Deep Water and Shoal

The Mariners Library #4

by William Albert Robinson

'There have been men before who have gone round the world, or as nearly as doesn't matter, in small sailing boats. There was Alain Gerbault and there was Capt. Slocum. But no one has ever written a book about sailing round the world as good as Mr. Robinson's... It is one of the most entrancing travel books ever written. It is so good that at this moment, late at night in a London club, I feel like "cashing in" all my available resources, abandoning my home and family, and starting out to sail round the world in a thirty foot boat, so seaworthy that it won't matter, if I go below to sleep for eight hours, lashing the helm and trusting to the Trades' J.C. Squire in the Daily TelegraphKeywords: Sailing Boats J C Squire Daily Telegraph Alain Gerbault Mr Robinson Foot Boat London Club Lashing Slocum Available Resources Late At Night Eight Hours Capt Travel Books Helm Trades

Genres: Nonfiction

470 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1932

About the author

William Albert Robinson was born on August 13, 1902 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was an only child and grew up with his mother, Ella Huegin.
He made his name by sailing around the world in a small boat from June 1928 to November 1931 – Kthe first man to accomplish the feat in so small a boat.
His first book "Deep Water and Shoal" recounting this incredible adventure, was published in 1932 and became a best seller.
Upon publication of his book, Robinson’s fame was renewed. He became known as one of the world’s great contemporary explorers.
Later, he was at the head of a little yard in Ipswich building schooners for the Gloucester fishing fleet and beautiful sailing yachts.
Robbie, as he was known, passed away on the 16th of January 1988 and is buried on the family property, on the land of Ofaipapa, in Tahiti.

Reviews

[Peter Parslow · Rating 3 out of 5]

A curious read, so shortly after Voyage of the Cap Pilar which is a journey a few years later.

Mr Robinson seems a harsh critic of most Westerners he met. Assuming his facts are accurate it seems many of them deserved it. But then he lets himself down claiming that the “natives” were to simple to understand Christianity - having shown how rarely it was actually Christianity that was being demonstrated.

32,000 miles and 3+ years in 340 pages means that inevitably a lot of amazing places get only a paragraph or so.

[Karen Barcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great old read

I love the real-love accounts of what the world was like back then.
Be warned, this is a long book. I read every word, never skimming at all. Well written and funny in places.
Also note that the author lived in a different day and time. Though clearly the progressive of his day as related to the subjects of race and colonialism. But he was still a product of the age.

GREAT READ!

[Julian Schwarzenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting historical travel narrative that is now quite dated in its attitudes in places. Still, it does relate a 3+ year, 32,000 mile voyage in a small yacht crossing the Pacific and visiting many islands on the way. In some ways it was an incomplete book in that sometimes weeks or months of activities on land are skipped whilst the nautical aspects are perhaps to detailed.

[Richard Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most enjoyable sailing and adventure books that I have read. William Robinson is an excellent story teller.