Follow the crowds, avoid the clouds: I chase eclipses to witness nature’s awesome glory [Video]

This First Person column is written by Bob McDonald, host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks. On April 8, he will be in Kingston, Ont., to experience his seventh total eclipse. 

My first eclipse was in 1977 on a ship in the Pacific Ocean, 1,200 nautical miles off the coast of Mexico. 

It was a special eclipse cruise involving two ships — one departing from Los Angeles, which I was on, the other departing from Florida and passing through the Panama Canal. The cruise included astronomy presentations from scientists until, on the third day out, the captain announced, “We’re here.” 

The two ships met far out at sea in the path of totality. Everyone gathered on deck, as the ship slowly rolled on deep ocean swells. We waved to people on our sister ship not far away.

The tropical sun was hot. But as the moon began to pass in …