The Accidental Explorer or The Grand Inquisitor

by John Curnow on 14 Nov 2016 A boy from a sometimes frozen glacial lake in Iowa meets a pig farmer from Southern Minnesota, does the Windward Passage, and then later on, does it the other way back, and goes right around the Americas too! That might go some way to describing what David Thoreson has been up to on the water, but does not encompass the whole journey for the photographer and scribe.

Thoreson had over 150,000 photographs and 600 pages of journal entries and writings from his travels to work with when he settled down to write, Over The Horizon: Exploring the Edges of a Changing Planet. The book takes into account his 65,000nm ocean sailing exploits and the people he met along the way. No wonder it was a year in the making.

You can get your own signed or unsigned copy here, and the book will be shipped immediately upon order. If you enter the code, bookshare, you will even receive a $5 discount during the remainder of November. It was not only his pictorial account that caught my attention, but also that he wanted to let you be a part of his personal experience with the climate issue that transformed his life, as he went into both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.

Often described as the Accidental Explorer, in talking and corresponding with him, as well as watching his video, you think he may be the Grand Inquisitor. No matter what label you put on him, you will pause for reflection on your own life as a result of his work, which began with the late Roger Swanson, on the ketch, Cloud Nine. It was on their second attempt at crossing the Northwest Passage, that Thoreson realised they were witnessing a rapidly changing Arctic and ocean environment.

This is a culmination of over two decades of travel, including the 28,000nm round America’s trip from 2009/10 aboard, Ocean Watch. It is a very personal account, where Thoreson combines storytelling, observations, and stunning images. Essays from noted scientists and fellow explorers also help to document the tipping point of human history that Thoreson first noted in the Northwest Passage.

His experiences have made Thoreson an advocate for ocean and wilderness protection efforts. He hopes to help secure a sustainable future for generations of new explorers. 'Over the Horizon' is his beautiful and compelling story. He has shared his observations at the World Science Festival, TED Talks and the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Thoreson is a member of the Cruising Club of America and an Explorers Club Fellow.



When I asked him what was his favourite journal entry he sent me this from his time in the Northwest Passage. August 13, 2009 in the Amundsen Gulf, Canadian Arctic. “I feel like Spock aboard the USS Enterprise, communicating with Captain Kirk: ‘Captain we have arrived at the ice edge.’ Tough going today. I was up the mast four times, beginning at 0530 hours, as we headed into the ice in first light. Established the lead and stayed in close within one mile along Victoria Island as we picked our way through heavy concentrations of ice all day. Unbelievable challenge for everyone aboard and great teamwork.”
If something to get the grey matter going sounds like your thing and also a wonderful image that can float your boat does it for you, then this book fits the bill.