Daily Archives: February 25, 2021

Out on the high seas, more than 200 miles from shore, seafood companies can operate with almost no oversight. These are ungoverned, international waters where its easier for companies to get away with overfishing and abuses like modern-day slavery.

Scientists using new hacks for old technology are slowly changing that.

Two decades ago, large vessels began carrying a little box that connects to whats called the maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS). It sends out a radio signal with information about the ship, like an identifying number, and its size, course, and speed. Thats supposed to help ships avoid running into each other. It also helps authorities see where vessels are when theyre close to shore.

After the 9/11 attacks, AIS started getting more attention from the US government. It saw the tech as a way to keep an eye on potential threats to national security at sea. The US Coast Guard contracted the telecommunications company Orbcomm to launch satellites that could pick up on AIS signals from space. Meanwhile, the Norwegian government and the European Space Agency were developing similar technology. When the first AIS-enabled satellites were launched in 2008, that was a game-changer.

Now, satellites can pick up on a vessels AIS signals no matter where the ship is sailing. In 2014, environmental groups and Google partnered up to create a near real-time map that traces the movement of about 60,000 commercial fishing boats with AIS. The effort is called Global Fishing Watch.

The Verge spoke with Jennifer Jacquet and Gabrielle Carmine, two scientists on a mission to find out whos doing what out on the open ocean. Check out the video above to see how they used AIS and some old-school sleuthing to spot corporate actors on the high seas.

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Tracking down mystery boats on the high seas - The Verge

The importance of aircraft carriers in military history cannot be overstated.

Aircraft carriers helped the United States win key naval battles in World War II, especially in the Pacific Theater. In the decades after World War II, aircraft carriers gave the United States the ability to project its military power across the globe. But advances in naval warfare could unseat the role of the aircraft carrier.

In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is seen underway on its own power for the first time on April 8, 2017 in Newport News, Virginia. The first-of-class ship - the first new U.S. aircraft carrier design in 40 years will spend several days conducting builder's sea trials, a comprehensive test of many of the ship's key systems and technologies.

U.S. Navy | Getty Images News | Getty Images

"If you want to operate aircraft carriers, you need a whole lot of high-end technology to be able to defend it," said David Larter, a naval warfare reporter for Defense News. "It's been the advancement in anti-ship cruise missiles that can be launched from land. It's been advancements in cruise missiles launched from bombers or fighters that just pose an enormous threat."

Aircraft carriers are expensive, and losing one to a drastically cheaper anti-ship missile would be an unmitigated disaster. The latest carrier in the Navy, part of what's called the Ford class, costs $12.8 billion per ship, and that's before the costs of aircraft flying off the deck, fixing new technology, and operating the carrier in the high seas for months at a time.

The U.S. has more active aircraft carriers than every other country in the world combined. Expensive, massive and lethal, the aircraft carrier has been the cornerstone of American security for close to a century. But with advances in missile design, will it remain on top?Watch the video above to find out.

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Expensive, massive and lethal: The future of the aircraft carrier - CNBC

Side or Stomach Position

Adults already spend the majority of time sleeping on their side, and research has found that people spend more time sleeping on their side as they age. Still, there isnt evidence to suggest that a certain body position leads to better sleep, and the sleep doctors I spoke to said you cant really control your movement while youre asleep anyway.

The average adult only spends about 7 percent of their sleep time on their stomach, but I already fall asleep on my stomach as a rule. I cant drift off unless Im in a very specific position with my arms pinned underneath me, my face turned to the right side, and my right leg in a figure four.

The adult equivalent of shushing a baby is white noise or a fan (which can be used on babies as well). A meta-review of 38 studies reviewing the efficacy of noise as a sleep aid published this year showed that the evidence for this is weak. There was a lack of consistency in the research many of the studies used a different kind of background noise and some studies found that if the noise was too loud, it actually interrupted sleep, and could be bad for your hearing.

That said, Clinically, if someone tells me they sleep better with the fan on, thats perfectly fine, but its not something I would recommend to everyone, said Jennifer Mundt, an assistant professor of neurology specializing in sleep at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. I live adjacent to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, so I have been using a white noise app on my iPad and have conditioned myself to associate white noise with getting sleepy. That can be comforting, said Dr. Mundt.

Rocking an infant helps put them to sleep, and the SNOO, a bassinet that uses motion and sound to calm a baby an invention of the aforementioned Dr. Harvey Karp is a hot ticket registry item. Theres a passage in a famous essay by David Foster Wallace, written about his trip on a luxury cruise ship, where he claims that heavy seas are great for sleep, because you feel rocked to sleep, the windows spume a gentle shushing, engines throb a mothers pulse.

Unfortunately, none of the experts I spoke to knew of any research that tested the efficacy of rocking a grown-up on land or on the high seas, though, There is probably a market for an adult SNOO, said Dr. Mundt.

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How to Beat Covid Insomnia - The New York Times

British sailor, Miranda Merron has completed her Vende Globe race. Ed Gorman for the IMOCA class spoke to Merron after he race to get some insight into the highs and lows of the solo race

Some Vende Globe and IMOCA sailors are relentlessly focused on winning, on the position schedules and on the performance of their boat, some not so.British navigator Miranda Merron has strong racing instincts, but budgetary shortcomings meant she could not sail this edition of the solo round-the-world race near the front of the fleet.

Instead Merron produced a measured and solid performance in the lower reaches, finishing 22nd on Campagne de France, an Owen-Clarke design originally launched in 2006 and since raced under the colours of Temenos, Mirabaud and Great American IV.

Miranda Merron is among the most thoughtful of solo sailors a racer, a navigator and a traveller who revels in the opportunity to sail in parts of the ocean most of us wouldnt dare to take on and will never experience firsthand.

I am incredibly lucky to sail through waters, especially in the south, where there is incredible light, and wildlife and it is very remote. I have huge respect for nature and you are not there by right you will be lucky to get through, it is just humility and respect. On land I think we take everything for granted and we abuse our seas and fish, but at sea you are very vulnerable, she said.

Its a pity that Merron has already decided she will not write a book about her Vende Globe because she clearly has a lot to say (she says instead there will be a small film). Here, for example, is her memorable description of the high point of her 101-day voyage, the moment she passed Cape Horn, with the southern tip of South America lit up in sunlight. The fascinating aspect of this, is what she says about sense of smell.

Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

It was just magnificent, she told the IMOCA Class. I rounded quite early in the morning. A big line of squalls went through on my last gybe and then it cleared a bit and I could see Cape Horn through the rain. Then it was blue sky and I hadnt seen such flat seas and I passed close to the islands just northeast of Cape Horn.

And I could smell damp earth and it was just divine, she added. It was the first land I had seen in 69 days and there are no smells at sea, beyond whales and fishing boats diesel and the smell of ships. But beyond that there are no smells. Obviously myself and my boat smell of roses all the time, and so, when you have that incredible smell of damp earth, it is just bewitching and you breathe in great lump-fulls of it.

Outside France, would-be solo sailors marvel at the way French companies offer backing to single-handers especially ones on low budgets who are not going to win races. This sort of sponsorship support even at modest levels is hard to find in Britain, where solo sailing has a much lower profile than in France.

Miranda Merrons relationship with Campagne de France is a classic example of a modest programme that highlights a company that French people come across every day in their supermarkets and on the kitchen table. The link between sailor and sponsor has placed Merron who divides her time between Normandy and Hamble at the heart of French rural life.

Thats because Campagne de France, which produces milk, butter, cheese, fromage frais and yoghurts, employs 5,000 people in rural areas and supports more than 800 dairy farmers. And that is why Merron found herself dancing with a man dressed as a black and white dairy cow on the dockside in Les Sables DOlonne at the finish. (Typically the self-effacing Miranda Merron was concerned about the man in the cow-suit: I did know I was going to dance with a cow, she said laughing, and the poor guy in the suit had a very good sense of humour.)

The 51-year-old Englishwoman who was educated at Cambridge and gave up a career in advertising 30 years ago to take her chances on the high seas, enjoys this aspect of her responsibilities as a Vende Globe skipper and says her strongest connection is with Normandy, an area of France, she points out, with strong connections with Britain.

They all find it extremely inspiring, she says of the Normandy farmers, many of them working husband-and-wife teams. But I find their extreme hard work, day-in, day-out incredibly inspiring. I just consider myself very luck to be the one that got to do the Vende Globe and get back safely.

Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

In the coming weeks and months Miranda Merron will be giving talks to farmers, schools and other sponsor-related groups as she fulfills her side of the sponsorship bargain.

Merron is always keen to pay tribute to her sailing and life partner Halvard Mabire, without whose efforts and support she says she would never have got to the startline in a boat that stood up to the rigours of the voyage extremely well under Merrons careful management. We wanted to get married last year, she revealed, but Covid put paid to that and some of our family would like to be there but we are all spread apart. The aim is to try and tie the knot this year instead.

Merron was delighted to have got round a course that featured far-from ideal weather conditions, with a time that bisected the boats previous two reference times 90 days for Swiss skipper Dominique Wavre in 2012-13 and 107 days for the American sailor Rich Wilson in 2016-17. She said she struggled to settle down going south in the Atlantic but then found her rhythm in the Southern Ocean.

She highlighted an issue that few IMOCA skippers talk about the strange sensation of being out on the ocean on your own, but knowing that thousands of armchair sailors around the world are watching your every move and often thinking they could do better.

I wasnt very good on the way down the Atlantic until I stopped worrying about my performance and what armchairs sailors were thinking of my course, Merron explained. I stopped worrying about that and I thought you know, I dont care any longer, I am going to race how I want and then I started racing quite well.

Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

If you decide to do something on board, she continued, no one on land knows that you have an eight-metre cross sea and coming into the finish, for example, I just couldnt gybe I couldnt go north, even though that might have got me in eight hours earlier, because it was far too dangerous and nobody on land knows that.

Another unique stress for Miranda Merron was sailing the course without full insurance. Her boat was covered for third party incidents, but if it had suffered serious damage or been lost she would have had no recourse. For Merron and Mabire this was a calculated risk because the premium was too expensive, given the overall budget they had. Merron found this hard to cope with at sea. The nagging thought was always there in the back of my mind, she said. It was a gamble and hard work and I wouldnt do it that way again.

Like all the finishers in the Vende Globe race, Merron who is already thinking about going back to Class 40 racing is finding it difficult to settle back to the ways of life on land. I dont know what I am going to do now, she said. I need a few more days to realise that I have sailed round the world on my own. At the moment I am interested in eating and being clean and enjoying hot showers. Two hours after the finish, the pressure is off, the adrenaline stops and everything starts hurting.

We asked her what advice she would give to young sailors dreaming of the Vende Globe. Anything is possible, she said, but it is very hard and you have to be prepared to eat a lot of pasta.

This feature was written by Ed Gorman originally for IMOCA.org

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Vende Globe: Miranda Merron on the highs and lows of her race - Yachting World

Rick Riordan may have closed the book on Percy Jackson for now, but that doesnt mean hes done writing! In fact, he has a new novel ready to launch later this year.

Fans of the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles series had to say goodbye to Percy Jackson in 2020 when author Rick Riordan wrote the final book in the series, The Trials of Apollo: The Tower of Nero. It was a bittersweet ending because we got to see Apollo become the person (and god) we always knew he could be, while also knowing it would be a little while until we jumped back into this universe.

In an interview with Hypable, Riordan talked about his interest in writing standalone novels about individual demigods from the Percy Jackson world. The fan favorite choice to kick off that project is Nico di Angelo, but there are no official announcements as of yet.

However, Riordan has been teasing us with an upcoming project thats not set in the Percy Jackson universe. In fact, its not even a mythology-based book!

In an announcement from Barnes & Noble, we learned its called Daughter of the Deep.

This novel is a stand-alone homage to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, and its got us excited to see Riordan tackling something pretty different than what hes written over the last 15 years or so.

The official Daughter of the Deep synopsis is below:

Ana Dakkar is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world. Anas parents died while on a scientific expedition two years ago, and the only family shes got left is her older brother, Dev, also a student at HP. (And theyve heard all the Harry Potter jokes already, so dont go there.) Anas freshman year culminates with the classs weekend trial at sea, the details of which have been kept secret. She only hopes she has what itll take to succeed. All her worries are blown out of the water when, on the bus ride to the ship, Ana and her schoolmates witness a terrible tragedy that will change the trajectory of their lives. But wait, theres more. The professor accompanying them informs Ana that their rival school, Land Institute, and Harding-Pencroft have been fighting a cold war for a hundred and fifty years. Now that cold war has been turned up to a full broil, and the freshmen are in danger of becoming fish food. In a race against deadly enemies, Ana will make amazing friends and astounding discoveries about her heritage as she puts her leadership skills to the test for the first time.

Theres no Daughter of the Deep cover yet, but the temporary cover offers some interesting elements to pick apart:

Given the context, this looks to be a submarine underwater. An octopus tentacle curls around the publishing date (coming up for air) in the bottom right-hand corner. Yeah, it definitely screams 20,000 Leagues.

The Daughter of the Deep release date is scheduled for October 5, 2021.

And in case youre wondering, yes, thats Rick Riordan at the top of this page in full scuba gear. If youre curious about where this picture was taken, you can read Riordans blog post from January 15, 2017.

Along with all of this wonderful information, Rick has also shared a quick introduction for Daughter of the Deep where he talks about how Jules Verne and 20,000 Leagues inspired him. Read it below:

My journey under the sea started in landlocked Bologna, Italy in 2008. I was there for a childrens book fair, right before The Battle of Labyrinth and The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones were scheduled for release. I was having dinner in the basement of a restaurant with about fourteen top brass from Disney Publishing when the president of the division turned to me and said, Rick, is there any existing Disney intellectual property youd love to write about? I didnt hesitate in saying, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It took me another twelve years before I was ready to write it, but my version of that story is now in your hands.

Who is Captain Nemo? (No, not the cartoon fish)If youre not familiar with the original Captain Nemo, hes a character created by the French author Jules Verne in the nineteenth century. Verne wrote about him in two novels, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870) and The Mysterious Island (1875), in which Nemo commands the worlds most advanced submarine, the Nautilus.

Captain Nemo was smart, well-educated, courteous, and massively wealthy. He was also angry, bitter, and dangerous. Imagine a combination of Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark, and Lex Luthor. Formerly known as Prince Dakkar, Nemo had fought the British colonial government in India. In retaliation, the British killed his wife and children. This was Dakkars supervillain/superhero origin story. He renamed himself Nemo, which is Latin for no one. (Greek myth fans: This was an Easter egg about/shout-out to Odysseus, who told the Cyclops Polyphemus that his name was Nobody.) Nemo dedicated the rest of his life to terrorizing the colonial European powers on the high seas, sinking and plundering their ships and making them fear the unstoppable sea monster that was the Nautilus.

Who wouldnt want to have that kind of power? As a kid, every time I jumped in a lake or even a swimming pool, I liked to pretend I was Captain Nemo. I could sink enemy ships with impunity, go all over the world undetected, explore depths no one had ever visited, and uncover fabulous ruins and priceless treasures. I could submerge into my own secret realm and never return to the surface world (which was kind of horrible anyway). When I eventually wrote about Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, you can bet that my old daydreams about Captain Nemo and the Nautilus were a big reason I chose to make Percy a demigod of the sea.

Now Ill be honest, I found Vernes novels slow going when I was a kid. But I did enjoy my uncles old Classics Illustrated editions, and I loved watching the Disney film version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seaeven the cheesy bits like Kirk Douglas dancing and singing, and the giant rubber squid attacking the ship. Only when I was older did I realize how rich and complex the original stories were. Nemo was even more interesting than I had imagined. And I began to see little openings in the narrative where Verne had left room for a possible sequel . . .

Why does Captain Nemo still matter?Verne was one of the first writers of science fiction. Looking back from the twenty-first century, it can be difficult for us to appreciate just how revolutionary his ideas were, but Verne imagined technology that would not exist for hundreds of years to come. A self-powered submarine that could circle the globe continuously and never have to dock for supplies? Impossible! In 1870, submarines were still new-fangled inventionsdangerous tin cans that were more likely to blow up and kill everyone on board than to complete a trip around the world. Verne also wrote Around the World in Eighty Days, at a time when making the trip that quickly was unthinkable, and Journey to the Center of the Earth, a feat that is still far beyond human technology, though someday, who knows?

The best science fiction can shape the way humans see their own future. Jules Verne did that better than anyone. Way back in the 1800s, he suggested what could be possible, and humans rose to the challenge. When people talk about how fast a plane or a ship can circle the world, they still use Around the World in Eighty Days as a benchmark. At one time, eighty days was an incredibly short trip for circumnavigating the globe. Now, we can do it in less than eighty hours by plane, and less than forty days by sea.

Vernes Journey to the Center of the Earth inspired generations of spelunkers to explore the earths cave systems and spurred geo-engineers to figure out how the layers of the earth function.

Captain Nemo, on the other hand, raised awareness of the importance the oceans would have for the future of the planet. We know most of the Earth is covered with water. Eighty percent of the oceans are still unexplored. Figuring out how to tap the power of the sea, and to live with the power of the sea as our climate changes, may be key to human survival. Verne envisioned all of that in his books.

Nemo and his crew are able to live self-sufficiently without ever touching dry land. The sea provides all their needs. In 20,000 Leagues, Nemo tells Aronnax that the Nautilus is entirely electric, and draws all its power from the ocean. In Mysterious Island, Cyrus Harding speculates that when coal runs out, humans will learn to draw energy from the abundant hydrogen of the ocean. That is still a goal people are trying to figure out today, and one of the reasons I decided that Nemo must have unlocked the secret of cold fusion.

In 20,000 Leagues, Nemos crew uses electrical Leyden guns that are more effective and elegant than standard arms. They have almost limitless wealth thanks to the many shipwrecks theyve plundered. Theyve discovered the secrets of subaquatic agriculture, so food is never an issue. Most importantly, they have freedom. They are independent of any nations laws and can come and go as they please. They answer to no one except Nemo. Whether that is good or bad . . . I guess that depends on what you think of Nemo!

The importance of the sea, the importance of imagining new technological advancesthese are great reasons to still read Jules Verne. But theres one more critical thing to consider. Verne made Captain Nemo an Indian prince whose people suffered under European colonialism. His character explores themes that are just as critical now as they were in Victorian times. How do you find a voice and power when society denies you those privileges? How do you fight injustice? Who gets to write the history books and decide who were the good guys and the bad guys? Nemo is an outlaw, a rebel, a genius, a scientist, an explorer, a pirate, a gentleman, an archangel of vengeance. Hes a complicated guy, which makes him a lot of fun to read about. I was fascinated by the idea of fast-forwarding his legacy into the twenty-first century and looking at what his descendants would be dealing with all these years later.

What would you do if you had the power of the Nautilus at your command? I hope Daughter of the Deep will inspire you to think about your own adventures, the way Jules Verne inspired me. Make ready to dive. Were going deep!

If thats not enough to get you to read (or re-read) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, then I dont know what is. It sounds like Daughter of the Deep is both an homage to the original story and a modern interpretation of the lessons Jules Verne was trying to convey in his groundbreaking novel.

Without a doubt, I cant wait to pick up Daughter of the Deep when it hits store shelves in October.

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Rick Riordan announces post-'Percy Jackson' book 'Daughter of the Deep' - Hypable

By the time the Disney Cruise Line fleet sets sail again, it will have been over a year since Guests were able to hit the high seas with Mickey and Minnie. Over the course of the last year, Disney has provided those who were booked on canceled sailings with cruise credits worth up to 125% of their original voyage fare.

Related:Disney Cruise Line Confirms Level 4 Travel Warning From CDC

The cruise credit offer has been extended several times and has now been updated again. In an email sent to Guests who currently have Disney Cruise Line vacations booked, Disney said that those whose sailings were canceled due to the pandemic now have until September 20, 2022, to set sail using their cruise credit.

Below is the full email from Disney Cruise Line:

All of us at Disney Cruise Line hope you and your family are staying well. We are reaching out with important information about the cruise credit you were previously provided.

When your sailing was cancelled due to the pandemic, you were offered the choice of either a future cruise credit* equal to 125% of your original voyage fare or a full refund. We are now extending the use of your future cruise credit from sailings commencing prior to May 31, 2022 to sailings that depart by September 30, 2022.

Your credit has been automatically updated. If you have not done so already, your travel agent may place a reservation on hold by applying it as a payment option when booking a new reservation. Once your modified reservation is paid in full, any remaining future cruise credit will be applied to your shipboard account as a non-refundable onboard credit.

If you have any questions, please contact your travel agent. Sailings are currently available through spring 2022 with additional eligible sailings to be released at a later date.

We appreciate the planning that goes into a cruise vacation and hope you enjoy this additional time to travel. We look forward to welcoming you aboard as soon as we can and making magic for you and your loved ones.

Related:New Cruising Ban Will Bar Disney Cruise Line From Alaska Until 2022

The primary implication of Disneys most recent cruise credit extension is that passengers are now likely to be able to use their credits to book staterooms on the brand new Disney Wish!

Note that the information regarding the Future Cruise Credit does state, Select Disney Wish block-out dates apply. However, because it says that only select dates for the Disney Wishwill be blocked out, and not necessarily that all DisneyWishdates will be unavailable, we believe there is still hope for passengers who wish to use their cruise credit toward a sailing on theWish.Stay tuned for more details.

Related:VIDEO: Disney Cruise Line Adapts to Pandemic

Given Disneys verbiage, that only select dates on the Wish will be blocked out, it is likely that the new Disney ships maiden voyage and, potentially, holidays like Labor Day weekend, will be unavailable for those Guests who wish to use cruise credits.

However, we will update our website when Disney releases further information regarding the Disney Wishs 2022 itineraries. As always, contact your Disney travel agent or Disney Cruise Line directly with specific questions regarding your vacation.

Disney previously confirmed that its first Triton Class ship which set to be the cruise operators most luxurious vessel to date will take its maiden voyage in Summer 2022, presumably before the September cruise credit deadline.

Related:Disney Cruise Line Still Building All 3 New Ships

In addition to the Wish, Disney Cruise Line is adding two more Triton Class ships to its fleet all three of these cruise liners will join the existing Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Magic, and Disney Wonder.

Specific itineraries for the trio of sister ships have not been released at this time. It is, however, likely that at least one of these vessels will sail to Disneys private island, Castaway Cay, in the Bahamas from Port Canaveral.

If you are interested in learning more about when Disney Wish reservations will be available, contact the experts at Academy Travel for assistance. Their travel team can help you plan your familys magical Disney Cruise Line vacation to any destination in the world!

This article has been updated since it was originally published.

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Disney Makes It Easier to Sail On Brand-New Cruise Ship - Inside the Magic

Although One Piece can be quite a fun anime series, the series also shows some of the harsh realities of being a pirate and what they go through.

Every kid has wanted to be a pirate at onepoint in their childhood. Series likeOne Piecehaveromanticized the life of a pirate as a jaunty adventure on the high seas filled with thrills and excitement.

RELATED:10 Ways One Piece Has Changed Since 1997

As fun as Luffy and his crew make it look, being a pirate is not all fun and games. Life on the high seas is fraught with peril and it's easy to forget how troubling it is to be a pirate. The Straw Hats make it look easy but it's important to remember these ten harsh realities about being a pirate.

Scurvy is a word that gets lobbed around as if they were cannonballs being shot at enemy shipsbut people tend to underestimate how serious it is.One Pieceacknowledged this when the Straw Hats first met Yosaku and Johnny early on in their adventures who suffered this affliction. The obvious solution is to get plenty of fruit but that can be a risky endeavor. The last thing a pirate needs is to eat a Devil Fruit by accident and lose their ability to swim. Although it's reaching the point where pirates don't have a choice.

When the show first started, criminals like the Black Cat Pirates didn't need Devil Fruit to instill fear and be a successful pirate crew. As Luffy built up his crew and made his way to the Grand Line, more pirates with Devil Fruit powers popped up that could easily level cities if they wished.

RELATED:One Piece: 10 Most Powerful Elemental Devil Fruits, Ranked

As if that weren't bad enough,some marines have eaten Devil Fruit that could one-shot a pirate crew. If anyone wishes to last more than a month on the Grand Line, they'll need to grab some Devil Fruit. Even then that's just the start.

In today's day and age, people's attention spans are shorter than the fuse on a cannon. When pirates do have downtime, they don't have the luxury of going to a brothel or watching TV. They're out at sea stuck on their one ship with the same people for weeks. Sure, there's work to do and alcohol helps pass the time but unless thereare books or plenty of sea shanties to be sung, it's going to get boring pretty fast. Even when pirates do make it to shore, they can't afford to relax.

If there's one thing pirates love more than treasure it's the infamy they garner from piracy. With so many astonishing pirates with godlike powers about, it's difficult to stand out among the rest. It's hard to stand out when they are clown pirates, cyborg pirates, and of course, straw hat pirates causing all sorts of chaos and completing legendary feats.

RELATED:One Piece: 10 Characters With The Highest Bounties Prior To The Time Skip

Even among pirates, coming up with an original gimmick is a challenge that many must accept if they want enough notoriety to warrant a bounty. When they do get it, it tends to backfire in ways they never see coming.

Once someonedecides to become a pirate, there is no turning back. From the moment a pirate commits their first crime, they are a wanted fugitive whether they are the captain of a ship or one of their subordinates.Not only will the local authorities be a constant threat, but so will bounty hunters looking to reap a reward. Unless a crew finds a sanctuary for pirates, they risk being reported to the authorities whenever they reach the port for supplies. Hard to enjoy the life of a pirate when there's always the lingering threat of being caught.

The Grand Line is home to a variety of oddities from Fish Men to Giants but at least there is a minimal chance that they can be persuaded. The real threats are the colossal Sea Kings that can rip a ship asunder with little to no effort. Unless someone has the patience and charm of Luffy, there's no way to talk these creatures down. Any pirate that stumbles across one will be in for the fight of their lives. One would think they're the greatest threat to pirates but that isn't the case.

It's bad enough competing against other pirates but at least they are disorganized and can be dealt with one crew at a time. The Marines are far more complex and organized when it comes to hunting down pirates. The Marines have more than their fair share of corrupt, bad apples that will give out their twisted brand of justice.

RELATED:One Piece: 10 Strongest Marines In The New World, Ranked

It doesn't matter if their prisoners are guilty or not, they will still subject them to cruel and unusual punishments. Making one question if the World Government is too vast to constantly monitor or if the elders running it are looking the other way.

Just as there are corrupt marines, noble pirates also exist like the Straw Hat Pirates. Just because a pirate crew is ransacking places and causing destruction doesn't mean they are doing so with ill-will. It's a shame that their heroism won't be shared with the rest of the world. When Luffy toppled Crocodile's criminal empire and freed Arabasta from his control, the public was told the Marines stopped him.

Most likely that wasn't the only time the World Government have covered up the truth and any pirates looking to do a good deed aren't likely going to get credit.Still, it's not the worst thing they've done.

Naturally, becoming a pirate means saying goodbye to home sweet home and everyone that isn't joining the crew. Promises can be made easily but keeping them is a completely different matter. Just look at the Straw Hat Pirates; how long has it been since Usopp said farewell to Kaya or Sanjay to the Baratie staff? When a pirate sets sail, they won't be seeing their loved ones for years if not decades.Assuming that they ever make it back.

The Straw Hat Pirates stand out not just for their insane power set and incredible accomplishments but because they are one of the few good pirates. Luffy may make being a pirate sound like loads of fun but a majority of the pirates in the series have all committed horrific atrocities.

Ranging from massacres to slavery, they're one of the reasons people tolerate the Marines and rely on them for protection. Pirates are criminals who plunder, pillage, kill, and destroy with little to no regard for the law. If Luffy ever does become King of the Pirates, he'll have his work cut out giving pirates a good name again.

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Jackson Brueheim is a writer, editor, riffer, and animation lover that lives out in California. He's written articles for the defunct site Nerdcrave, worked on numerous short films, served as a PA on two feature films, developed a Mystery Science Theater 3000-inspired web series called What a Riff Off, and currently writes list articles for CBR. He graduated from St. Mary's College of California in Moraga, CA, where he receved his BA in English and currently attends a vocational film program for adults on the Autism spectrum called Futures Explored in Livermore, CA. When he's not making up lists, he listens to film and comedy podcasts, listens to Let's Plays while playing video games, enjoying modern cartoons, anime, and films, writing the occasional fan fic or spec script, and trying to get better at drawing.

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Today: Occasional showers, mainly before noon. High near 78. Light and variable wind becoming east southeast 5 to 8 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Showers likely, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. East southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Monday: Scattered showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. East southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Today: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Widespread haze. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming west southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: Isolated showers before midnight. Widespread haze. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 61. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday: Scattered showers after noon. Widespread haze. Increasing clouds, with a high near 79. West wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Today: Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Widespread haze. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. North northeast wind 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Widespread haze. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Breezy, with an east wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Monday: Scattered showers. Widespread haze. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. East wind 11 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Today: Showers likely, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Windy, with an east wind 21 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight: Showers likely, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Breezy, with an east wind around 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Monday: Scattered showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 71. Breezy, with an east wind 15 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Today: Isolated showers after noon. Widespread haze. Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Windy, with an east wind 22 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Widespread haze. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Windy, with an east northeast wind around 25 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph.

Monday: Isolated showers after noon. Widespread haze. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Windy, with an east northeast wind around 26 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Today: Occasional showers, mainly before noon. High near 75. East wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Tonight: Showers likely, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Northeast wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Monday: Scattered showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Northeast wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Today: Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Widespread haze. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. East wind 6 to 8 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. Widespread haze. Mostly clear, with a low around 61. West northwest wind 6 to 8 mph becoming east after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Monday: Isolated showers after 1pm. Widespread haze. Sunny, with a high near 81. East wind around 6 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Breezy trade winds will continue for the next couple of days, then become locally strong Wednesday and Thursday. Low clouds and showers will favor windward areas, but coverage and intensity will diminish later today as the atmosphere stabilizes. A brief increase in windward showers is possible on Tuesday, but heavy rainfall is not expected.

In summary, trade winds remain in the forecast through next weekend. Breezy trade winds will be veered to a direction slightly S of E through Friday, becoming stronger around mid-week before returning to a more typical ENE direction next weekend while remaining breezy. Low clouds and showers will favor windward areas while most leeward areas will receive little rainfall. The island atmosphere will be somewhat unstable in the short term, but a stabilizing trend over the next day or two means that shower coverage should diminish. However, a slight increase in moisture on Tuesday may bring a brief period of increased showers. A deep-layer trough W of the islands may bring some increase in showers around mid-week. High clouds will clear today, but may return Wednesday and Thursday.Locally breezy trade winds (supported by a 1039 mb high to the distant NE) are delivering low clouds and showers to windward areas, while a trough aloft near Kauai is producing scattered to broken high clouds over the islands from Oahu to the Big Island. Windward shower coverage increased overnight, likely due to a combination of cloud top cooling and the passage of a trough aloft. As the trough moves steadily E today, high clouds will clear and the island atmosphere will be increasing stable. However, the trough axis is expected to be over the Big Island this afternoon, and then E of all islands by tonight, so there remains a slight chance that a thunderstorm will again develop over the Big Island slopes today.From Monday through Wednesday mid-level temperatures will warm, leading to increasingly stable conditions. The surface high to the distant NE will change little while a surface front gradually approaches from the NW, thus we expect the locally breezy trade winds to be veered to the ESE. An area of shallow moisture embedded within the trade flow arriving Tuesday may bring a brief period of increased windward showers.On Wednesday, guidance indicates the dissipating and stalling front to the W will help seed a low-level, N-S oriented trough along 165W, supported by a trough aloft. Meanwhile, the high to the NE will strengthen to near 1047 mb. This is expected to lead to strong ESE winds, but it remains uncertain how much of a moisture and instability increase the trough will bring over the islands, with guidance indicating that it will remain just W of the islands. Closest point of approach of the convergent boundary would be to Kauai around Wednesday before it retreats to the W. The trough will dissipate by next weekend as the high to the NE remains strong, with breezy to locally strong ENE trade winds the result.The departure of the trough aloft means high clouds will clear the chain today, but they may increase Wednesday/Thursday in association with the new trough aloft NW of the islands.

Moderate to breezy trades will continue to push areas of clouds and showers over the islands through the forecast period. Brief MVFR conditions are to be expected, mainly along the windward slopes, with a shower or two being pushed over to leeward areas at times. Otherwise, prevailing VFR is expected through the weekend. In addition, lingering instability will allow for a slight chance of thunderstorms along the leeward slopes of the Big Island this afternoon.AIRMET Sierra is in effect for tempo mountain obscuration due to an area of enhanced showers moving in on the trade wind flow. This activity should diminish by late morning, with improving conditions.AIRMET Tango remains in effect for low-level mechanical turbulence over and downwind of terrain for Big Island through Molokai due to the breezy trades.AIRMET Tango also remains in effect for mid/upper-level turbulence over the entire area between FL250 and FL450.

Strong surface high pressure located off the mainland west coast has created a tight surface pressure gradient across the eastern Pacific and is directed toward the Hawaiian Islands. This will produce and maintain fresh to strong easterly trades through the week. Healthy trades will further strengthen and increase in areal coverage from Wednesday into next weekend. Strong easterly winds will produce heightened easterly swell and wind waves that will impact the islands the next several days. Rough seas will likely reach Small Craft Advisory (SCA) thresholds for those waters exposed to this combination of easterly swell and wind driven wave action.An SCA remains in effect for the windward waters, bays and channels surrounding Maui County and the Big Island through Monday afternoon. As large wind driven seas reach SCA thresholds early this week, the advisory will likely need to be extended and expanded westward to include all of the Hawaiian coastal waters. Advisory conditions are forecast to continue into next weekend to account for strong trades and resultant high seas.In response to strengthened trades over and upstream of the islands, east-facing shoreline surf will be on the rise the next couple of days. Recent satellite ASCAT wind observations verify a large region of strong trades upstream of the state that will generate a long fetch region. High Surf Advisory (HSA) level surf along eastern exposures is expected to develop Monday into Tuesday. These larger wind driven seas will impact eastern-facing shores through next week.A couple of small, overlapping longer period west northwest swells will travel around the islands in the coming days. The first of these swells is arriving today and be leveling out from tonight through Tuesday afternoon. The second set of similar low west to northwest swells will be moving through during mid to late week. Surf along north and west-facing shores will remain far below HSA levels through Friday. Energy from far Southern Hemispheric gales may clip the islands and provide a subtle bump to south-facing shoreline surf today although much of this energy will pass east of the chain.

Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST Monday for Maui County Windward Waters, Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island Windward Waters, Big Island Leeward Waters, Big Island Southeast Waters.

Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov

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Hawaii County Weather Forecast for February 21, 2021 - Big Island Now