Voyage of the Aegre, The
The Voyage of The Aegre is a dramatic true account of how a plan to sail a little fishing boat from the Highlands of Scotland down the coast to England turned into a trans-oceanic odyssey for Nick and Julie Grainger. It was the 1970s and their simple wooden boat was equipped with none of the aids modern yachts enjoy. Navigation was by sextant and compass, food cooked on a Primus, and weather forecasting by guesswork. Diligent preparation before they set sail eventually saved their lives in the violent storms and dangers they encountered, vividly described in this absorbing narrative. Their capsize at night in a fierce storm south of Tahiti and subsequent survival makes a gripping climax to the story. A born storyteller, the author has produced a stirring tale that ranks among classic sea adventures.
From a simpler age of sailing when you were led across oceans by the sun and the stars, this book deserves to join the classics. It is simply a top class read - Paul Heiney, Royal Cruising Club.
A terrific adventure - John Ridgway, 1966 North Atlantic rower, Round the World sailor, Adventurer, Author.
One of the greatest sailing stories I have ever read - John Quirk, Afloat magazine.
| Weight | 0.450000 |
|---|---|
| ISBN13/Barcode | 9780645763904 |
| ISBN10 | 064576390X |
| Author | Nicholas Grainger |
| Binding | Paperback |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 26th June 2023 |
| Pages | 262 |
| Publisher | Vinycomb Press |
The book is all about the origin of the idea for the voyage, the boat, the preparation and setbacks, and what it was like to sail such a little boat with a traditional rig, from Scotland to the South Pacific. But more than that the author details how they coped with being capsized and dismasted mid-ocean, the jury rig they created, and how they ultimately navigated to land following the loss of their sextant.
Read all about:
- Where the idea for the voyage came from
- Why we wanted to do it
- How we earned the money
- Why we chose a small Shetland boat
- The modifications we made to the previously open boat
- Why we kept the standing lug rig
- Why we didn’t have an engine
- How we carried enough food and water for long ocean passages
- The sea trials we undertook before departing
- How we set up the boat to steer herself for weeks at a time
- Why we didn’t have a radio or life raft
- How we navigated (long before GPS was available)
- How we prepared hot food in the worst of weather
- All about the Snowcem bucket
- How we sailed the boat in extreme conditions
- Other ocean sailing voyagers we met
- How we jury-rigged the boat after losing their mast – and sailed on
- How we navigated after losing their sextant mid-Pacific
- How we stayed friends
- And where The Aegre is today