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Voyages of a Simple Sailor
Aged just 23, and already set on a life of adventure, Roger Taylor signed up as an able seaman on the square-rigger Endeavour II, bound from Australia to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. It was the realisation of a boyhood dream. The dream was cruelly shattered when the ship was caught in a fierce tropical storm off the coast of northern New Zealand. For several days, the young crew fought in horrific conditions to keep the ship off the hostile cliffs to leeward. Their efforts were in vain. Nothing could save the ship as it was driven towards the shore. At one in the morning the ship finally struck land. With mountainous seas and storm force winds there was little chance of survival. Death seemed inevitable; the ordeal over. In fact it had hardly begun...
Having narrowly survived this formative experience, Roger resolved that from then on he would only ever go to sea on his own terms, single-handed and in small, easily manageable yachts. He built the 19’ ocean cruiser Roc and sailed her in the 1974 Trans Tasman Single-handed Yacht Race, only the sixth ever solo ocean race. In the early part of this voyage Roc was rolled in huge seas, the main steering was damaged and the self-steering smashed beyond repair. Roger hand-steered for nearly 30 days, only to encounter one of the worst storms recorded off the east coast of Australia.
Roger went on to sail many thousands of ocean miles, all the while refining his simple approach. This book is a distillation of over 50 years of sailing experience, describing small-boat voyaging from a unique and deeply considered perspective.
Having narrowly survived this formative experience, Roger resolved that from then on he would only ever go to sea on his own terms, single-handed and in small, easily manageable yachts. He built the 19’ ocean cruiser Roc and sailed her in the 1974 Trans Tasman Single-handed Yacht Race, only the sixth ever solo ocean race. In the early part of this voyage Roc was rolled in huge seas, the main steering was damaged and the self-steering smashed beyond repair. Roger hand-steered for nearly 30 days, only to encounter one of the worst storms recorded off the east coast of Australia.
Roger went on to sail many thousands of ocean miles, all the while refining his simple approach. This book is a distillation of over 50 years of sailing experience, describing small-boat voyaging from a unique and deeply considered perspective.
- GenresTravel
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 29, 2009
Roger D. Taylor is a British sailing enthusiast whose seafaring adventures have taken him around the globe. This book examines three very different sailing trips, which take place at different stages in his life. Although part autobiography, its main aim is to give a picture of what it’s like to be at sea, and the reasons people sail. It’s a well-presented book with a professional sheen.
The first third of the book is the most exciting, detailing a doomed voyage as Roger and his crew are caught in a tropical storm off the coast of New Zealand. This section is entitled ‘Shipwreck’, and is by far the most readable part of the book. The second section, ‘Capsize’, downscales things as Roger builds his own small yacht and then sails it across the Tasman Sea, with unpredictable results. The final section, ‘Calms’, details a modern-day attempt to cross the Atlantic, and is the most lyrical and reflective of the three.
As a complete novice to the world of sailing, some of the detail in this book was lost on me. It’s heavily technical, with a focus throughout on the details of seafaring and the equipment that goes with it. Enthusiasts will be delighted, but I would have preferred a more personal touch. Scenes such as the ones where Roger describes the wildlife he meets on his journeys through the oceans, or where he reflects on loneliness and isolation, are among my favourite, but they’re a long time in coming.
This review was first published in The Self-Publishing Magazine.
The first third of the book is the most exciting, detailing a doomed voyage as Roger and his crew are caught in a tropical storm off the coast of New Zealand. This section is entitled ‘Shipwreck’, and is by far the most readable part of the book. The second section, ‘Capsize’, downscales things as Roger builds his own small yacht and then sails it across the Tasman Sea, with unpredictable results. The final section, ‘Calms’, details a modern-day attempt to cross the Atlantic, and is the most lyrical and reflective of the three.
As a complete novice to the world of sailing, some of the detail in this book was lost on me. It’s heavily technical, with a focus throughout on the details of seafaring and the equipment that goes with it. Enthusiasts will be delighted, but I would have preferred a more personal touch. Scenes such as the ones where Roger describes the wildlife he meets on his journeys through the oceans, or where he reflects on loneliness and isolation, are among my favourite, but they’re a long time in coming.
This review was first published in The Self-Publishing Magazine.
July 13, 2018
Three Short Tales
The three major voyages in the author’s life to that date and the beginnings of his simple sailing philosophy. Actually a quick and absorbing read. I binged it in about 2 days
The three major voyages in the author’s life to that date and the beginnings of his simple sailing philosophy. Actually a quick and absorbing read. I binged it in about 2 days
March 16, 2021
Does this soothe the wanderlust or stirs it up? Both?
July 22, 2021
good, i am envy
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews