Two Books I Just Finished & Thoroughly Enjoyed

[Lightfin]

Just finished the second of two cruising books by Herb Payson.

The first was called "Blown Away," and the sequel is called "You Can't Blow Home Again."

They recount his families' 6+year sorjourns around the Pacific between San Diego and New Zealand in the 1970's. I found them very entertaining, educational, motivating, and almost impossible to put down. The reader gets to grow along with them as they learn and explore, and as Herb improves his writing skills.

Here's an excerpt from the Epilogue of the 2nd book"

"Take, for example, the sailing high. The sailing high comes from a harmony of all the rhythms of sea, wind, sky, boat, and me. Usually it follows bad times, thus erasing the blackboard and flushing the spirit's toilet. Gone are the nightmares and fears. Who can be afraid on a beautiful day or night with a good breeze and the wake hissing and bubbling? Who can feel poor when the sails are full and the spirit is full? I can't remember ever feeling more in tune, more alive. It's a time for thanks."

[Jim H]

I've read the first and am half-way through the second. Both bog down a bit in the middle.

As much as I liked the first, I think my favorite Herb Payson book is "Advice for the Sealorn." Each chapter is set up as a response to a fictional letter, and nearly all are funny and often insightful. I think my favorite chapter was "why do we cross oceans anyway," where he gives details of how an ocean passage can be great, tiring, or a complete disaster.

A similar book that I enjoyed more than Blown Away is "Sailing the Dream" by John F. McGrady. It's descriptions of the islands of the South Pacific and their adventures there were pretty cool

[Lightfin]

Jim, thanks for the book title suggestions and synopses. Will see about getting them.

If I've got to be landlocked most of the year for now, it's always great to read about others' first hand adventures.

[CaptainK]

Hey Lightfin.

There's a interview of Herb Payson on this website.
http://www.moosemeals.com

When you get to the website. Go to the pick up menu. And find "With Winds And Seas." Just look around on that website. You'll find it. And Kai Nui, who's a member on this forum. That's his website. Enjoy!!

When we bought our first cruising boat, an Angleman Sea Spirit, someone told us we should by "Blown Away". We did. We liked it. The next year, we went to Sail Expo in Oakland. We met Herb there. He was pushing his new book "You Can't Blow Home Again" He and his wife Nancy, told us that we should stop by if we were in their area. A couple years later we were. We visited, and went to lunch. Fun people. I enjoy his writing in Sail Magazine, and he and Nancy have a great outlook on sailing. THey know where they are in their sailing career, and live to that expectation. I was hoping he was going to write another book on their adventures in "Red Shoes", but last I heard, it was not in the cards. As for the two books he did write, they were fun. I agree there were parts that were slow, but they were well written. I have met very few writer that can keep up the pace all the way through a book.