What do you think?
Rate this book
Call Me Captain: A Memoir of a Woman at Sea (Latitude 20 Books
Writer and marine biologist Susan Scott had an enviable existence―a home in Hawai‘i, a prized 37-foot sailboat and exciting international adventures, all shared with her physician husband Craig in a marriage so intimate they called it the “Twinship.” Yet, when her menopausal hormones raged and Craig grew preoccupied with Ironman triathlon training, this perfect life ended. Once blessed with well-being, love, humor, and sharing, the Twinship exploded with fights, silence, accusations, and failed counseling.
Shell-shocked, Susan sought solace in the one thing that always gave her marine wildlife. She overhauled the couple’s neglected boat and, with a male friend nearly half her age, sailed away. Except it wasn’t that easy; Susan had always relied on Craig to make the sailing decisions and Alex, her young first mate, was a sailing novice. Call Me Captain follows Susan as she leaves everything behind―or tries to― and sails to spectacular but isolated Palmyra Atoll to work as a volunteer biologist. Susan helps rescue baby sea turtles, bands seabirds, and corrals ten-pound coconut crabs that look like Godzillas with knife-blade claws. She determinedly repairs her sailboat, skippers it through terrifying storms, and to her surprise, finds she and Craig are falling in love all over again. This time the two rediscover one another via satellite phone―Susan calling from her tiny floating speck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to Craig in his hospital emergency room on Oahu.
Susan writes with passion about swimming with manta rays, kayaking with sharks, and sailing with whales and dolphins. In those passages, she shows ways these magnificent animals guided her through the journey of a lifetime. Her memoir of self-discovery is a romance, a rousing sea tale, and a personal account of nature’s power to put life in perspective.
Shell-shocked, Susan sought solace in the one thing that always gave her marine wildlife. She overhauled the couple’s neglected boat and, with a male friend nearly half her age, sailed away. Except it wasn’t that easy; Susan had always relied on Craig to make the sailing decisions and Alex, her young first mate, was a sailing novice. Call Me Captain follows Susan as she leaves everything behind―or tries to― and sails to spectacular but isolated Palmyra Atoll to work as a volunteer biologist. Susan helps rescue baby sea turtles, bands seabirds, and corrals ten-pound coconut crabs that look like Godzillas with knife-blade claws. She determinedly repairs her sailboat, skippers it through terrifying storms, and to her surprise, finds she and Craig are falling in love all over again. This time the two rediscover one another via satellite phone―Susan calling from her tiny floating speck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to Craig in his hospital emergency room on Oahu.
Susan writes with passion about swimming with manta rays, kayaking with sharks, and sailing with whales and dolphins. In those passages, she shows ways these magnificent animals guided her through the journey of a lifetime. Her memoir of self-discovery is a romance, a rousing sea tale, and a personal account of nature’s power to put life in perspective.
- GenresNonfiction
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
6 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 22, 2014
While I'm probably a bit out of the target demographic for this kind of book, there's still plenty of interest here: Rollicking sea adventures that don't always go well, marine life and the challenges of mid-life all spoke to me.
There are some real thrills at sea. Overcoming or at least learning to deal with some big fears is a major theme: fears of the many things that can go wrong with a boat; the many things that inevitably go wrong in an relationship. The many issues that menopause raises complicates everything.
The book is also filled with humor. Susan Scott writes in a voice that you can just hear, like real people talk. She writes a weekly column for the Honolulu Star Bulletin about marine life and life in Hawaii called Ocean Watch. You can read volumes of her past columns at her website susanscott.net.
Mid-life women will absolutely love this book. But, men, let me tell you there's still plenty for you.
There are some real thrills at sea. Overcoming or at least learning to deal with some big fears is a major theme: fears of the many things that can go wrong with a boat; the many things that inevitably go wrong in an relationship. The many issues that menopause raises complicates everything.
The book is also filled with humor. Susan Scott writes in a voice that you can just hear, like real people talk. She writes a weekly column for the Honolulu Star Bulletin about marine life and life in Hawaii called Ocean Watch. You can read volumes of her past columns at her website susanscott.net.
Mid-life women will absolutely love this book. But, men, let me tell you there's still plenty for you.
November 21, 2014
I do not usually read a whole lot of memoirs, but because the author is planning to come to our library's book club to speak, I thought it's best to read Call Me Captain by Susan Scott. I am familiar with her column, Ocean Watch. While she does talk a lot about the interesting wildlife--snapping shrimp, coconut crabs, hermit crabs, rats, boobies--to name a few, at the heart of this memoir is the fifty-something year old author and her marriage that has hit a rough patch. The author decides to embark on an adventure--to put together a small crew and take the sailboat to an atoll about 1500 miles away from Hawaii. It is there that she finds solace in the wildlife, forges friendships, becomes adept at sailing her own boat and reconnecting with her husband, whom she left behind in Hawaii.
January 11, 2015
I loved how open the author was about such a difficult time in her life. Her honesty opened my eyes to what my mom had experienced. It really hit home and explained so much to me. Her experiences out at sea were amazing and terrifying at times. I can't even imagine wanting to do that but she explained sailing in such a relatable way that pulled the reader in closer. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.
February 2, 2019
Susan is an expert storyteller, narrating her tale with a mix of wit and eloquence and journalistic curiosity. As someone struggling in my own marriage and who has her own adventures, I found solace in her journey. I was captivated and cheering for her page by page. And learned a lot!
January 7, 2025
Although a thorough landlubber, I enjoyed this account of sailing and adventure. It took me back to days of frigate birds, land crabs, and baby sea turtles.
January 5, 2015
My fellow book clubbers know how much I love coincidences when I am reading a particular book. And in this case, I wasn't disappointed.
The author and I came from Wisconsin. She and her husband;and I and my husband brought our sailboats to Hawaii.
She is a biologist; with another career, writing. I am a biologist, who developed a career in engineering.
She cares deeply about the creatures of her environment, and so do I.
Her powers of observation in this book were outstanding. Her attention to details, admirable.
But, I was left wondering about how her relationship with her husband had changed. She spent a lot of time explaining how she had changed; and what those changes had done to her marriage. Well, we all change with time...and those of us who cannot get on a boat and sail away, will have to deal with these changes in some way.
Bravo to an author who shares her true emotions. As I said in my other notes, I had just finished reading "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed, and I felt similar vibes when reading this story.
My final coincidence.....Sea Shepherds' special program was on while I was finishing up my reading of this book, and guess what? They got Japan to cease "research whaling" after the International Court in The Hague ruled that their killing of 1,000+ whales wasn't really "research". Yeah! A triumphant victory for another group of intrepid seafarers!
I will look forward to meeting Susan Scott at an upcoming book club meeting.
The author and I came from Wisconsin. She and her husband;and I and my husband brought our sailboats to Hawaii.
She is a biologist; with another career, writing. I am a biologist, who developed a career in engineering.
She cares deeply about the creatures of her environment, and so do I.
Her powers of observation in this book were outstanding. Her attention to details, admirable.
But, I was left wondering about how her relationship with her husband had changed. She spent a lot of time explaining how she had changed; and what those changes had done to her marriage. Well, we all change with time...and those of us who cannot get on a boat and sail away, will have to deal with these changes in some way.
Bravo to an author who shares her true emotions. As I said in my other notes, I had just finished reading "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed, and I felt similar vibes when reading this story.
My final coincidence.....Sea Shepherds' special program was on while I was finishing up my reading of this book, and guess what? They got Japan to cease "research whaling" after the International Court in The Hague ruled that their killing of 1,000+ whales wasn't really "research". Yeah! A triumphant victory for another group of intrepid seafarers!
I will look forward to meeting Susan Scott at an upcoming book club meeting.
January 8, 2015
I generally don’t find memoirs compelling. I read this for my book club, reluctantly, and I’m so glad I did. What a fun ride! I was grabbed from page one, with 56-year-old Susan ogling her young sailing companion as he undresses for the night. This man, half her age, is not her husband. In fact Susan is taking off on a thousand-mile sail to Palmyra, leaving behind a marriage that’s on very rocky ground. There’s a lot of technical talk about boat parts and repairs that won’t mean a lot to non-sailors. But the author’s personal issues more than make up for it. The story is fun and engaging, the misadventures at sea enough to make your hair stand on end. By the end of the book I knew a lot more about the wildlife on and around the Pacific Islands, and felt as if I knew they author personally. I was sad when I came to the last page and realized it was over.
February 19, 2015
Read it again in preparation for our book club discussion and visit with the author. It was as wonderful the second time. If you are a woman of a certain age, you can relate. If you have a husband, you will find answers to some mysteries and proof that you are not alone in your struggles to maintain a relationship. If you have ever renovated something, a kitchen, a house, a boat you will find a kindred spirit in Susan Scott. If you love adventure, this is a book for you. Something for everyone. Wonderful.
November 26, 2015
I read this as part of a book club. Many other readers really enjoyed this story, detailing one woman's voyage of independence and re-discovery during her voyage to Palmyra. And it is a compelling story.
However, I struggled with making it through the entire book. The writing style was too choppy and disconnected. There lacked a certain rhythm which made it difficult to move from page to page. That said, the author is really in her element sharing stories about the sea life she spots along the way. I found these parts of the book to be the most interesting.
However, I struggled with making it through the entire book. The writing style was too choppy and disconnected. There lacked a certain rhythm which made it difficult to move from page to page. That said, the author is really in her element sharing stories about the sea life she spots along the way. I found these parts of the book to be the most interesting.
March 17, 2015
Ever feel like sailing away to some South Pacific isle?
This book is hard to put down and made me feel Susan Scott was talking to me in person. She opens her heart like an old and true friend.
This is a story of heartbreak, acceptance, determination, grit, courage, persistence, learning, humor, and victory over sadness and discouragement.
The making of a strong woman and a strong relationship, a love story.
This book is hard to put down and made me feel Susan Scott was talking to me in person. She opens her heart like an old and true friend.
This is a story of heartbreak, acceptance, determination, grit, courage, persistence, learning, humor, and victory over sadness and discouragement.
The making of a strong woman and a strong relationship, a love story.
September 8, 2015
I loved this book. She is a strong woman who follows her heart and values. Very interesting setting.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews