The cruise of the Kate

[dylanwinter]

One of the benefits of doing KTL is that occasionally people send me books they think I might like

One of my correspondents is an American book publisher who does one off copies of out of print and out of copyright classic sailing books

He sent me The Cruise of the Kate by EE Middleton who went around the UK in 1869 - he did the Dame Ellen route skipping the rough stuff around the top - as I might do, or I might not... dunno yet.

He also cursed mobos that claim to lose steerage at anything under ten knots...

that aside I had lways thought that the one-offs would be rather grotty to handle and read - not always the case clearly

lovely paper to feel - even has a red ribbon book mark and a dust jacket

I plods and fondles are all very well you can't beat a real book to read on a boat

I have no connection with David Goodchild http://www.dngoodchild.com/ - other than he likes my films

but his catalogue is well worth a browse



Dylan

 

[AndrewB]

Fun because Middleton was a tetchy old f#rt, had a bad word to say for pretty well every place he stopped. But it wasn't so much a sail as a hard slog row, since he always seemed to be stuffed by the wind and tide Either that or he didn't think it worth mentioning anything that might have possibly passed as enjoyable. He would have been a great forum contributer.

"Lovely paper", eh Dylan, you really wanted to catch the C19th spirit. For the rest of us, it is free to download in any of several formats, including Kindle.

 

[Seajet]

A maybe similar sort of book is 'Down Channel' by RT McMullen.

He was a stockbroker in Victorian times, and could be said to have pioneered recreational sailing; he had various one-off yachts commissioned, almost all large and heavy by todays' standards, based on working boats.

He is best known for sacking his two paid crew who he thought lazy and sailing his large heavy gaff rigger back across the Channel alone, thought to be impossible at the time; crewing for him must have been a nightmare, he was a real go-er, thought nothing of anchoring a mile or so off small ports and rowing ashore, and gales a mere trifle just requiring shortened sail...

Excellent, classic book, grab a copy and prepare to be amazed.