The Reluctant Mariner – Reviewed

Book the Captain has snoozed upon:  
The Reluctant Mariner, by Joanna Hackett   

Another book review from the Can Opener! He certainly has been burning the night oil. This one’s a gripping travelogue on the voyages of an Australian couple…

Topics Covered

This travelogue covers the circumnavigation of Joanna Hackett and her husband, Lindsay, through 37 countries over 5 years.
 
The Best Part
Hackett’s writing style is addictive. Her relentless dry sense of humour and determination to portray the mundane to the quirky from new angles makes you reconsider your assumptions about… just about everything. 

Her understated approach to what must have been insanity-inducing immigration and border control bureaucracies made us smile and smile. If we thought we’d already seen the most challenging, we clearly haven’t seen anything yet. 

Informative. Also balanced. Joanna was also quick to highlight moonlit nights aboard and truly magical meetings with people, flora, fauna and places.

Wishes

Perhaps we haven’t grasped the real purpose and meaning of a travelogue but we did long for some kind of red thread running through this narrative. Something to work towards so we knew how far along in the tale we were. We like a plot arc. We did get the feeling that new places unrolled endlessly before us. 

But maybe that’s what travelogues are about.

Conclusion
Been there. Done that. And glad we bought it. Would definitely buy it again. 

Are we gonna keep it? Nah. We‘ll probably donate it to the Red Tabby Yacht Club library so someone else can enjoy it too.


Ever read The Reluctant Mariner, by Joanna Hackett? How did you find it? Any good recommendations for other books for the sea library?

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

Previously: Cruising in Seraffyn

In the US
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In the UK
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Cruising in Searffyn – Reviewed

Book the Captain has snoozed upon:  
Cruising in Searffyn, by Lin and Larry Pardey   

The Can Opener has actually been taking my advice to heart. He’s been powering through the pages of cruising wisdom in hopes of growing…wiser. And as a happy result has just finished another great book by Lin and Larry Pardey…

Who are Lin and Larry Pardey?
Only one of the most famous cruising duos EVER! Their motto is: Go simple go modest, go small, but go!
 

‘They have sailed over 185,000 miles together, having circumnavigated the world both eastabout and westabout. They have also sailed westabout (against the prevailing winds) past all the great southern capes, including Cape Horn. Larry built the two boats they used for two circumnavigations. 

‘Both boats were under 30 feet and were designed by Lyle Hess. Neither boat had an engine (except for an outboard on the dinghy which they carried on board Taleisin)…. Together they have written eleven books and created two VHS tapes and four DVDs.’*

Topics Covered

This travelogue covers seven years of their adventures from California to Central America, Panama, Columbia, the Caribbean, back up to Virgina, USA and then on to England – a final destination that was chosen at the toss of a coin.
 
The Best Part
Lin and Larry are first rate narrators, picking out careful details to make their descriptions of the places they visit come alive. They also explain in detail their philopsophies regarding boat design choice, boat maintenance and repair, some storm tactics… and life. 

Their unique perspective has made their fascinating life possible. And it is a FASCINATING life!
 
Wishes

I wish we could have been there…. and I wish our life turns out to be half as fun as theirs!
 
Conclusion
It’s a classic. The Can Opener has previously read all their ‘how to’ type of books for cruisers (eg Capable Cruiser and Self Sufficient Sailor) and had avoided their travelogue type books. We are so glad we picked up this one. 

It had enough ‘how to’ knowledge in it to satisfy us… and we realised that it’s quite inspirational to read a well written travelogue. And this was certainly inspirational.

Ever read Cruising in Searffyn, by Lin and Larry Pardey? How did you find it? Any good recommendations for other books for the sea library?

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

* wikipedia

Previously: Come Hell or High Water
Next: The Reluctant Mariner

In the US
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In the UK
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About The Cruising Kitty

I‘ve been sailing since I could pounce and catch my own sardines. When I adopted Can Opener, it was a matter of expedience, but I’ve grown to appreciate his technique. Enough to train him up as First Mate for the time being.

I rescued Can Opener from an 80-100 hour/week job as a Wharton-trained financial analyst… which left him no time whatsoever to sail. Kind of missed the whole point.

I took him away from all that. Now he works for me.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

In Which We Meet the Can Opener

Captain Cat:  My First Mate, Can Opener, is on the one true and straight path to personal preparation for buying the yacht of my dreams and slingshoting me into the cruising life I deserve. Fill in the details, Can Opener.

Can Opener:  Yeah. What he said.

Captain Cat:  Hey! You told me you were a litter-trained smarty-pants with an MBA from Wharton. What kind of incoherent language is that?

Can Opener:  Captain Cat, after years of cranking out financial plans and strategy for a faceless conglomerate I realised spoken words just got in the way. The written word is king.

Captain Cat:  Yeah, well king this! I need you to listen up, take notes on what I teach you and do a TON of research. And that research includes asking a lot of humans a lot of questions, getting opinions and advice, and relaying all that good info back to me. Then I can tell you what the right answer is.

Can Opener:  Right. Practice talking. I’m on it. Right after I fry up the cheese burgers for dinner.

Captain Cat:  Nix, Can Opener. The “Cod and Plaice Dinner Packs” will do nicely. We’re on a lean-protein performance diet regime. You can serve me in the east wing. I fancy the garden view tonight.

Can Opener:  You didn’t mention any of this stuff when you showed up one night banging on my back door, screaming for food…  How is it that an old salt sailing cat knocks on my door when sailing around the world was exactly what I wanted to do?

Captain Cat:  Match made in heaven. Now go get the Cod and Plaice.

Can Opener:  Yeah, um…

Captain Cat:  Yes, Captain!

Can Opener:  Yes, Captain.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

In Which We Meet Captain Cat

Sailing is what I live for, the reason I bounce out of my basket every day at the crack of noon. The wind in my stripes, my cup of mojo bubbling on the galley stove, the whole sea like an endless fish supermarket ahead of me…

But my first goal in life is to lure Pussy Galore onto my ship in which case I’ll boot the Can Opener out onto the saloon berths faster than you can say “mouse-flavoured Meow Mix”. Pussy and I’ll shack up in my Captain’s Quarters with all the tuna treats in the world stored under my Foam-Lite cushions and the fuzzy dice I installed below the hatch swinging gently in time with the waves.

Before that can happen though, I’ve got to get the Can Opener trained up and motivated to buy me the yacht of my dreams. Something with class and style, seaworthy and suitable for all the long term blue water traveling I plan to do.

He’ll need to be fit: physically, academically and financially. Fit enough to haul on all the boat work I need done; strong enough in navigation, tides, meteorology, outfitting, boat management and safety; and with a steel-riveted financial plan that will keep my velvet-tasseled cruising kitty bag loaded with enough coins for the cruising life I aspire to and deserve. I’ll even let the Can Opener sail with me on my boat. Everybody needs a first mate.

‘Course if Pussy comes along he’d better add a few useful circus tricks to his offering or I will have to reconsider my personnel needs…

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)