Wonderful books

[Seajet]

I hope these books hasn't been mentioned before, apologies if they have been;

I've found 'High Endeavours' by Miles Clark, the life stories of Miles & Beryl Smeeton, a life-changing sort of book, quite amazing !

One of Miles Smeetons' own books, 'Once is Enough' about their attempts to get around Cape Horn twice and getting very near killed twice, is of course a classic, now with a foreword by Jonathan Raban; and has links to Nevil Shutes' last book 'Trustee From The Toolroom', he based it on the Smeetons, who he knew, and wrote the foreword in earlier editions of 'Once Is Enough'.

All mentioned were quite remarkable & inspiring people, can't recommend their books highly enough...

 

[Sidedrum]

I've read both, and agree - also read 'Because the Horn is there', which is the sequel to Once is Enough. Do we still have sailors like that, with the philosophy that if they do it for pleasure they shouldn't ask or expect others to risk their lives rescuing them?

 

[Seajet]

I'm afraid I can't think of anyone who can be remotely compared to the Smeetons; they and maybe Sir Francis Chichester in 'The Lonely Sea And The Sky' were a breed apart !

I approached the end of 'High Endeavours' with a feeling of dread, partly in that there'd be no more to read, partly because I knew they're not around now...

At least Miles Clark doesn't seem to have discovered the very sad fate of Tzu Hang, used for drug running then destroyed on a beach by bulldozer by the authorities; simply criminal, she should be in a museum !

 

[Poignard]

I've read both, and agree - also read 'Because the Horn is there', which is the sequel to Once is Enough. Do we still have sailors like that, with the philosophy that if they do it for pleasure they shouldn't ask or expect others to risk their lives rescuing them?

I think Roger Taylor fits into that category. Also Alan Rush, author of 'Little Boat, Big Ocean'

Quote: This is the true account of a young man's journey, sailing his 21 foot, wooden boat single-handed over 7,000 miles. Over a period of seven years, he set off from British Columbia in the spring of 1979 and sailed first to San Francisco, then the Hawaiian Islands and on to a remote Pacific coral atoll called Fanning Island. It was here that he was offered the position of Relief Manager of a coconut plantation for a few months and ended up staying for six years. The book is part sailing log and part travelogue and expertly describes the conditions he endured, the power of the elements and his experience of living and working thousands of miles from home. Unquote

 

[chinita]

I think Roger Taylor fits into that category. Also Alan Rush, author of 'Little Boat, Big Ocean' [/I]Unquote

Agree; David Lewis and 'Ice Bird' another example IMO.