Tinkerbelle: The Story of The Smallest Boat Ever to Cross the Atlantic Nonstop

by Robert Manry

Clean, bright used copy with tape sticker on front cover./lh

254 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

Reviews

[Mark Speed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this lovely book at the age of nine. Robert Manry built a little 13.5-foot wooden yacht, learnt to navigate the old way, then set across the Atlantic. He sailed across the Atlantic from Falmouth Massachusetts to Falmouth Corwall in 1965. At the time it was the smallest craft to have made the crossing. It's a wonderful true adventure story, and hugely inspiring. I was never quite sure whether it was fact or fiction when I was reading it, and was delighted to find that it was a true story. It's heartwarming, funny, and full of life-lessons. Recommended reading for all age groups.

[Seán · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly fascinating book. I was expecting to enjoy it given the topic, but not this much! Manry's outlook on life is brilliant, and much of it resonated with me...which is probably why I liked it so much! An extremely easy read, he does a wonderful job of laying out his journey, with beautifully descriptive language. He seems to take everything in his stride, and is very open and honest about the entire trip. I'm a rock climber, yet I found his descriptions of how he felt about, and interacted with, the ocean closely matched many of mine with regard to being on rock. Close contact with nature resonates deeply with us across modalities; we are a part of it after all. It was quite funny/sad to read his thoughts on the pace of modern life and getting away from it, nodding in agreement...and then realise he's talking about 60 odd years ago! Everything changes, yet remains the same it appears! Highly recommend.

[S. K. Pentecost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, it's an Ohio boy for the win.

What a heartwarming story, written by the man who just went off and did it. The writing is tedious at times, mostly when he veers into the philosophical, but that's why philosophers have so few friends.

What I love most is that he is so inclusive: Always saying "we" when he talks about him and the boat on the voyage. Including the posted replies from passing skippers who'd stopped to talk with him. And especially including his wife's diary entries while he was away.

The epilogue makes his living life to the utmost of his principles for those 78 days that much more poignant. Robert Manry was a man I would be proud to know.

Thanks to the Manry family and clevelandmemory.org for providing the text for free on line.
http://www.clevelandmemory.org/ebooks...

[David Forsyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tinkerbelle is an unpretentious tale of a dream accomplished through perseverance and courage. Manry's first-person, non-fiction account of sailing solo to Falmouth, England on a ridiculously small vessel from Massachsettes in 1965 is candid and generous in detail. As a sailor and author myself, I recommend this book to readers of seagoing adventure.

[Bob K · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better books of its kind. I've read a few other personal accounts of people sailing small boats across large bodies of water. Often, they're far too technical and bogged down with unimportant details. Manry, I believe since he was a newspaper-man, is skilled at writing about his adventures with a lot of heart and humor. The illustrations are a nice touch too.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable true story of a suburban dad with a dream to sail across the Atlantic alone. The sheer force of his belief in his ability to do this is a wonder to behold: to buy a tiny second hand boat, and renovate it, and teach himself to navigate, and convince his wife and employer to let him go, and set off on this adventure with more theoretical knowledge than ocean sailing experience. Foolhardy hubris or heroic bravery? Maybe both? Well, he did it, and never seemed to doubt that he would.

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

1965 book about sailing across the ocean

[Bryce DoubleDouble-destroyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My all time favorite book

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Single-handed across the Atlantic in a small sailboat.

[Shirley Freeman]

Even though I've been on a sailboat once in my life and didn't particularly enjoy it, I did enjoy this memoir (from 1966 before the term memoir was common) about Robert Manry's solo trip across the Atlantic in a 13.5 foot sailboat. Manry was a newspaper man with a passion for sailing and a dream of a solo oceanic trip. He, and his boat Tinkerbelle, were well prepared but there were still plenty of challenging moments. He tells his story in a straight-forward, non-dramatic manner. The trip itself had enough drama for me. A good, quick read.

[Torry · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a recent viewer of a few 'sea adventures gone terribly wrong' films (All is Lost, Captain Phillips), this book was the perfect antidote. Robert Manry's account of his solo transatlantic voyage is an inspiring and humorous read, and also leaves the reader with the feeling that taking such a journey is within their grasp, given the correct preparation... List makers take note, this man was ahead of his time!

[C Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahoy

bought it 26 june 1966
still have this copy

Cleveland Plain Dealer
copy ed
crosses the Atlantic in a 12 ft wood sailing dinghy

wonderful
another things that dreams are made of
adventure story

helm down
mac

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! Grew up in the city where Bob Manry lived and rebuilt his boat, Tinkerbelle. There is even a park names after him. Sadly, I didn't learn about him, the boat, his journey and sad life after until I was an adult. Highly recommend.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting, but not edge of the seat reading..