In chapter 12, the author talks about spending a lot of time in various ports. Discuss the stops and how they relate to Slocum's long stretches of time spent on the sea.

There were many times in which Slocum was required to spend a great deal of time in various ports. Eventually, Slocum took advantage of the opportunities and began to go to celebrations, give lectures, and commune with the locals. The time at port helped Slocum to balance out some of the loneliness felt at sea. It was common for the sailor to spend many weeks alone on the water. One such stretch lasted for 72 days.