What boaty book would you like to see made into a film?

[johnalison]

The Art of Course Sailing, with Brian Blessed as Beaver.

That's an inspired suggestion. I'm looking forward to seeing the seagull flying backwards while he is thinking about reefing.

 

[Seajet]

' If The Gods Are Good ' - the true story of the elderly armed merchant cruiser HMS Jervis Bay engaging the modern pocket battleship Admiral Scheer so as to allow her convoy time to escape, would make a fine film.

 

[JumbleDuck]

A pedant inquires, is this a previously unknown racing textbook, or is it just too coarse?

Damn your eyes. Now corrected.

 

[harry potter]

Passage to Juneau - ?Film

"Passage to Juneau - a sea and its meanings" by Jonathan Raban

I'll vote for that. Brilliant, and a classic. Somehow Clipper Ferries just doesn't do justice.

 

[Rigger]

"A voyage for madmen" the story of the first RTW race. Brilliant book with potential great set of characters

 

[Douglas T]

If the Americans made it, it would have to be called the USS Ulysses S. Grant and based in the Pacific

And they'd win.

WOW! Russian convoy be the NE passage? what a film!

 

[Kermit]

HMS Ulysses, wow that brings back memories. So well written I actually got frostbite :nonchalance:

I've enjoyed a lot of the Sam Llewellyn books, but a book that sticks in my mind is The Shipkiller, a yacht is run down by a supertanker, wife killed, husband goes on a revenge mission. Stunning read.

Good call on Shipkiller. A cracking read and the bit about the sea snakes still sends a chill down my spine when I think about it.

 

[benjenbav]

"Sailing alone around the world"

 

[Keen_Ed]

Left for Dead by Nick Ward.
Probably be impossible to recreate/capture similar sea-state(s) but good CGI could come close and the "in-cockpit/cabin" scenes could be done in good production studios.

The story/account , which surely touches us all on these Fora, would knock spots off the likes of "All is lost".

There was a documentary (with docudrama bits) about Grimalkin. Part of the "Surviving Disaster" series. James Wilby played Matt Sheahan's dad.

ETA - it's on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHTKMGO0YYw

 

[Robert Wilson]

There was a documentary (with docudrama bits) about Grimalkin. Part of the "Surviving Disaster" series. James Wilby played Matt Sheahan's dad.

ETA - it's on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHTKMGO0YYw

Thank you for the link. I watched it, quite horrifying. Sadly, very little of Nick Ward's experience was included; but I gather Matthew and Nick have issues with event.
Nuff said.

 

[Babylon]

Thank you for the link. I watched it, quite horrifying. Sadly, very little of Nick Ward's experience was included; but I gather Matthew and Nick have issues with event.
Nuff said.

They were little older than children at the time, the conditions were horrifying, the crew were skipper-less, and were no doubt in a state of considerable confusion and fear when they made the mistake of abandoning to the liferaft, whilst assuming Nick was dead and leaving him in the boat.

Both parties were extremely lucky to have eventually survived, and my personal opinion is that people (generally) need to review the idea that their safety is someone else's responsibility entirely - vis Roger Taylor and Ming Ming.

Did Nick ever say to Matthew "I'm sorry your Dad died"?

Time to get over it and shake hands.

 

[Seajet]

I believe that happened early on, and in the book ' Left For Dead ' Nick expresses his grief over the loss of Mathew's dad very fully.

It should be remembered they were very different times - look at the haircuts in the photo's ! - when single action harness hooks, sometimes spliced onto the separate easily tangled harness, were standard and lifejackets with harness eyes - I think the ' Crewsaver Survivor ' was the first - had yet to be invented as a direct result.

I can't think of another tragedy which has had so much positive effect for those following on, what with the improvements in harnesses & hooks, liferafts, waterproofs, hatches and boats which this engendered, maybe a small comfort for those left grieving.

 

[Porthandbuoy]

Often overlooked, but C.S Forester's "The Good Shepherd" is a damn good read and would make a great film. Up there with "The Cruel Sea" and "HMS Ulysses".

 

[interloper]

The Last Grain Race, Eric Newby, incorporating in some arty way his old B+W cine footage.

Yes, Eric Newby's "The Last Grain Race" would be a great subject for a movie. This is a rare account of life on a sailing ship that describes the tension and rivalry that existed between members of the crew. Most other accounts make it seem as though the crew was one big happy family.

 

[Walther]

Trustee from the Toolroom - Nevil Shute

Absolutely! If I can choose only one, that would be it. :encouragement:

My second choice: Jan de Hartog's The Captain (1967).

Often overlooked, but C.S Forester's "The Good Shepherd" is a damn good read and would make a great film. Up there with "The Cruel Sea" and "HMS Ulysses".

Not in the same league, IMO. Where Forester is concerned, I much prefer The Ship.

Yes, Eric Newby's "The Last Grain Race" would be a great subject for a movie. This is a rare account of life on a sailing ship that describes the tension and rivalry that existed between members of the crew. Most other accounts make it seem as though the crew was one big happy family.

True enough; and in that sense, it is sort of the nautical equivalent of Derek Robinson's Piece of Cake. In any case, it is certainly a well-written and entertaining read about a way of life that is no more.

If the Americans made it, it would have to be called the USS Ulysses S. Grant and based in the Pacific

And they'd win.

Cf. "U-571" (until I saw that Oscar-winning film, I was unaware that the USN was responsible for the capture of the Enigma machine), or "Argo" (until I saw that Oscar-winning film, I naively thought that the 'Canadian caper' involved Canadians). :disgust:

"A voyage for madmen" the story of the first RTW race. Brilliant book with potential great set of characters

Besides covering the Donald Crowhurst story, the "Deep Water" DVD includes short films on several of the Golden Globe participants, including Bill King (what a great man!).