Once Is Enough: A Classic Non-Fiction Adventure of Sailing, Survival, and Wanderlust

The Mariners Library #42

by Miles Smeeton

This timeless classic is an exciting true story of survival against all odds.

‘There was a sudden sickening sense of disaster. I felt a great lurch and heel, and a thunder of sound filled my ears. I was conscious, in a terrified moment, of being driven into the front and side of my bunk with tremendous force. At the same time there was a tearing cracking sound, as if Tzu Hang was being ripped apart, and water burst solidly, raging into the cabin. There was darkness, black boards, and I fought wildly to get out, thinking Tzu Hang had already gone. Then suddenly I was standing again, waist deep in water, and floorboards and cushions, mattresses and books were sloshing in wild confusion round me.’

Miles Smeeton and his wife Beryl sailed their 46-ft Bermuda ketch, Tzu Hang, in the wild seas of Cape Horn, following the tracks of the old sailing clippers through the world’s most notorious waters. This is an exciting true story of survival against all odds, but it is also a thoughtful book which provides hard-learned lessons for other intrepid sailors.

As Nevil Shute writes in his foreword: ‘It has been left to Miles Smeeton to tell us in clear and simple language just where the limits of safety lie.’

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure, Travel, Nautical, History, Maritime

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1959

Reviews

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One doesn’t have to be a sailor; not even so much as a week-end sailor to enjoy this book. It didn’t matter that as a landlubber I don’t understand the lexicon and technicalities of sailing a small ketch, let alone one in the roughest and most dangerous seas on our planet. I let the technical language wash over me whilst I caught more than enough in the gist, the sense of it all, the at times madness of it all, and I came out of the adventure amazed.

Practiced sailors will lap-up the technical minutiae. For myself, I followed the ship’s cat, Pwe; incredulous that such an animal could contentedly take to the confinement of such a small seafaring vessel; http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/featurin...

The slim paperback in my hands packed a punch greater than I had expected. It’s a rattling good, and most importantly, true, yarn.

[S E North-Coombes]

Plenty of better seafaring books out there.

The middle section of the book is pretty tedious. The calamities at sea more interesting - stuck with it but it was a struggle at times

[James Fields]

An old gem of adventure writing.

The easy style with which the author narrates this tale, his obvious affection for life, and his calm demeanor in fulfilling the duties of survival make this a sensitive exception in a world of masculine daring-do. Loved this book! I want to buy a boat and sail somewhere right now!

[bill marcom]

I wish I understood all these sailing equipment terms. Great book even for a landlubber.

Riveting story. Well told. My Texas speak had a little issue with the British lingo... and alotta issues trying to understand all the deep sailing equipment and hardware references. But excellent story with plenty of excitement. The occasional map sketches were very helpful to me.

[Hugh Melvin]

A quite amazing adventure. If you need an example of grit and determination (maybe folly) then this is it.

If you need a working example of a superwoman then Beryl is it. There's not many like her for sure.

Some guys make their own luck.

[Chad Bracken]

Pretty cool to read about the daily challenges of sailing on the open ocean. There is a large section in the middle of this book that was like sailing through the doldrums. Tough to push through, but the last quarter of the book was good.

[Nate Hendrix]

Three people are sailing from Australia twards South America when they are flipped over and lose their mast. They then sail for five weeks and land in Chile. They spend Several months repairing their boat and head off again only to be flipped over one more time. Very good story, but full of sailing jargon that I had trouble with, mizzen, jibbing, halyard. Good book even for nonsailors.

[Sandra]

The personal story of the Smeeton's attempt to take their boat, the Tzu Hang, around Cape Horn in the 1950s. Two times. Twice, disaster strikes and they are struck down by angry seas. A maritime survival story and a true classic sailing misadventure. Features Pwe the cat, Nukaat's hero.

[John Taussig]

Tough Sailing

Amazing resilience of this couple and friend to survive demasting and rig jury rigs to sail back to safety - twice. Even reading how they did this was almost unbelievable. Written more as a documentary - it was an interesting story.

[Bill]

Trio sailing South Pacific in mid 1950s meet huge wave; then exercise effective teamwork to make safe landfall.

[Unit of Raine]

Fascinating tale of Miles and Beryl's sailing adventure. I am partial to the true Victorian voice.

[Charles Baugh]

Read it

[Paul Trammell]

This is a fantastic book of persistent courage and daring in an old wooden ship, trying to sail around Cape Horn.

[Bjorn Solli]

Very interesting book, but a few to many technical items for a non sailing person.

[Mickey Bits]

Another classic of the circumnavigating sailors genre. A wonderful and true story of a most memorable boat journey, especially dealing with Cape Horn.

[john perry]

Great read

Wonderful story tellng. Exceptionally brave and hardy people. If experiencing one pitchpole and "man overboard" was not already enough! An epic.

[Adhoc]

Tedious sledding much of the way
Too much cat

Observations:
Boat is thoroughly prepared for the sea yet no one checks the goose neck?
Only one hammer aboard a wooden ship?
A gasoline engine in a cruiser?
Engine is not sealed up (carb and exhaust) when idle for long periods when at sea?
Drawers and lockers not locked down even after initial pitch pole experience?
Charts left out in in the open when they could be kept in waterproof tubes.
Navigation tools not locked in drawer.
Batteries not strapped down
The boat had a fatal design flaw .

[Sandra Strange]

This book is the first person account of a couple who sailed a yacht from Australia around Cape Horn, hoping to continue up the Americas. The narrative requires the reader to understand sailing terms, since much of the narrative involves the chores of trying to sail efficiently and effectively. There are moments of crisis and adventure when the couple with their crewmate runs into threats from ocean and storm, threats that almost kill them. The rest of the narrative moves very slowly, especially the months of repairing/rebuilding their craft after one of the disasters they experienced.

[Ryan Scott]

3.5 writing, 5.5 story.

“GIVE A MAN —or a girl for that matter-
-a horse he can ride, and
sooner or later he, or she, will want to ride further and faster and to jump higher. Let a man climb one mountain and he must find another until he seeks the snows. It is the same with a ship.”

[Frank Bird]

Interesting book of its time. Well written with subtle British humour threaded throughout the pages. The writer has an excellent talent for making what would normally be mundane interesting. I really enjoyed this book.

[Chloe]

Pretty mad sailing story, Beryl is the MVP x

[Jorma Savolainen]

Great reading for any sailor.

[L.C. Tang]

A true story of an older adventurous couple who documents the trials and tribulations of crossing big seas in small boats. Should be required reading for all novice sailors contemplating a serious crossing. Includes maps and drawings, which help the reader visualize this situation. Setting takes place in the mid-1950s. Smeeton and his wife, Beryl, retired after World War II, Smeeton being a British Army officer and veteran of that war. As a sailor myself, I found some parts of the story a bit boring. Borrowed the book from the library.

[Vilhelm]

The Smeeton couple have a great story to tell, almost sinking twice, and there's great storytelling on the way. The author doesn't know what to write though, when things are going well, like when they're just sailing, and the book unfortunately gets bogged down in this. But what a survival story!