Looking for Sailing Adventure Books

[bobnlesley]

Whilst I too have enjoyed (amongst others) the Tristan Jones books, be aware that they are not true. TJ was something of a stranger to the truth - apparently there's some animosity regarding his claimed war-time naval service from those and the decendents of those who really were there, but hey, the shall we call them exaggerations certainly spiced up the books which no doubt helped the sales figures.

[Rascus]

I just finished up reading "A voyage for madman" I believe is the name

[perchance]

The classic 'Two Years Before The Mast" and i enjoyed "The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake"

[Christian Van H]

My all time fav is definitely "Sailing Alone around the World" by Joshua Slocum, which was previously mentioned. It should be near the top of your list! I can whole heartedly recommend two more to start; "You cant blow home again", by Herb Payson, and "Northern Light", by Bjelke & Shapiro. These three are among the best there is...

[Tempest245]

Rascus, Yes, it's " A Voyage for Madmen" by Peter Nichol. I just purchased it yesterday..looking forward to reading it.

While I'm here I'll add...." Close to the Wind" by Pete Goss.

He's the guy who turned around in the Vendee Globe and sailed back into a Hurricane to rescue a fellow competitor! an incredible story.

Tempest

[amarinesurveyor]

Has anyone read "first you have to row a little boat" by Richard Bode? It is one the the best books ever! Not really an adventure book but a great read.
I starts out " When I was a young man I made a solemn vow. I swore I would teach my children to sail. It was a promise never kept.
The exigencies of life-money, work, location, and health-kept me from passing on to my children this legacy which I deem to be the essence of myself. I feel as if I have left something unsaid which I ought to have said, something undone which I learned as a boy, and I failed to pass it on to my sons and daughters, who will now fail to pass it on to theirs."
Well anyway, I'm tempted to read it again, just after reading the first paragraphs. I highly recommend this well written book!
Brian

[Christian Van H]

Thanks Amarine...ya just made me spend $3.00 on half.com! They have a TON of them for .75 cents plus shipping...:-)

[orion1]

BY THE WIND - Richard Baum. My favorite. Engineless cruise through the Caribbean tropics.

DESPERATE VOYAGE - John Caldwell.

Both true stories of real seamanship under sail alone.

[clausont]

One that we found in my grandfathers estate that was written many years ago called, Giff ans Stiff in the South Seas" I will have to look up the author and I don't know if it is available any more.
Scratch this comment if it has already been mentioned.

[nautical62]

My favorites have been:

Maiden Voyage

In the Heart of the Sea: The story of the whale ship Essex which was sunk by a whale and inspired Moby Dick

Dove

The Perfect Storm (Maybe not a voyaging book, but nautical in nature)

Endurance: Shackelton's great adventure


One of the absolutely most fascinating accounts I've ever read was an article published on the web about about the second boat on the famous Shackelton expedition. While Shackelton's adventure is largely known, what is almost always left out is the second boat. The expedition consisted not only of the Endurance dropping off Shackelton's men, but a second boat, the Aurora which made it's way to the opposite side of Antartica to pick them up after their trans-continential journey. In addition to picking up Shackelton, these men were to lay supply caches for them on that side. Not knowing that Shackelton and his men were stuck in the ice, these men fought horrible conditions trying to lay these caches and in the process many died. I named my boat "Aurora" as a tribute to these brave and largely forgotten men. I'm afraid I don't have the link handy, but will come back and post it if I can find it.

[nautical62]

A few more recommendations - some of which are non-nautical, but interesting:

"Into Thin Air" by John Krakaur. Tragedy on Everest.

"Savage Arena" : Joe Tasker (also mountaineering)

"Sailing Promise": An account of circumnavigating in a catamaran written by a woman who was a bit paranoid about sailing. It give some interesting insights about looking at real and perceived fears. by Alayne Main

"Hudson's Bay Company" by Andra-Warner - Short interesting, easy to read tales of the Hudson's Bay Company. The fur trade is a huge part of north american history and exploration that is often overlooked.

"Tracks" by Robyn Davidson: She leaves the coast to learn about camels and trek across the australian desert to the sea.

[CarlF]

"The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst" was said to be the only book to be called "A Masterpiece" by the New Yorker when it was published. Not a light read. The Washington Post said ""One of the most moving and disturbing books I have ever read. I don't think I shall ever forget it." The book is about the same race as "A Voyage for Madman" but it focuses solely on Crowhurst and his terrifying descent into madness during the race.

Also "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea" Not quite a sailing book but the exhaustively researched tale of the sinking and later treasure recovery of the sailing steamer Central America that sank off the Carolinas in 1857. She went down with enough California gold to cause a recession in the US. The book's descriptions of the crew and passenger's 3 day struggle to save the ship during a hurricane makes the Titanic story seem mild. As the ship wallowed in tremendous waves, 500 men bailed through an entire night in long bucket lines as their wives and children brought them bread and drinking water.

Carl

[perchance]

"Race for Madmen". These guys had cojones considering some of the vessels they were using at the time. I was particularly fascinated by the ascetic Mottesier. He appears to have had the same mindset that drives mountaineers and other extremophiles. I must try find some of his books to try and see inside his head.

[bmartinsen]

"Survive the Savage Sea by Dougal Robertson" my farvorite and any of Nigel Calder's since fixing boat stuff is always an adventure

[roverhi]

Blame Moistessier almost exclusively for us buying our Westsail 32 Hull and deck, finishing it, and setting off for SoPac. He really had a way of conveying the reality of the mesmerizing effect of man/boat/ocean and the idea that you just have to want to work for something to make it happen. Remember many nights on the bowsprit communing with the boat in much the way Moitessier describes. I would highly reccomend reading 'Sailing to the Reefs' first. It's the story of his early life and initial sailing adventures. It's a fascinating glimpse at self sufficient cruising in days that are sadly now lost. Tamata and the Alliance, his last book, is a bit preachy and filled with personal angst but still interesting for it's glimpses of Colonial Indochine. Met Moitessier when he was living on Ahe in the Tuamotus. He was fully into his 'save the world, one island at a time' mode. Still, a very interesting guy. Unfortunately, the Islanders weren't buying into his self-sufficient agriculture ideas which frustrated him no end.

If you want just historical sailing fiction, Dewey Lambdin's ' Alan Lewry' series are a great read. It chronicles the life and times of an illegitmate young aristocratic rake who is pressed into service in the Royal Navy during the Napoleanic wars. Many of the books take place in the Americas so a bit more interesting for us 'Murricans' than some of the other Royal Navy series. Dewey Lambdin is actually a sailor, unlike O'brien, so I found his technical sailing descriptions better. That's not to say that O'brien's isn't also a great series.

Richard Henry Dana's 'Two Years Before the Mast' is also fascinating reading. Just finished it for the second time.

Aloha
Peter O.
Pearson 35