Charting Our Destiny, U.S. Coast Survey in the Pacific 1807-2007, explores the history of the Coast Survey by Capt. Albert E. Theberge, Jr. (historian of the Coast Survey, now the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), by presenting the previously unpublished diary of naval officer Lieutenant Philip C. Johnson, Jr., attached to the Coast Survey in the mid-1800s.

Lt. Johnson's Private Notes reflect life onboard the Coast Survey vessel Active, 1855-56, and the challenges involved in surveying the coast of California, Oregon and Washington in the mid-1850s. On loan from the Navy to serve onboard the Coast Survey vessel, Lt. Johnson documents his experiences as a hydrographer surveying the Pacific Coast, giving us a remarkable glimpse, not only of his duties serving the Coast Survey, but of the personal and historical landscapes that surround him. Artist/draughtsman William B. McMurtrie and "Yankee Artist" James Madison Alden offer accurate depictions of the Pacific Coast, illustrating Johnson's experiences as they happened.

The Private Notes, which is one of only three typescripts in existence, this Spring/Summer 2006 Special edition of Mains'l Haul features a newly discovered painting of Philip C. Johnson, rendered by his brother, the famed portrait artist Eastman Johnson.

This issue promises to be a prominent addition to past issues, highlighting the Coast Survey's upcoming 200th Anniversary as the progenitor of NOAA.