Best adventure sailing book

castaway

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'The Boat Who Would'nt Float.'

By Farley Mowat....

I was given it by a girl friend in January 1976 to read on the train from Montreal to New York...

Very amusing and a bit different, all about trying to sail a terrible old schooner built from 'green' timber away from St Johns, Newfoundland

Nick.
 

webcraft

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Re: Tristan Jones

Read Jones' biography 'Wayward Sailor - in search of the real Tristan Jones' by Anthony Dalton if you want to sift the facts from TJ's writing - and yes, they are thin on the ground in places . . .

I read 'Incredible Voyage' twenty or more years ago, then re-read it and Ice recently as a prelude to reading the biography. All three books were most enjoyable.

TJ was a man who invented himself, and much of what he wrote was exaggeration or fantasy. He sailed far fewer miles than he claimed and undoubtably many of his voyages were 70% fiction.

However, he was still an extraordinary man and a very accomplished sailor who did far more than most of us can ever hope to achieve. His books are still worth reading, but as 'faction' rather than biographical accounts. Read the biography first and you will be prepared.

- Nick
 

Salty

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Where\'s Spray?!

I'm amazed that no one has nominated the daddy of them all Joshua Slocum! So I will... I'd also second the choices already made of Riddle of the Sands and the Pete Goss book.
 

DaveS

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Slightly drifting off topic, but others by Farley Mowat are also excellent. Some are boaty including 2 volumes on the Atlantic salvage tugs, operating in conditions we can only shudder about. Others on wildlife: wolfs, whales etc. "The Farfarers" is a fascinating mix of tales & archeological evidence for pre-viking celtic voyages to Greenland and Canada - highly recommended.
 
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