# Captain Joshua Slocum — Sailing Alone Around the World character guide > Captain Joshua Slocum in Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Captain Slocum, Captain **First appearance:** 0001-sailing-alone-around-the-world ## Snapshot A weathered square-rig captain who rebuilt a derelict sloop and pointed her alone at the horizon, betting his life on seamanship and stubborn cheer. ## Who they are Slocum arrives at the voyage with barks and ships behind him and no yachting pedigree at all, which makes him both an outsider among polished sailors and oddly free of their assumptions. He is diffident before experts, reverent before Stevenson's books, and quietly defiant when told the Spray cannot be sailed with a lashed helm. His hunger is not for profit — Mrs. Stevenson notices he never asks what the voyage will pay — but for the pure adventure, and that appetite sets the tone for everything that follows. ## In the story ### [Sailing Alone Around the World](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/sailing-alone-around-the-world) The protagonist and narrator, whose solo voyage around the world is the central focus of the chapter. ### [Chapter I: The Rebuilding of the Spray](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/i) The narrator and protagonist, who decides to rebuild the Spray and undertake a world voyage. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/ii) Decides on a voyage around the world and departs Boston. ### [Goodbye to the American Coast](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/iii) Departs from Yarmouth, experiences loneliness and uses singing to cope. He interacts with the man in the moon and meets the captain of La Vaguisa. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/iv) Suffers from cramps and delirium after eating plums and cheese, but recovers to enjoy a hearty meal and continue his voyage. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/v) Navigates the Spray through pirate threats and storms, reflecting on solitude and the voyage. ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/vi) Works to refloat the Spray, trades with locals, sails to Montevideo and Buenos Aires, and reflects on the changes in the city. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/vii) Sails the Spray through the River Plate and the Strait of Magellan, facing storms and making resolutions for the future. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/viii) Faces the storm, navigates through dangerous waters, and reflects on his experiences. ### [Repairing the Spray's Sails](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/ix) Repairs sails, defends against savages, salvages tallow. ### [Chapter X: Juan Fernandez and the Fuegian Arrow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/x) Slocum reflects on the voyage, harpoons a shark, and skillfully handles the Spray through dangerous conditions. ### [Chapter XI: The Voyage Through the Trade-Winds and the Marquesas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xi) Navigates alone, using intuition and celestial observations, and reflects on solitude and self-reliance. ### [Seventy-two Days Without a Port](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xii) The captain narrates his solitary journey, his diet, and his interactions with people in Samoa. He is thrilled to meet Mrs. Stevenson and receives her husband's sailing directories. ### [Chapter XIII: Australia and Tasmania](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xiii) Captain Slocum explores the shores of Tasmania, prospects for gold, and exhibits a shark to pay port charges. He decides to sail via the Great Barrier Reef due to unfavorable winds and ice. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xiv) Receives a five-pound note from an anonymous lady, delivers his first lecture in Tasmania, and navigates the Spray through the Coral Sea. ### [Chapter XV: The Arafura Sea and the Voyage to Keeling Cocos](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xv) Navigates the Spray across the Arafura Sea, reflects on past voyages, participates in the jubilee at Thursday Island, and helps raise funds for miners at Cooktown. ### [Chapter XVI: Rodriguez and the Keeling Cocos](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xvi) Navigates to Rodriguez and Keeling Cocos, interacts with locals, and nearly loses his life in a boating accident. ### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xvii) Arrives at Mauritius, gives a talk at the opera-house, and sails to Durban, South Africa. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xviii) The captain and narrator, who reflects on the voyage, reads Stevenson, and navigates the Spray. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xix) Delivers lectures, stays at Plantation House, visits Longwood, and continues voyage to Ascension Island. ### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xx) Reflects on the wind and prayer, experiences a terrifying false alarm of a reef, and visits several Caribbean islands. ### [XXI: Clearing for Home](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/xxi) Reflects on the voyage's end, repairs the rigging, navigates the mined harbor, and feels rejuvenated, claiming to be ten years younger. ### [Appendix](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/appendix) The author provides technical insights and personal reflections on sailing the Spray. ### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/endnotes) Mentioned as the owner of the Spray, which arrived at Keeling Cocos Islands. ### [List of Illustrations](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/chapters/list-of-illustrations) The captain of the Spray, whose voyage is documented in the charts and plans. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/characters/joshua_slocum - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sailing_alone_around_the_world_se/characters