Coming home from the boat - things to celebrate - and audio book recommendations

[dylanwinter]

I have just spent from Thursday night until Tuesday lunch time on the boat. I was ashore for two hours on Saturday evening eating in Wetherspoons with M M of this parish. Sunday was, as the weatherman predicted, too windy so I was on the boat on a mooring at Alloa all day Sunday.

First light Monday I rode the tide up the Forth.

Above Alloa the Forth turns into a winding son of a gun. Never been on a river like it. Monday playing on the river right through the tidal cycle. Excellent sailing. Monday night I was at anchor on the bend where Bannockburn joins the main channel.
Tuesday I was up at first light and sailed the length of the River from Bannockburn to Port Edgar - getting back there at around 2.30. Left Port Edgar to drive

I got home again Tuesday night at about 12.30.

800 miles in the car for 60 in the boat doesn't make much sense but it is best not to think like that.

While driving the 400 miles home to Oxford I started thinking about the things I was looking forward to about being back in a house.

I am surprised at myself but a lack of full standing headroom when alone on a boat is not a problem as long as the galley is under the hatch so that you can stand up to cook.

One ring cooking is fine. Keeping your body reasonably fragrant is fairly easy using a big bucket of hot water efficiently applied in a darkened cockpit.

The things I miss most are a big bed and a dishwasher.


these are just some of the things I think about while driving.

but it is getting really boring now. That is 56 hours behind the wheel so far this spring.

I listen to radio 4 - but I am really hitting the repeats hard. Sometimes I listen to music but my brain needs feeding.

Last year, when I was fitting out Harmony I started listening to non fiction audio books while commuting.

They were interesting - but generally really badly read.

I wondered if any other long distance commuting sailors would like to point me to some good ones to download to help fill those empty car miles.

D


36 hours at Alloa

http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/SANY00896.jpg

 

[Kelpie]

How about a "teach yourself Glaswegian" CD so that you're prepared for the far end of the canal?

 

[jimmcgee]

Och , he's already been orr here and met the locals

 

[nathanlee]

Have you tried podcasts? I find this one really interesting and have been listening to it for many years. http://theskepticsguide.org

 

[charlesbarr]

I listen to classic books downloaded from librivox.org

 

[ianfr]

The Terry Pratchett Discworld audio books have kept me amused while driving.
The Patrick o Brien Aubrey Maturin set are worth a listen. I find reading the books a chore but listening to them being acted makes them fly.
Bernard Cornwell Sharpe Series.

All good listens.

Ian

 

[dylanwinter]

I listen to classic books downloaded from librivox.org

I did a couple of those

American history - it is fine once you can tune out the bad reading and focus on the words

 

[dylanwinter]

The Terry Pratchett Discworld audio books have kept me amused while driving.
The Patrick o Brien Aubrey Maturin set are worth a listen. I find reading the books a chore but listening to them being acted makes them fly.
Bernard Cornwell Sharpe Series.

All good listens.

Ian

where did you get them Ian?

could you download them?

 

[northwind]

All 26 episodes of Cabin Pressure.. very good comedy.

 

[drew silverwitch]

The Terry Pratchett Discworld audio books have kept me amused while driving.
The Patrick o Brien Aubrey Maturin set are worth a listen. I find reading the books a chore but listening to them being acted makes them fly.
Bernard Cornwell Sharpe Series.

All good listens.

Ian

Agree good choice but watch out some of them are abridged
The abridged versions are approx 2 hours but not a patch on the full version. The full version are 10hrs or more but in my opinion worth the time spent.
1 book will amuse you for a round trip to the Forth and back.
Audible.co.uk a branch of Amazon have them but you have to subscribe its 8 or 9 quid a month for which you get 1 book credit per month, canceled before end of free trail as I did not think I would use it enough.
Have not found a cheaper option yet so may go back

 

[Stemar]

I prefer reading, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the test to speech on my Kindle when I got curious. Nowhere near as good as a human who knows what they're reading, but quite accepable, to my mind.

Between that and Project Gutenberg, you've got more classics than you can listen to before you go in your box.

 

[flobbets]

Try your local library. Ours does downloads of audiobooks, usable for three weeks (although you can always borrow them again if not finished).
Mike

 

[findus]

Try this site: http://www.loyalbooks.com/ It used to be called: booksshouldbefree.com

Findus

 

[DenningLJ]

Yeah, I'm with this idea. I'm all for audiobooks, don't get me wrong but podcasts certainly have their place when you can't/don't want to concentrate on following a story or you're after a short hour or two that stands alone. I listen to a lot of the Nerdist stuff who have some really interesting guests on there and anything by TED talks is always gold.

 

[petehitch]

Take up the Free trial with Amazon, Audible Books, and download whatever you fancy. I would recommend " A prayer for Owen Meanie " John Irving

 

[Mctavish]

Take up the Free trial with Amazon, Audible Books, and download whatever you fancy. I would recommend " A prayer for Owen Meanie " John Irving

+1 for Audible.
I pick an unabridged Wallander (don't like Mankell's other stuff) or Reginald Hill by duration, then rating. (So, fiction). Criss-crossed Texas with those many times, actively enjoying the drive. Now I've heard and re-heard them so many times and I've got to find something else. You can return books with audible. I now have the monthly membership and get one book of about 12 hours min.
Don't know if it's good value if you pay. It's really the audiobook rather than Audible that I appreciate. I vaguely planned to look at my local library, too. I suppose it depends a lot on your local library.

 

[dunedin]

800 miles in the car for 60 in the boat doesn't make much sense but it is best not to think like that

it is getting really boring now. That is 56 hours behind the wheel so far this spring.

Have you tried flying up and down ? With RyanAir / EasyJet it can be cheaper than driving (and certainly cheaper than train) if you studiously avoid the extras
By preloading the gear by a first trip by car, we are becoming dab hands at doing long trips just using carry on bags ;-)

 

[armchairsailor]

Have you tried flying up and down ? With RyanAir / EasyJet it can be cheaper than driving (and certainly cheaper than train) if you studiously avoid the extras
By preloading the gear by a first trip by car, we are becoming dab hands at doing long trips just using carry on bags ;-)

Weekend travel on trains is pretty cost effective, IIRC and can get you within metres of PE if you get a local train to South Queensferry.

Suggest the following podcasts:
A History of the World in 100 Objects - fascinating stuff, even if you're not an archaeologist and 25hrs long
A History of the Roman Empire - not heard it myself, but it is supposed to be good
BBC comedies of your choice - just listened to The News Quiz tonight

 

[dylanwinter]

Have you tried flying up and down ? With RyanAir / EasyJet it can be cheaper than driving (and certainly cheaper than train) if you studiously avoid the extras
By preloading the gear by a first trip by car, we are becoming dab hands at doing long trips just using carry on bags ;-)

When I had Harmony - 26 feet -lots of storage space

with Katie L - 22 foot - there is not the space to leave as much gear on the boat.

so the flying bit will not really work what with camera gear, bedding, foulies etc

D

 

[JohnGC]

Enigma by Robert Harris, read by Alan Howard RSC.

If the story appeals to you, I think you'll find the quality of the reading is excellent.

My copy was on cassette, you can find cds on eBay.