Was researching to find a book tonight that I hadnt read for a while - "The Brendan Voyage" by Tim Severin. My father-in-law is a keen sunday markets peruser of cheap books and got me this a while back. I ended up giving it to a friends brother who was working on Christmas Island and was a keen cruising sailor. Great read of some adventurous sailing.
Inspired me to start a thread for books that people enjoyed and wouldn't mind recommending. All types fiction and non.
To start off some classics.
The Seawolf, Jack London
The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemmingway
The Brendan Voyage, Tim Severin
The old man and the sea while its been around a while i only just picked it up recently and couldn't put it down.
Any of the books by Mike Carlton or Rob Mundle on Australian maritime history are a great read.
Rob Mundle
Flinders
Bligh
Great South Land
The First Fleet
Mike Carlton
Flagship
Cruiser
First Victory
"Endurance' about Ernest Shackleton's jaunt in the southern regions. It really bring home the old saying "Never give up" Should be made compulsory reading for school kids. Nothing I have ever done would come close to what those guys put up with.
"Rescue in the Pacific" is not a bad read either.
And don't forget Joshua Slocum's wonderful story of his circumnavigation.
Cheers, Graeme
'The Last Grain Race' by famed travel writer Eric Newby. Recounts his voyage to Australia in 1938/39 and back to England on what is thought to be the last journey of a 4 masted, square-rigged grain clippers.WW2 put paid to further passages. Eric signs on as an 18 yo on his first sailing trip and is quickly acquainted with the near cruelty and sheer hard work that a young seaman of the time had to contend with. I was particularly amazed at descriptions of sailors needing to climb out on the icy spars in storm force winds with numb fingers in the freezing conditions of the Southern Ocean to reduce sail as the 320ft ship is tossed about by 60ft waves.
Also recommend his book 'A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush' which is a account of a journey made into the remote areas of Northern Pakistan in the late 40's (an area seen by very few westerners at the time), alas this fascinating area is now all but off limits to the adventurous traveller due to rabid extremists and other assorted kidnappers and ransom-artists.as is most of the old Silk Road.
Enjoy
Greg
Agree with many of the above and to add a few more that come to mind - South Sea Vagabonds is a good read about a fella in New Zealand who loses his job during the depression, builds a boat from driftwood in his backyard, and sails off around the pacific. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a classic but not sure if it counts as a sea voyage. Maybe Robinson Crusoe for a bit of perspective. And a great non fiction read is Mimi and TouTou Go Forth by Giles Foden, about a failed destroyer captain in WW1 who gets the crazy assignment of lugging two boats overland across Africa and up the Congo to fight the Germans on Lake Tanganyika - really is stranger than fiction. And again not sure if meets the sea voyage requirement but when I was growing up I loved the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome, great for younger readers but still enjoy them now.
'The Happy Isles of Oceania' by Paul Theroux chronicles his journey, often by fold-up kayak, outrigger canoe and various yachts and aeroplanes around the islands of the Pacific. My lasting impression however was the lamentable casting aside of traditional subsistence practices in many of the small island nations such as canoe-based fishing in favour of canned Spam or similar fatty fare, care of misplaced foreign aid. Enough details of lost traditions, though, for it to be considered a history book. +1 for Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness', a great work of English Fiction by a Polish mariner for whom English was a second language! So Britain, don't be too quick to send those innumerable Polish plumbers back home post-Brexit.
Select to expand quoteGKandCC said..
'The Happy Isles of Oceania' by Paul Theroux chronicles his journey, often by fold-up kayak, outrigger canoe and various yachts and aeroplanes around the islands of the Pacific. My lasting impression however was the lamentable casting aside of traditional subsistence practices in many of the small island nations such as canoe-based fishing in favour of canned Spam or similar fatty fare, care of misplaced foreign aid. Enough details of lost traditions, though, for it to be considered a history book. +1 for Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness', a great work of English Fiction by a Polish mariner for whom English was a second language! So Britain, don't be too quick to send those innumerable Polish plumbers back home post-Brexit.
Conrad's description of the voyage of the crippled ship in the first part of Lord Jim is a true classic.
A few that I have enjoyed:-
"Ice Bird" David Lewis - circum antarctic single hand
"The Totorore Voyage" Gerry Clark - Plenty of ornithology, circum Antarctic
"Over The Top" Adrian Flanagan - Vertically around the world
But my real interest (fetish according to dearly beloved) is the last generation of wind ships, the windjammers.
Picture it:- several thousand tons of ship carrying several thousand tons of freight sometimes doing up near 20 knots.
And one that may have cracked 20 kts. Herzogin Cecilie, her last chapter is:-
"The Life and Death of The Duchess" Pamela Eriksson wife of last captain.
Numerous by Alan Villiers, Basil Lubbock, H.C. De Mierre, Knox-Johnston --------
One go to place for my books is now no longer local, moved to Tasmania, on line search for Boglio Maritime Books.
Their range new and used is huge. No affiliation, just a happy buyer.
plev
Fairly topical right now is the vendee race ! A great read is a book about the first race around the world , in 1967 I think it was ....... I loaned the book to someone and didn't get it back , so Carnt be sure on the title but .......... Something like " the golden globe race around the world " ...... Someone with a better memory or a copy on the shelf may be able to confirm the title or not ?
Robin Knox-Johnston's book about Suhaili, "A world of my own" 1969 was a good read. Other books at the time "Dove" etc were also worth a read. Bernard Moitessier "The Long Way" is not bad but old Bernard got a bit troppo later and some of his writings go a bit weird. Rob Mundle's Fatal Storm is not a bad read and has some interesting photos. Debbie Whitmont's book "An Extreme Event" on the same subject, 1998 Syd-Hobart is probably better than Rob's.
Nick Ward's "Left for Dead" is particularly interesting if your curious about how 30 foot yachts handle extreme weather. It's about the 1979 Fastnet when most of the crew left in a liferaft thinking Nick was dead.
Hi everyone,
My sister gave me a book for Christmas called "To The Ice and Beyond: Sailing Solo Across 32 Oceans and Seaways" by Graeme Kendall. I am up to Chapter 4 and so far it has me very interested. It's about a Kiwi who sailed a boat called a Tourer (12.5 metre), designed by Greg Elliott. He departed Auckland, then sailed over the top of Australia, then down underneath Africa, all the way up the Atlantic, then he sailed through the Inside Passage (east to west in 12 days), then he sailed down between Russia and Alaska , continuing all the way down the Pacific Ocean and through the pacific islands, arriving back in Auckland. According to the back of the book, it took him 193 days all up.
Also on my shelf, are the following good reads:
Jesse Martin's Lionheart"
Jessica Watson's "True Spirit"
"Two in a TopHat" by Jan Mitchell.
PS: I have just passed "Learn to Sail 1" at my local club, sailing in a Laser and sometimes in an Envy. So, I am reading quite a few Laser sailing books. I am looking forward to be able to do "Learn to Sail 2" this year.
Snapperfish.
"Five Black Ships" by Napoleon Baccino Ponce de Leon, an account of Magellan's ill fated voyage and "A Voyage for Madmen", Peter Nichols, an account of the first round the world race and the hopelessly optimistic men who participated.
Select to expand quotePhoenixStar said..
"Five Black Ships" by Napoleon Baccino Ponce de Leon, an account of Magellan's ill fated voyage and "A Voyage for Madmen", Peter Nichols, an account of the first round the world race and the hopelessly optimistic men who participated.
It's always puzzled me why Magellan is considered to be the first person to circumnavigate the world.he arrived back DEAD AND PICKLED IN A BARREL !, having died in the Phillipines( from memory), better to credit all the survivors. How many other mis-attributions are there out there?.who, for instance, remembers the name of the only survivor of the Burke and Wills expedition?
Select to expand quoteGKandCC said..PhoenixStar said..
"Five Black Ships" by Napoleon Baccino Ponce de Leon, an account of Magellan's ill fated voyage and "A Voyage for Madmen", Peter Nichols, an account of the first round the world race and the hopelessly optimistic men who participated.
It's always puzzled me why Magellan is considered to be the first person to circumnavigate the world.he arrived back DEAD AND PICKLED IN A BARREL !, having died in the Phillipines( from memory), better to credit all the survivors. How many other mis-attributions are there out there?.who, for instance, remembers the name of the only survivor of the Burke and Wills expedition?
and like Magellan most would not know where Francis drake is buried or where he died, along same vein.
But was Magellan the first person to sail around the world ???? .... maybe first Euro' and have a history/theory book that says otherwise. Like was Crist?bal Col?n the first to the Americas, I think not
Many books that could be added, but am not at home or would happily add to this list, at sea (work) counting days to home
stupid computer programme did not recognise the "acento" above letters, stupid yankee spelling
Cristobel Colon ....
Hard to get but very relevant to people here, "Storm and Silence - a Circumnavigation of the Tasman Sea" by Joe Cannon.
Voyage from Hobart to Stewart Island to North Island to Coffs and back to Hobart.
Great practical tips as well.
Two of my favorites are
"Twenty feet of adventure in rebel" By Eve Barber which is about a couple who had home buit 20' bilge keeler who when dislodged from their farm in Rhodesia sailed to mooloolaba from saldanha in South Africa via the Panama canal starting in 1978.The author settled in Apollo Bay Vic and i was lucky to pick up a signed copy locally ...great read
"My sweet little epsilon" By Barry Craft who solo sailed his 23' North Wind trailer sailer from the Gold coast to fremantle in 2001...inspirational
I expect both are fairly difficult to come by.
Select to expand quotesimmrr said..
Was researching to find a book tonight that I hadnt read for a while - "The Brendan Voyage" by Tim Severin. My father-in-law is a keen sunday markets peruser of cheap books and got me this a while back. I ended up giving it to a friends brother who was working on Christmas Island and was a keen cruising sailor. Great read of some adventurous sailing.
Inspired me to start a thread for books that people enjoyed and wouldn't mind recommending. All types fiction and non.
To start off some classics.
The Seawolf, Jack London
The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemmingway
The Brendan Voyage, Tim Severin
The old man and the sea while its been around a while i only just picked it up recently and couldn't put it down.
Have a look at "Motion of the Ocean. Particularly if you want your lady to come sailing/cruising with you. Great read.
Mike Peyton has passed away. I have enjoyed his cartoons in sailing magazines forever! His books of cartoons are worthwhile checking out.
afloat.ie/resources/news-update/item/34812-mike-peyton-1921-2017
The names of his yachts and the names of the yachts in his cartoons are always clever.
Moby Dick is fantastic and once you get accustomed to the language it feels quite contemporary. +1 for Swallows and Amazons (read all 12 or so books to my son 3 times over). Life of Pi is a great read and really makes you feel the ocean, the colour and exposure. I loved "Typee" also Herman Melville like Moby but not so much sea voyage.
Just reading the Old Man and the Sea by Anthony Smith. An 84 year old adventurer finds 3 other lunatics to build a raft and sail across the Atlantic. Light and fun. You're never too old for an adventure!
Cheers
Bristol
A great mate just sent me two books by Cap'n Fatty Goodlander, Buy, Outfit and Sail and Chasing the Horizon.
Very readable in our kind of colloquial terms and very relevant for the small budget sailor. He often has articles in Cruising World magazine.
