Journals 2003/2004

Sarah Quan
Narragansett High School, Narragansett, RI

Fog, fog, and more fog. In fact I cannot remember when the last sunny day was. We are steaming full throttle towards the Faroe Islands, quite possibly the birthplace of fog. We are still a ways out, but the water seems different. Out in the open ocean there is no floating debris (unless you count the dead whale we saw the other day). The nautical charts say we are getting closer to land. The occasional floating bird feather and knotted wrack confirm that. I feel like the ancient mariners must have felt like knowing land was near because of the clues floating in the sea. The Faroe Islands are approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland. The climate is maritime and mild due to the Gulf Steam. The Faroes are an archipelago of 18 islands. It is a self-governed region under the kingdom of Denmark. There is talk of independence but with the likely possibility of off-shore oil, Denmark is hesitant to relinquish its power. Historically, the Faroese are linked closely to the sea. The fishing industry is their most important source of income. The decline in fisheries has affected the Faroes like fishing communities all over the world, forcing them to look for alternative sources of income.