Spindrift: A Wilderness Pilgrimage at Sea

by Peter Reason

Spindrift is the story of a sailing odyssey, but also of an inward journey into deep truths about who we are and how we belong in the universal scheme. A meditation on sailing and life, it is a hugely enjoyable and thought-provoking book for landlubbers, sailors, philosophers and naturalists alike. It is a story of pilgrimage, of reflection through solitude and through connection with nature. Mostly sailing alone, Peter Reason invites us to share in the minute-by-minute challenges of seamanship and navigation, on his enthralling journey in his 31ft yacht from Plymouth across the Celtic Sea and back. Exploring far more than the seaways, the author successfully manages to tell the story of a journey with another dimension - that of investigating and reflecting on our human place in the ecology of the planet. He reaches towards his stated aim of re-opening the 'great conversation' with the Earth, in contrast to our modern ways of living, which leave us speaking only to ourselves. Above all, this book shows us that Nature is not just a place to visit, but our home. As we finish the book, we may feel we, not it, are the ones being returned, to a rather dusty shelf. Along the way we have been given glimpses of 'the gorgeous arc of the universe' and shown how we ourselves are part of this immense, continuing process of evolution. We may be back at our mooring, but we find ourselves listening to the weather report with a new sense of engagement.

191 pages, Hardcover

First published April 24, 2014

About the author

Peter Reason is a writer whose work links the tradition of nature writing with the ecological crisis of our times, drawing on scientific, ecological, philosophical and spiritual sources. His new book, In Search of Grace: An ecological pilgrimage, deepens and extends the exploration started in his earlier award-winning book Spindrift: A wilderness pilgrimage at sea. Both books weave an exploration of the human place in the ecology of the planet into the story of a sailing voyage.

Prior to his retirement from academia, he made major contributions to the theory and practice of action research in writing, teaching and research in the field of sustainability. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Bath and Adjunct Professor at California Institute for Integral Studies. For full publications and information on current activities visit www.peterreason.eu

Reviews

[Rubery Book Award · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully presented book about a journey from Plymouth across the Celtic Sea and back again, partly a sailing story and partly a meditation on life and nature. The narrative is lyrical and thoughtful.
From the Rubery Book Award

[Emma Geen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter artfully weaves together philosophy and the story of his personal sailing pilgrimage to present an important message for a world on the blink of climate disaster.