Talk:Joshua Slocum

Pronunciation

Does anyone know how to pronounce "Slocum"? Is it "SLOCK-um" or "SLOAK-um"?

Everyone I have ever heard say it says the latter, SLOAK-um or SLOKE-um. That includes people whose last name's are Slocum. These are people from New England anyway, perhaps there are regional differences. Glippy00 05:20, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Newport

I assume Newport was Newport, Rhode Island. It isn't one of the Newports in Great Britain, is it? -- Zoe

There is also a Newport, Oregon, a Newport, Washington and Newport Beach, California which makes more sense if he was sailing around the world. --mav

Yankee

Slocum claims in (Sailing Alone) that he considers himself a Yankee. Is this worth mentioning? I like calling him Canadian, but if he didn't call himself Canadian I don't know if it's entirely proper. Andrew 10:18, Apr 12, 2004 (UTC)

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia was not a province of Canada in 1844.--jglees And as Nova Scotian is not a nationality and as he was born a british subject, it would be most correct to describe him as Brithish-born. However, that description may be misleading to some and totally unnecessary (there is no reason to include that fact about British Imperial nationality law), and thus, in conformity with the Chambers Biographical Dictionary, we should simply refer to him as American, and appellation, in the geographical sense if not always in the national sense, that he had borne since birth.--jglees

plus it says later in the article that he was born in Nova Scotia, a fact not being overlooked or ignored, I agree it is too confusing to try and say where he was born and what his nationality was (unrelated bits of info) in one sentence. -- Stbalbach 13:02, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

From where?

"In November 1909 he set sail for the Orinoco River in Spray and disappeared." - Set sail from where? -- 201.51.252.63 21:22, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

From the Vineyard. 24.136.6.69 20:44, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Pronounce Slocum

In Britain it is pronounced as Slowcum. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 81.98.46.224 (talk) 23:48, 25 January 2007 (UTC).

Sloop or Yawl

The spray was rigged as a Yawl during the circumnavigation. Was it sloop-rigged when he went missing, as the first paragraph seems to say?

46000 miles

I doubt the 74000km as an equivalent for 46000m as the latter probably are nautical miles, with an equivalent of about 1.8km. Could anybody please clarify this. Thank you 194.246.46.15 14:05, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

Bad part of his life

I remember reading somewhere that in middle-age he was prosecuted for indecently assulting a young woman. Not mentioned.

I added a section on his later life that incorporates that "bad part". By the way, Slocum was in his early sixties when this occurred. 24.136.6.69 03:38, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

While I'm at it, the definitive biography of Slocum is "Joshua Slocum" by Teller (1971). Teller devoted several decades to studying Slocum's life and compiled extensive primary source materials. For any period in Slocum's life, Teller's work is the best compilation. 24.136.6.69 20:42, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Vessels

The article makes no mention of the Northern Light or the Aquidneck, possibly Slocum's most important commands before his solo circumnavigation. Also, there are important personal details missing, e.g. the death of Virginia. 24.136.6.69 04:35, 11 October 2007 (UTC)