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Caught by the Sea
Another such wave could easily be the end of us. I had to do something, fix something, save the boat, save myself.
But what?
Gary Paulsen takes readers along on his maiden voyage, proving that ignorance can be bliss. Also really stupid and incredibly dangerous. He tells of boats that have owned him—good, bad, and beloved—and how they got him through terrifying storms that he survived by sheer luck. His spare prose conjures up shark surprises and killer waves as well as moonlight on the sea, and makes readers feel what it’s like to sail under the stars or to lie at anchor in a tropical lagoon where dolphins leap, bathed in silver. Falling in love with the ocean set Gary Paulsen on a lifelong learning curve and readers will understand why his passion has lasted to this day.
But what?
Gary Paulsen takes readers along on his maiden voyage, proving that ignorance can be bliss. Also really stupid and incredibly dangerous. He tells of boats that have owned him—good, bad, and beloved—and how they got him through terrifying storms that he survived by sheer luck. His spare prose conjures up shark surprises and killer waves as well as moonlight on the sea, and makes readers feel what it’s like to sail under the stars or to lie at anchor in a tropical lagoon where dolphins leap, bathed in silver. Falling in love with the ocean set Gary Paulsen on a lifelong learning curve and readers will understand why his passion has lasted to this day.
103 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
63 people are currently reading
305 people want to read
About the author
Gary Paulsen
408 books3,978 followersGary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
April 28, 2022
Memorable memoirs are a staple of Gary Paulsen's career in children's literature. Who could forget My Life in Dog Years, or Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, or Woodsong, or Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs? At best, Gary Paulsen's memoirs are as profound as any fiction he's written, masterpieces of the American canon. Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats speaks to a part of his experience that hadn't received as much attention as his passion for dogsledding. From age seven, when Paulsen first laid eyes on the open ocean en route to the Philippine Islands, he harbored a love of water that sometimes lay dormant for years. When the feeling would return it was so strong he couldn't stay sane without visiting the sea, and this led to his first sailing encounter soon after his discharge from the army. Paulsen would never again forget about the water.
Paulsen was lucky that his first boat was a quality sea vessel. He was nearly duped into purchasing a lemon, but the Schock 22 he ended up with was an almost indestructible boat, just right for a novice. Her brought her to Ventura, California and experimented in the coastal waters, but his lack of experience was a hazard. Paulsen's out-of-control boat threatened every schooner and yacht within range, creating a comical scene once the boaters figured out that his approach across the water always portended trouble. Awakening in the night with the urge to sail, Paulsen let his Schock 22 cavort to the open sea, where he lost all sense of direction and drifted far from land. The voyage was as peaceful as Paulsen expected until a windstorm waylaid the boat, kicking up waves as high as twenty or thirty feet, dousing the Schock 22 and its helmsman with thousands of pounds of water. Singlehanding sailors often died on turbulent seas, and only a peculiar combination of Paulsen's ignorance and the stoutness of the boat saved his life. Cast adrift without a soul in sight, he worried his food supply might not last, but serendipity favored his survival. It was an unforgettable inaugural tour of the temperamental sea.
The next boat Paulsen bought was an old Hans Christian, and later a forty-three-foot-long catamaran he was warned would easily flip over in the ocean. But it was on the Hans Christian, named Felicity, where he had his greatest adventures. Cruising south down the Baja coast, Paulsen encountered a wild storm, lightning piercing the water all around his boat, flicking salty spray high into the air. He crouched below deck imagining what could happen to a boat in the middle of a savage storm. Fortunately, the lightning spared the Felicity. A year later, off the California coast, he entered a tempest near Catalina Island. Paulsen knew the weather was bad, but assumed the Felicity could handle it...until the winds hit. What followed were twenty-two minutes of pure survival that felt like an eternity hovering between life and death. There would be further adventures after this book's publication in 2001, but Paulsen had learned a lot from his mishaps and triumphs on the mysterious sea. The water would always be part of his unique spirit.
When dealing with vehicles that can cost or save one's life on the sea, Paulsen learned the merit of a Chinese proverb: "Cheap isn't really cheap, expensive isn't really expensive." A cheap boat probably requires renovation, and may not be safe. You get what you pay for, and when you're up against the forces of nature in a manmade vessel, you want every advantage possible. The concept is applicable in many areas of life. Caught by the Sea isn't as wise or evocative as other memoirs by the author, and the sailing jargon can be confusing, but its strength is the scenes out on the water, particularly the lightning storm that jeopardized the Felicity. This is where Gary Paulsen's superb writing finds expression in the book. Caught by the Sea would be a good read for a beach vacation, an ocean cruise, or for those who dream of someday sailing the world. There's a lot to discover out on that sprawling blue desert.
Paulsen was lucky that his first boat was a quality sea vessel. He was nearly duped into purchasing a lemon, but the Schock 22 he ended up with was an almost indestructible boat, just right for a novice. Her brought her to Ventura, California and experimented in the coastal waters, but his lack of experience was a hazard. Paulsen's out-of-control boat threatened every schooner and yacht within range, creating a comical scene once the boaters figured out that his approach across the water always portended trouble. Awakening in the night with the urge to sail, Paulsen let his Schock 22 cavort to the open sea, where he lost all sense of direction and drifted far from land. The voyage was as peaceful as Paulsen expected until a windstorm waylaid the boat, kicking up waves as high as twenty or thirty feet, dousing the Schock 22 and its helmsman with thousands of pounds of water. Singlehanding sailors often died on turbulent seas, and only a peculiar combination of Paulsen's ignorance and the stoutness of the boat saved his life. Cast adrift without a soul in sight, he worried his food supply might not last, but serendipity favored his survival. It was an unforgettable inaugural tour of the temperamental sea.
The next boat Paulsen bought was an old Hans Christian, and later a forty-three-foot-long catamaran he was warned would easily flip over in the ocean. But it was on the Hans Christian, named Felicity, where he had his greatest adventures. Cruising south down the Baja coast, Paulsen encountered a wild storm, lightning piercing the water all around his boat, flicking salty spray high into the air. He crouched below deck imagining what could happen to a boat in the middle of a savage storm. Fortunately, the lightning spared the Felicity. A year later, off the California coast, he entered a tempest near Catalina Island. Paulsen knew the weather was bad, but assumed the Felicity could handle it...until the winds hit. What followed were twenty-two minutes of pure survival that felt like an eternity hovering between life and death. There would be further adventures after this book's publication in 2001, but Paulsen had learned a lot from his mishaps and triumphs on the mysterious sea. The water would always be part of his unique spirit.
When dealing with vehicles that can cost or save one's life on the sea, Paulsen learned the merit of a Chinese proverb: "Cheap isn't really cheap, expensive isn't really expensive." A cheap boat probably requires renovation, and may not be safe. You get what you pay for, and when you're up against the forces of nature in a manmade vessel, you want every advantage possible. The concept is applicable in many areas of life. Caught by the Sea isn't as wise or evocative as other memoirs by the author, and the sailing jargon can be confusing, but its strength is the scenes out on the water, particularly the lightning storm that jeopardized the Felicity. This is where Gary Paulsen's superb writing finds expression in the book. Caught by the Sea would be a good read for a beach vacation, an ocean cruise, or for those who dream of someday sailing the world. There's a lot to discover out on that sprawling blue desert.
May 21, 2024
An enjoyable essay-length story of the author’s first adventure sailing (really a misadventure) and a brief account of further voyages. I would certainly have read a longer version of his seagoing tales but for some reason this was kept to a brief essay (or perhaps article) length. I still it outshines several other books about sailing that tend to get bogged down in irrelevant details and often lack style. I’m a kindred spirit and read this just ahead of the 2024 sailing season and the timing is just right.
April 6, 2019
Gary Paulsen writes about how he found his love for sailing and being on the open ocean. The story follows him all the way from the beginning of his journey in Ventura California through his peaceful days and stormy nights on the open ocean. His travels take him all the way up and down the eastern coast of North America whether he directed the boat that way or not.
The book did a great job of portraying the ocean from many different perceptions. The multiple portrayals of the ocean made reading this book very entertaining. One difficulty I had while reading this was following the plot. The plot got very confusing as he was changing around throughout different boats and times which made it very difficult to follow the plot.
The book did a great job of portraying the ocean from many different perceptions. The multiple portrayals of the ocean made reading this book very entertaining. One difficulty I had while reading this was following the plot. The plot got very confusing as he was changing around throughout different boats and times which made it very difficult to follow the plot.
November 19, 2020
Paulsen is a skilled writer, and makes his experiences with boats dramatic and entertaining reading. His danger was dramatic, but his writing makes the drama real. He is frank about his ignorance's role in causing that danger. The reader shares Paulsen's realization he is lucky to be alive. Probably not a read for those who love his YA books, because this one is adult realizations and point of view, and doesn't have the trajectory of a story, so young readers may be disappointed.
October 19, 2018
this was a good book on some peoples standards but on mine it wasn't as good this book was a lot about the sea and the dangers that Gary Paulsen had experienced. this was pretty much an autobiography and wasn't much of what I usually am interested in. however this will suit people who like autobiographies about a maiden voyage out at sea.
December 7, 2022
A man and his love for sailing and adventure, and the close calls he had, but learning from his mistakes along the way (wisdom comes from suffering). A quick and easy read, approachable, but not sure if I took a lot away from it other than "this guy loves adventure, and fell in love with sailing, but didn't know a lick about it."
May 8, 2012
I banged this book out in a hardly any time. It's a few pages more than a hundred, and it was typically simple, as all Paulsen books are. It really was fantastic, and I texted my fiancee after the first chapter that we had to get a sailboat. I wanted to live and nearly die like he did; to TRULY live and experience the power of the sails and the threat of the sea! It's an infectious book, that cured my innate distaste for sea-sailing and its culture. I truly have a respect now for sailors and the Poseidon-entity that the ocean is.
The words were beautifully crafted. To take something of ones memory that is so far distant (he wrote an event that took place in his early twenties, when he was in his sixties) and put it into such clear and visual words is remarkable! Like I said, an easy read - never really boring (it's a short story anyways), and even funny at times. Paulsen is a great writer for novice readers and I appreciate him even more than I did as a sixth grader reading "Hatchet."
Warnings:
Language -2x the third commandment is broken. Never any other language in the book.
Violence - A plane crashes in the Foreword and its survivors are eaten by sharks. He pays little attention to it though as he is captivated by the sea beyond the crash.
Sex - He's alone the entire trip, until he is rescued by a woman that's his mother's age.
The words were beautifully crafted. To take something of ones memory that is so far distant (he wrote an event that took place in his early twenties, when he was in his sixties) and put it into such clear and visual words is remarkable! Like I said, an easy read - never really boring (it's a short story anyways), and even funny at times. Paulsen is a great writer for novice readers and I appreciate him even more than I did as a sixth grader reading "Hatchet."
Warnings:
Language -2x the third commandment is broken. Never any other language in the book.
Violence - A plane crashes in the Foreword and its survivors are eaten by sharks. He pays little attention to it though as he is captivated by the sea beyond the crash.
Sex - He's alone the entire trip, until he is rescued by a woman that's his mother's age.
July 1, 2012
fantastic book about boating, so many wonderful books on the market telling you howto do it correctly, paulsen tells you how he did it. for some reason this is considered y.a., i'm giving it to a captain friend in her, past forty and think she'll love it. great book for anyone that loves sailing. (then they can read "dogsong", "puppies dogs and blue northers" etc. Then move on to the y.a. stuff "canyons" and "nightjohn" being the best i've read so far.)
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May 21, 2024Caught by the Sea Review
After finishing Caught by the Sea I have learned that you can never live life to the fullest if you do not pursue your dreams and passion. I loved how the author Gary Paulsen expressed just how much of a passion he had for sailing. The words he used were so inspiring and made the experience of reading the book so much more interesting. The book's number of pages at 112 may have been not too challenging for me, but the advanced words made up for that. The book starts with explaining how during World War ll he served in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1962, and worked with missiles. His dad told him and his mother to come to live with him. Gary and his mother traveled on a troop carrier, while on the troop carrier they witnessed a plane crash. Gary could hardly watch as the people on the plane were eaten by sharks and the plane sank. All the survivors came on board the troop carrier and Gary's mom, the only woman aboard, took care of the survivors as they continued their voyage to the philippines.
He chooses to leave his parents early to make money and that's when we are introduced to who he was and how he started his love and passion for sailing. He first developed his interest for sailing at the age of 9 in England, when he was invited to a party and went out to the owner of the parties dock and met with the dockmaster. Gary looked at how beautiful all the boats were, the dockmaster could easily tell he was interested so he let Gary come with him to sail on one of the most beautiful boats. Gary had never felt such a feeling in his life before, and was so grateful for this wonderful time on sea. Afterward they docked and Gary thanked the dockmaster so much for this experience, as he left he realized he never got to know his name or who he was. After that moment he knew he had to feel that feeling again, so that's when years later he decided to find a boat to pursue his passion and dream. But that's when he realized just how ignorant he had been about wanting to sail since he never realized just how expensive boats could be. Back then boats normally cost around three hundred dollars to four or five million dollars, and he was living on less than four thousand dollars per year. He then chose to go to multiple different brokers and eventually went to the Ventura harbor and found the perfect boat. He described what the boat had: “She had a tiny cabin less than 5ft high, a small wooden table and two bunks, a little alcohol stove, a head (toilet) up in the middle of the forepeak; and (best of all) she was made of fiberglass”. After buying that boat he went through a series of challenges, from learning to sail to having to conquer some of the most violent storms. I enjoyed this book very much as it taught me so much and to never give up on your dreams.
After finishing Caught by the Sea I have learned that you can never live life to the fullest if you do not pursue your dreams and passion. I loved how the author Gary Paulsen expressed just how much of a passion he had for sailing. The words he used were so inspiring and made the experience of reading the book so much more interesting. The book's number of pages at 112 may have been not too challenging for me, but the advanced words made up for that. The book starts with explaining how during World War ll he served in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1962, and worked with missiles. His dad told him and his mother to come to live with him. Gary and his mother traveled on a troop carrier, while on the troop carrier they witnessed a plane crash. Gary could hardly watch as the people on the plane were eaten by sharks and the plane sank. All the survivors came on board the troop carrier and Gary's mom, the only woman aboard, took care of the survivors as they continued their voyage to the philippines.
He chooses to leave his parents early to make money and that's when we are introduced to who he was and how he started his love and passion for sailing. He first developed his interest for sailing at the age of 9 in England, when he was invited to a party and went out to the owner of the parties dock and met with the dockmaster. Gary looked at how beautiful all the boats were, the dockmaster could easily tell he was interested so he let Gary come with him to sail on one of the most beautiful boats. Gary had never felt such a feeling in his life before, and was so grateful for this wonderful time on sea. Afterward they docked and Gary thanked the dockmaster so much for this experience, as he left he realized he never got to know his name or who he was. After that moment he knew he had to feel that feeling again, so that's when years later he decided to find a boat to pursue his passion and dream. But that's when he realized just how ignorant he had been about wanting to sail since he never realized just how expensive boats could be. Back then boats normally cost around three hundred dollars to four or five million dollars, and he was living on less than four thousand dollars per year. He then chose to go to multiple different brokers and eventually went to the Ventura harbor and found the perfect boat. He described what the boat had: “She had a tiny cabin less than 5ft high, a small wooden table and two bunks, a little alcohol stove, a head (toilet) up in the middle of the forepeak; and (best of all) she was made of fiberglass”. After buying that boat he went through a series of challenges, from learning to sail to having to conquer some of the most violent storms. I enjoyed this book very much as it taught me so much and to never give up on your dreams.
December 11, 2025
Paulson’s memoir succinctly describes his journey of sailing and living a nomad lifestyle. In a 100 page, you learn about how he pivoted from serving in the military (four years wasted) to his passion for writing in Hollywood. Yet his journey let him to sailing. In countless ways, he expressed how he enjoyed sailing.
What I didn’t expect was that his sailing occurred around California, and around Avalon Island. In this book, Paulsen proves himself to be a great writer—with a book filled with memorable lessons, detailed stories, wit, and good sense.
Read the book if you like the ocean, want a quick read, or need to get back into reading. The writing was beautiful and it’s fascinating to learn about his career journey and passion for sailing.
What I didn’t expect was that his sailing occurred around California, and around Avalon Island. In this book, Paulsen proves himself to be a great writer—with a book filled with memorable lessons, detailed stories, wit, and good sense.
Read the book if you like the ocean, want a quick read, or need to get back into reading. The writing was beautiful and it’s fascinating to learn about his career journey and passion for sailing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2025
Upper PG/lower PG-13 due to Chapter 1, where Paulsen briefly describes witnessing a plane crash on the ocean and many survivors being killed by sharks.
Great writing, but if you’re looking for strong structure and purpose, you’re probably not going to find it. This is more of a short collection of Paulsen’s near-death experiences on the ocean, whether as a witness or an active (or passive, as it may be more apt to say) participant in the vagaries of nature.
Great writing, but if you’re looking for strong structure and purpose, you’re probably not going to find it. This is more of a short collection of Paulsen’s near-death experiences on the ocean, whether as a witness or an active (or passive, as it may be more apt to say) participant in the vagaries of nature.
December 29, 2025
No one can say Gary Paulsen led an unfulfilled life. So many books, so many adventures, both on land and sea. Caught By The Sea is a brief overview of Paulsen’s sailing life, from hapless beginner to veteran seaman. The author doesn’t hesitate to list his ignorance and failings as a novice, recounting errors and bad judgements that nearly cost his life. A speedy read filled with entertaining and harrowing tales.
Another winner by the prolific author Gary Paulsen.
Another winner by the prolific author Gary Paulsen.
January 22, 2019
I did not enjoy this book. There wasn't much to expect besides the storms when he was on a boat. The only interesting and boring part when he was talking about the boats and buying them. It also got confusing when talked about the different parts of the boat and how you use it and why. It was also very hard to follow along.
June 23, 2024
Although this is a book written for kids, I decided to try it anyway. The author “finds himself” by learning to sail and getting tossed into some pretty horrific situations at sea. (That’s the part I enjoyed). But it gets a little bogged down in the technical aspects of sailing…and that part bored me a bit.
May 21, 2025
This is extremely short, and disappointed me when it wasn't what I was expecting. There is a map at the beginning which promises several journeys, and then he doesn't describe more than bits of them, albeit the interesting bits and very vividly. So, worth reading but ultimately I wanted more complete descriptions of these trips.
May 30, 2024
I'm someone who knows nothing about boats so it was very complex to understand and I always found myself reading the same passage over and over again just to never fully understand what it was saying.
November 21, 2024
I love how Paulsen writes. For as wild as this journey was, it's like you can embrace the setting and feel his struggles through the storm while at sea. It's a quick read and a reflection of the kind of experience Paulsen in order to craft his fictional pieces.
August 18, 2025
Great lil read
Really great
Really enjoyed it
Incredible story about survival and finding your way
Good job to the author this is a story worth reading
Read while at work on Tanker Damia Desgagnes ⚓️
Really great
Really enjoyed it
Incredible story about survival and finding your way
Good job to the author this is a story worth reading
Read while at work on Tanker Damia Desgagnes ⚓️
November 7, 2017
I think there wasnt really story behind it but there was a few interesting pages.
November 30, 2017
Boring. Autobiography. Had some interesting moments and passages but then would go on and on about sailboat models. Paulson is best in fiction.
February 13, 2018
Very simple and quick read. A delightful tale that I can relate to all too well.
January 25, 2019
Wow, so exciting, true and amazing to live and tell it. I am not a fan of the ocean but to see the beauty he saw without the storms I might try sailing someday.
October 1, 2019
It was exciting. I felt like I was there.
May 14, 2021
This book made me both crave to get out on the water and never want to go near it. I also didn’t understand even half of the boat language but I still found it fascinating.
June 1, 2022
This was very intense. I loved it!
March 11, 2023
entertaining autobio, quick read
November 28, 2023
Brief, even for Paulsen. Lacks his typical insight.
May 18, 2024
A memoir of Paulsen's time at sea. I picked it up after reading about it in the afterword of Hatchet 4. If anything, I would have liked it to have been longer.
December 11, 2024
An exciting tale of sailing.
October 8, 2025
Lost me at sled dog racing and trapping.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews