'The Cruise of the Nona' by Hilaire Belloc

[Poignard]

There may be a few people on this forum who, like me, try not to take sailing too seriously. 'The Cruise of the Nona' might appeal to them.

Any book that contains the lines:

". . .the Nona has spent her years , . . threading her way out of harbours, taking the mud, trying to make further harbours, failing to do so, getting in the way of more important vessels, giving way to them, taking the mud again, waiting to be floated off by the tide, anchoring in the fairway, getting cursed out of it, dragging anchor on shingle and slime, mistaking one light for another, rounding the wrong buoy, crashing into other people, and capsizing in dry harbours."

promises to be entertaining, and this is. The only drawback is that Hilaire Belloc goes on a bit in some parts about his Catholic religion and the politics of his time (early 20th century) but it is easy to skip these.

 

[Babylon]

The only drawback is that Hilaire Belloc goes on a bit in some parts about his Catholic religion and the politics of his time (early 20th century)

Not the only controversial figure of his time, then.

My copy is yet unread, nestling alongside 'Alone Through the Roaring Forties', something about Aborginal nomads, another something concerning the natural world by John Lister-Kaye, and sundry other books.

Drat the internet - I used to read more!

 

[Wansworth]

Since Raban mentioned him I keep an eye out in the bookshops...

 

[penfold]

Belloc did a good line in humorous doggerel too, not quite Milliganesque in sillyness but good fun.

 

[Byroyi]

Again I tip my hat to you and repeat you have a unique gift to be able to write such vivid lyrics and just do it for fun .