has, after a nine year leave, regained his license to once again practice Veterinary medicine, and has resume a career in that field. Rest assured that Ed's passion for the water has not faded. He continues to share
his knowledge and experience - and efforts to help sailors through his books, articles, and teaching. The published
books Ready to Sail and Further Offshore are available
through the publisher (Sheridan House), Amazon.com, and from the Nautical Library on this web site. A third book is in the works as well: Safer Offshore A Voyager's Guide to Crisis Management and
Emergency Repairs at Sea is currently in the hands of Paradise Cay publishers, and will be released
in the spring of 2010. Safer Offshore is a compendium of information for the offshore sailor.
Its chapters include techniques for handling emergencies (fire, flooding, illness/injury, and more); abandon ship, helicopter
evacuation, surviving in the life raft, managing heavy weather, and jury rigging systems when they fail. This book has
already been endorsed by Hank Schmidt and Tania Aebi, and we are very
eager for its release. Ed continues as
a regular contributor of sailing articles to Sailing magazine. His courses are available at
NautiEd.com, and he has become an instructor for the Seven Seas Cruising Association
by way of their web-cast format. Please visit the Seminars page to view the seminars
available for local presentation or at the Sevens Seas broadcasts.
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