Comment by smithclay
2 days ago
If you're interested in learning more about solo sailing voyages, the new non-fiction book "Sailing Alone: A Surprising History of Isolation and Survival at Sea" by Richard King is fascinating.
2 days ago
If you're interested in learning more about solo sailing voyages, the new non-fiction book "Sailing Alone: A Surprising History of Isolation and Survival at Sea" by Richard King is fascinating.
Two other single-handed round-the-world accounts I enjoyed are Robin Lee Graham's _Dove_ (the name of his boat), and Chay Blyth's _The Impossible Voyage_. Graham's voyage was noteworthy because of how young he was -- 16. He might have been, as I recall, the youngest ever to make such a voyage at that time. His book was later made into a film starring Joseph Bottoms and Deborah Raffin. Blyth's was noteworthy because he was the first to sail singlehanded "the wrong way round," westwards, nonstop. Incredibly arduous. Wikipedia says The Times called this "The most outstanding passage ever made by one man alone." His vessel was a 59 footer called "British Steel."
Also, John Guzzwell circumnavigated his self built 20 footer named Trekka from 1955 to 1959 and wrote a great book about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Guzzwell
https://goodreads.com/book/show/1037445.Trekka_Round_the_Wor...
Another recommendation: Racundra's First Cruise by Arthur Ransome.
I love “Sailing Alone Around the World” by Joshua Slocum. He was the first to do so. I always wanted to build a replica of his boat (plans are available) and do some solo sailing, but maybe not around the world.
His boat is famous for being balanced in its sailing characteristics -- holds course without him at the helm.