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Cruising At Last: Sailing The East Coast
Elliott Merrick had always wanted to sail the East Coast, but he needed a boat. Not finding what he wanted, amateur cruiser Merrick built his ownboat--a twenty-foot sailboat he put together on weekends, in anticipation of the cruise he’d been dreaming of for his entire life. Finally, after retiring, he and his wife set out on the water.
This splendid narrative recounts Merrick’s exciting journey from novice to accomplished sailor, capturing the sheer delight of a good day’s sail. He describes building his boat, learning how to anchor in new harbors, meeting characters of every sort along the way. Merrick recounts “the unutterable joy of our good days, when the bow wave sparkled white, and the sky was so blue you lost yourself in it.”
This splendid narrative recounts Merrick’s exciting journey from novice to accomplished sailor, capturing the sheer delight of a good day’s sail. He describes building his boat, learning how to anchor in new harbors, meeting characters of every sort along the way. Merrick recounts “the unutterable joy of our good days, when the bow wave sparkled white, and the sky was so blue you lost yourself in it.”
- GenresNonfiction
250 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2003
14 people want to read
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June 24, 2013
I've read all of Elliot Merrick's other books, which detailed his life on a farm in Vermont and also the years he spent in Labrador, Canada. I love his writing style - humorous, folksy, and respectful of nature and the culture of the people he encounters.
This book is totally different from his others, but every bit as enjoyable. Merrick had loved boats and the sea his entire life, and had always dreamed of sailing. When he and his wife retired, they built a small sailboat and spent several years sailing up and down the East Coast. He writes in great detail about the open sea, the harbors they visit, the wildlife, other boats and the weather and people they see. He pokes fun at himself when he was a new sailor and made some silly errors, and shows pride in the way he eventually became more experienced.
This was a bittersweet book to read because it was published after his death, and based on a manuscript he was writing but never finished. He didn't get to sail until the last years of his life, but perhaps the wait made it all the more enjoyable to him.
If you're a fan of Elliot Merrick's books (True North, Northern Nurse, Green Mountain Farm, The Long Crossing) you will enjoy this one too. He was a good man and a gifted writer, and I'm glad his books are available for anther generation.
This book is totally different from his others, but every bit as enjoyable. Merrick had loved boats and the sea his entire life, and had always dreamed of sailing. When he and his wife retired, they built a small sailboat and spent several years sailing up and down the East Coast. He writes in great detail about the open sea, the harbors they visit, the wildlife, other boats and the weather and people they see. He pokes fun at himself when he was a new sailor and made some silly errors, and shows pride in the way he eventually became more experienced.
This was a bittersweet book to read because it was published after his death, and based on a manuscript he was writing but never finished. He didn't get to sail until the last years of his life, but perhaps the wait made it all the more enjoyable to him.
If you're a fan of Elliot Merrick's books (True North, Northern Nurse, Green Mountain Farm, The Long Crossing) you will enjoy this one too. He was a good man and a gifted writer, and I'm glad his books are available for anther generation.
Displaying 1 of 1 review