In July of 2016, S/V Cool Change and her crew set a course Southeast from the island of Grenada to the muddy river waters of Suriname. The forgotten and former Dutch Colony most people think is somewhere in Africa. This would be the start of their 16 month exploration of the great Amazon Basin. In these months they would sail over 700 miles of river systems and come to know the lands of Suriname, French Guyana and Brazil.
This untamable region is still by definition the wild west. The jungle is littered with illegal gold mines ran by armed outlaw renegades searching for their fortune at the cost of the locals and more importantly their fragile ecosystem. The nature is equally wild and unforgiving. It may be full of predators and poisonous creatures but it also holds a chance to taste the magic of the mystic jungles and the cultures living within.
The crew of Cool Change was more than up to the task. They dedicated nearly a year and a half to explore and create a deep understanding with the Amazon region. The ultimate goal of their expedition would be to enter the “River Ocean” or better known as, “The Amazon River.” Doing so from the North is a huge feat in its own right due to the relentless Northwest setting Guyana Current. Culminating in a circumnavigation of Ilha De Marajó resting between the Río Amazonas to the north and Río Pará to the south. The Island of Marajó is roughly the size of Switzerland and holds a tangled web of rivers, tributaries and marshlands seemingly infinite.
The boys never saw another sailing vessel while navigating the Amazon River. The locals and authorities all warned them that they were sailing at their own risk. No one could protect them or rescue them from the ever-so-evident pirate threat. In a way it was just what they had been searching for, an untamed wilderness and where frontiersmen still lived. A place that was only fringed by their fears. If they could over come the lingering fear of the unknown, they would be awarded with a gift that is granted to few sailors But all they heard from the sailors in their wake was a plead, “Please don’t go!!”
The story of Peter Blake rang out in conversation between them and their fellow navigators as they prepared for the mighty Amazon River. But something stronger, something magnetic drew these searchers further into the darkness. The ships captain, Brandon Savory, and the ships jack-of-all-trades, Scott Gallyon, speak of their firsthand experiences and what they learned about navigation and survival on these rivers of doubt.
- When: April 16, 2021 06:00 PM Pacific Time
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- Meeting ID: 857 7197 2300, Passcode: 399443