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Ice Bird: The Classic Story of the First Single-Handed Voyage to Antarctica
David Lewis and his small yacht, Ice Bird, set sail from Sydney, Australia, on a search for high adventure. The voyage, full of drama, emotion, and pain, takes place in the least hospitable and most fascinating part of the earth, the Antarctic. No one had ever sailed a yacht single-handed to Antarctica until David Lewis' attempt. Along the way, he would not touch land for more than fourteen weeks, facing mountainous seas, constant gales, snow storms, and freezing temperatures. Twice his small yacht was capsized and once it was dismasted 3,500 miles from help. His survival was a miracle of fortitude, skill, and some luck. Ice Bird is one of the great true sea stories of the twentieth century. It is also a tale of human endurance, a testimony of one man's will to overcome almost anything and everything-physical and psychological-to stay alive.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
2 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
David Lewis
10 books3 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
David Henry Lewis, DCNZM (1917 - 23 October 2002) was a sailor, adventurer, doctor, and Polynesian scholar. He is best known for his studies on the traditional systems of navigation used by the Pacific Islanders. His studies, published in the book We, The Navigators, made these navigational methods known to a wide audience and helped to inspire a revival of traditional voyaging methods in the South Pacific.
David was born in Plymouth, England and raised in New Zealand and Rarotonga. He was sent to the Polynesian school in Rarotonga, where he apparently developed his appreciation for Polynesian identity and culture. He remained a New Zealander throughout his life, though he eventually retired to Queensland.
After an adventurous childhood and teenage years including mountaineering and skiing in New Zealand, and a multi-hundred mile kayak journey, he traveled to England in 1938 for medical training at the University of Leeds, and served in the British army as a medical officer. After the war, he worked as a doctor in London, and was involved in setting up the National Health Service.
Sailing
With the announcement in 1960 of the first single-handed trans-Atlantic yacht race (from Plymouth, UK to the US East Coast), Lewis decided to enter in a small 25-foot boat. Following a series of accidents, including a dismasting shortly after leaving, he finished third (Francis Chichester came first), as described in his book The Ship Would Not Travel Due West.
He later decided to sail around the world with his second wife and two small daughters, and built the ocean cruising catamaran Rehu Moana, for this purpose. After an initial voyage towards Greenland, he entered the 1964 single-handed trans-Atlantic race and picked up his family in the United States. They circumnavigated by way of the Strait of Magellan, the South Pacific and the Cape of Good Hope. (See his book Daughters of the Wind.) This was the world’s first circumnavigation by multihull.
Following his longstanding interest in old navigational methods used to explore and populate the Pacific, he employed similar techniques for the Tahiti-New Zealand leg of the Rehu Moana voyage without using a compass, sextant or marine chronometer.
Study and literary career
In 1967, Lewis acquired another boat, Isbjorn, to embark on further field studies of traditional Polynesian navigation. With a research grant from the Australian National University and with his second wife, two daughters and 19-year-old son, he set out for the Pacific again to study traditional navigation techniques. While there, he was welcomed into the cultures of various Pacific Islanders such as Hipour, who taught him their navigational lore, heretofore largely unrecognized by those outside Polynesia. Lewis chronicled this voyage and research in various articles and in his books We, the Navigators and The Voyaging Stars. Lewis’ voyages and resulting books gave inspiration to the revival in traditional Polynesian canoe building and voyaging, which was essentially extinct in many parts of the Pacific.
In 1976, Lewis joined Polynesian Voyaging Society's first experimental voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti on Hokule'a. But this voyage was marred by a clash of egos between David and the Hawaiian navigators. Nevertheless, the team successfully navigated using traditional methods to Tahiti. Lewis departed from Hokule'a in Tahiti and went on to work in his own research.
Along with Dr. Marianne (Mimi) George, he proposed that original Polynesian navigation is still alive in the Polynesian outlier Taumako.
Lewis’ next adventure in 1972 was an attempt at circumnavigating Antarctica single-handed. For this he acquired a small steel yacht, named Ice Bird. Facing treacherous conditions in the Southern Ocean after departing, Lewis was not heard from for 13 weeks but eventually managed to sail the Ice Bird to the Antarc
David Henry Lewis, DCNZM (1917 - 23 October 2002) was a sailor, adventurer, doctor, and Polynesian scholar. He is best known for his studies on the traditional systems of navigation used by the Pacific Islanders. His studies, published in the book We, The Navigators, made these navigational methods known to a wide audience and helped to inspire a revival of traditional voyaging methods in the South Pacific.
David was born in Plymouth, England and raised in New Zealand and Rarotonga. He was sent to the Polynesian school in Rarotonga, where he apparently developed his appreciation for Polynesian identity and culture. He remained a New Zealander throughout his life, though he eventually retired to Queensland.
After an adventurous childhood and teenage years including mountaineering and skiing in New Zealand, and a multi-hundred mile kayak journey, he traveled to England in 1938 for medical training at the University of Leeds, and served in the British army as a medical officer. After the war, he worked as a doctor in London, and was involved in setting up the National Health Service.
Sailing
With the announcement in 1960 of the first single-handed trans-Atlantic yacht race (from Plymouth, UK to the US East Coast), Lewis decided to enter in a small 25-foot boat. Following a series of accidents, including a dismasting shortly after leaving, he finished third (Francis Chichester came first), as described in his book The Ship Would Not Travel Due West.
He later decided to sail around the world with his second wife and two small daughters, and built the ocean cruising catamaran Rehu Moana, for this purpose. After an initial voyage towards Greenland, he entered the 1964 single-handed trans-Atlantic race and picked up his family in the United States. They circumnavigated by way of the Strait of Magellan, the South Pacific and the Cape of Good Hope. (See his book Daughters of the Wind.) This was the world’s first circumnavigation by multihull.
Following his longstanding interest in old navigational methods used to explore and populate the Pacific, he employed similar techniques for the Tahiti-New Zealand leg of the Rehu Moana voyage without using a compass, sextant or marine chronometer.
Study and literary career
In 1967, Lewis acquired another boat, Isbjorn, to embark on further field studies of traditional Polynesian navigation. With a research grant from the Australian National University and with his second wife, two daughters and 19-year-old son, he set out for the Pacific again to study traditional navigation techniques. While there, he was welcomed into the cultures of various Pacific Islanders such as Hipour, who taught him their navigational lore, heretofore largely unrecognized by those outside Polynesia. Lewis chronicled this voyage and research in various articles and in his books We, the Navigators and The Voyaging Stars. Lewis’ voyages and resulting books gave inspiration to the revival in traditional Polynesian canoe building and voyaging, which was essentially extinct in many parts of the Pacific.
In 1976, Lewis joined Polynesian Voyaging Society's first experimental voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti on Hokule'a. But this voyage was marred by a clash of egos between David and the Hawaiian navigators. Nevertheless, the team successfully navigated using traditional methods to Tahiti. Lewis departed from Hokule'a in Tahiti and went on to work in his own research.
Along with Dr. Marianne (Mimi) George, he proposed that original Polynesian navigation is still alive in the Polynesian outlier Taumako.
Lewis’ next adventure in 1972 was an attempt at circumnavigating Antarctica single-handed. For this he acquired a small steel yacht, named Ice Bird. Facing treacherous conditions in the Southern Ocean after departing, Lewis was not heard from for 13 weeks but eventually managed to sail the Ice Bird to the Antarc
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 6, 2011
In a book like this, what do you rate - the literary written effort or the physical effort to complete the singlehanded sail to Antarctica? I think the adventure was worth 5 stars so that keeps from having to rate the literary effort.
Antarctica is one of the little explored places where it is easy to keep track of the exploration efforts.
David Lewis's sailing effort includes in participation in the inaugural Singlehanded Transatlantic Race in 1960. His sailing adventures continued after that.
For me, documentation of the story and the photos for the journey that started in 1972 are special. It may be useful to remind yourself this documentation was well before the days of digital photography, so photos are much more precious. It is a great story. Enjoy it like I did.
Antarctica is one of the little explored places where it is easy to keep track of the exploration efforts.
David Lewis's sailing effort includes in participation in the inaugural Singlehanded Transatlantic Race in 1960. His sailing adventures continued after that.
For me, documentation of the story and the photos for the journey that started in 1972 are special. It may be useful to remind yourself this documentation was well before the days of digital photography, so photos are much more precious. It is a great story. Enjoy it like I did.
December 17, 2019
I read this book on a stormy weekend on a small cottage by the sea and found it enthralling. It took me from the raging ocean off Hobart to the rich sea wildlife of Antarctica, as well as spending a lot of fo time in his salt-crusted sailing overalls in a dingy boat cabin. I enjoyed the autobiographical aspect: the point of view is self-confident and unapologetic so that it takes a while (spoiler alert here of sorts) before you come to realise that he's obsessive, selfish and quite nutty to attempt anything so outrageously dangerous. Twice.
July 10, 2016
If you are a sailor this book will appeal to you. Not just due to the author's perseverance, but also reading about some of his ingenious solutions to some bleak situations. It's also a great reminder of how the world existed long before GPS and the Internet.
August 17, 2007
Incredible!
January 15, 2013
A good account
Read
February 16, 2013Great
November 16, 2023
Op shop purchase of original edition in pretty tired state. Never heard of Lewis,even though fellow countryman, or know anything about sailing.
What I enjoyed was the action of the trip, the capsizes, the wild storms,the ice bergs. The technical details of sailing I found myself speed reading through to get to something more interesting.
An aspect I found interesting was his acknowledgement of the sheer selfishness of a father of young children putting them under such stress.
What I enjoyed was the action of the trip, the capsizes, the wild storms,the ice bergs. The technical details of sailing I found myself speed reading through to get to something more interesting.
An aspect I found interesting was his acknowledgement of the sheer selfishness of a father of young children putting them under such stress.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2024
Thank you, Dave Lewis for putting pen to paper to tell this inspirational story of perseverance.
I see much of Lewis’ journey as a metaphor for life. The knock downs, the pitch polling, the dismasting, the aimless drifting in glass smooth seas, the days on end of blinding fog, the loss of the self steering mechanism, the simultaneous relief and dread of the hurricane’s eye, Lewis’ ingenuity and indomitable spirit. Amazing story.
I see much of Lewis’ journey as a metaphor for life. The knock downs, the pitch polling, the dismasting, the aimless drifting in glass smooth seas, the days on end of blinding fog, the loss of the self steering mechanism, the simultaneous relief and dread of the hurricane’s eye, Lewis’ ingenuity and indomitable spirit. Amazing story.
May 16, 2025
In 1972 Lewis attempted a single-handed circumnavigation of Antarctica in his ship Ice Bird. He reached the Palmer research station on the Antarctic Peninsula after 14 weeks. Early on he was capsized twice, lost his mast and had to jury rig a replacement. His clothing was inadequate and he suffered much depreciation particularly in his hands and feet.
He left Antarctica for work with National Geographic but returned to Antarctica to refurbish his ship with extensive assistance from the American staff of Palmer. In the second year, he set out to complete the circumnavigation. The ship had been converted to a gaff rig, but it failed. With a lesser jury rig, he realized he could not return to Australia and sailed to Capetown instead.
An amazing story of resilience.
He left Antarctica for work with National Geographic but returned to Antarctica to refurbish his ship with extensive assistance from the American staff of Palmer. In the second year, he set out to complete the circumnavigation. The ship had been converted to a gaff rig, but it failed. With a lesser jury rig, he realized he could not return to Australia and sailed to Capetown instead.
An amazing story of resilience.
May 30, 2017
recommended
June 20, 2022
Good book. Very well written. I enjoyed it
August 21, 2023
Great read, what an adventure!
December 13, 2023
A great read and kept me reading half the night!
In turn it was exciting, terrifying and tedious - much as the journey must have been.
In turn it was exciting, terrifying and tedious - much as the journey must have been.
April 6, 2021
Amazing tale of sailing and survival (multiple dismasting) in the waters around Antarctic. Mind-boggling skill, luck, and resilience.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews