Rigorous Researcher

Adrift on a Sea of Blue LightBy Peter Muilenburg

A Rigorous Researcher or Investigator looks up background information related to the book and selects 3-5 topics from the reading (i.e. language, culture, foods, plants, etc.) and researches them in depth to further support understanding of the book.

Although there were many interesting cultural aspects and locations that Peter mentions through the book, the five that I chose seemed to be the most intriguing to me because of the personal stories that go with them. The dilemma with Ed and the sea turtle, the marvelous sunrise that Peter and Diego witnessed at the summit of Mount Pico, the "obsession" the Peter had with finding the lignum vitea wood, Breath herself, and of course the unusual little black dog were all topics that I chose to research.

Endangered Green Sea Turtles: Chapter 5

Fast Facts (__http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/green-turtle/__)

Type: ReptileDiet: HerbivoreAverage life span in the wild: Over 80 yearsSize: Up to 5 ft (1.5 m)Weight: Up to 700 lbs (317.5 kg)Group name: BaleProtection status: EndangeredDid you know? Like other sea turtles, the green turtle cannot pull its head into its shell.

Green sea turtles are reptiles whose ancestors evolved on land and took to the sea to live about 150 million years ago. They are one of the few species so ancient that they watched the dinosaurs evolve and become extinct.

Size relative to a 6-ft man

                        

Green Sea Turtle Range (In Yellow)

Endangered Green

Sea Turtles:

Chapter 5

Ilheu do Pico- Azores or Pico Island, Portugal (Chapter 16)

View from the summit of Pico as described on page 125 below.historiadeportugal.info

The island of Pico, as seen from the north-central coast, showing the __São Roque__ in the foreground and __Mount Pico__ in the background.Pico Island is an island in the Central Group of the Portuguese Azores noted for its eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The highest point in elevation is 2,351 m (7,713 ft) and is only 29 miles long and 10 miles wide. (__http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pico_Island__)

Lignum Vitae (Ch. 28)

Lignum vitae is a slow-growing tree native to the US Virgin Islands. Its name means “Wood of Life,” and it is renowned for its medicinal qualities. The wood of this tree is among the densest in the world. Lignum Vitae is regarded by most to be both the heaviest and hardest wood in the world. Its durability in submerged or ground-contact applications is also exceptional. Lignum Vitae has been used for propeller shaft bearings on ships, and its natural oils provide self-lubrication that gives the wood excellent wear resistance. Unfortunately, Lignum Vitae has been exploited to the brink of extinction, and is now an endangered species. (__http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/lignum-vitae__/)

A lignum vitae leaf decoction has reportedly been used in the USVI and Curacao to treat diabetes and asthma. The leaf juice has also been used to treat biliousness (digestive complaints). A poultice made from the leaves has sometimes been used to treat rheumatism. Leaves are boiled and ingested as a diuretic tea on Middle Caicos in the West Indies, and a mash of the leaves is also used there for treating swollen areas or small wounds on the body. Decoctions of the tree’s resin or bark, meanwhile, have been used to treat venereal diseases. The tree achieved great recognition for this use in Puerto Rico. Lignum vitae resin has also been used to alleviate skin disorders and gout and to treat cuts and bruises. Haitians have sometimes applied the resin to toothaches. A bark decoction has been taken orally for fish poisonings in the USVI and Puerto Rico.http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbalgram/issue81/article3380.html

Lignum VitaeGuaiacum officinale, Zygophyllaceae

Gaff Ketch- 42. ft. Sailboat (a.k.a Breath)

A ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft (rearward of) the main mast, but forward of the rudder post. The ketch is popular among long distance cruisers as the additional sail allows for a better balance, and a smaller more easily handled mainsail for the same overall sail area. It also allows sailing on mizzen and jib only without introducing excessive lee helm, and in an emergency can be quite well steered without use of the rudder. The ketch is a popular rig in northern European waters where sudden increases in wind strength sometimes require a rapid reefing: the mainsail can be dropped, reducing sail and leaving a balanced sail-plan with jib and mizzen set. __(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketch)__

A gaff rigged sail and its surrounding spar

Gaff rig is is a sailing rig (configuration of sails) in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar (pole) called the gaff. The gaff enables a fore and aft sail to be four sided, rather than triangular, and as much as doubles the sail area that can be carried by that mast and boom (if a boom is used in the particular rig). Additionally, for any given area of sail, the gaff rig will have a lower heeling moment than a triangular sail. (__http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaff_rig)__

Schipperke dogs (a.k.a. Santos)

Bred in Belgium, the exact translation of the name is controversial but is generally accepted as a Flemish word meaning little skipper or boatman. The breed dates back to the 16th century and the dogs were used as guard dogs and “killers of vermin” on canal boats in the region, as described by the American Kennel Club. __http://www.examiner.com/article/adopt-a-boat-dog-schipperkes-make-great-ones__

Schipperkes stand 11-13 inches and weigh about 15 pounds, making them the perfect boat dog in size. They are easy to carry on and off the boat and can be trained to relieve themselves on a certain spot on deck.The Schipperke is smart, alert and curious. They get along with children and dogs of all sizes. Grooming is kept to a minimum and they shed their undercoat twice a year. We only brush their thick coat when they are shedding and they get baths when needed.